San Diego supervisors unanimously support proposal to prevent seniors from losing their homes – Ramona Sentinel

San Diego County Supervisors Joel Anderson of District 2 and Terra Lawson-Remer of District 3 have proposed a new pilot program that would provide a shallow rent subsidy to low-income, rent-burdened older adults who are imminently at-risk of homelessness.

The joint-board letter was unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors at the Feb. 8 meeting.

Older adults are the fastest growing segment of the unsheltered population. According to San Diego’s 2020 Point in Time Count, one out of four of San Diego’s homeless adults is over the age of 55. There are 2,000 older adults that are actively homeless, and this number is projected to triple over the next decade.

“We want to keep San Diego residents in their homes,” said Anderson, who represents Ramona. “Many older adults living on fixed incomes are having to make the choice between paying rent and covering necessary expenses such as food, transportation and medical costs. Early prevention programs, like this one, lead to better life outcomes and long-term cost savings.”

No senior should be sleeping on a sidewalk because they lost their home, said Lawson-Remer, an economist, attorney and public policy expert.

“This program will help to catch seniors before they fall into homelessness, making sure a roof stays over their head and they can live with the dignity they deserve,” she said.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer

(Courtesy Photo)

Serving Seniors President Paul Downey, who called into the supervisors’ meeting, described the proposal as a model that others are eager to implement. He said colleagues in the state and around the country are supportive of the board’s leadership on homelessness.

San Diego’s regional housing supply has not kept pace with the needs of low-income older adults, where wait lists for subsidies and voucher programs can extend several years. There are currently 68,000 people on the San Diego County Housing Choice Voucher waitlist and nearly 40,000 individuals on waitlists for Project Based vouchers.

Anderson and Lawson-Remer said that a relatively modest amount of rental assistance could make the difference between an older adult staying in their home or experiencing homelessness. A few hundred dollars per month may prevent half of the older adults surveyed in the Serving Seniors Homeless Needs Assessment from experiencing homelessness, while estimates provided by county staff for emergency shelter operating costs, including services, range from $2,500 to $6,000 per person, per month, they said.

The supervisors are proposing that the county include the one-time stimulus funds and already appropriated American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds dedicated to homelessness solutions as a potential funding source. However, county staff will recommend a funding source when they return to the board in 90 days with a plan for implementation.