SAN DIEGO—The San Diego County Board of Supervisors July 16 voted 4–0 in favor of a 70-unit sleeping cabin site, in an effort to help homeless residents within the city of Lemon Grove in East San Diego County.
The new site will replace a cabin project on Jamacha Road in Spring Valley, which supervisors in late June rejected after hearing from residents at the meeting about safety issues. Spring Valley is an unincorporated area east of Lemon Grove.
Based on the proposal from Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe, $8.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds will pay for the construction and maintenance of the cabins, to be located on Troy Street in Lemon Grove.
According to a news release from Ms. Montgomery Steppe’s office, the site will include offices, hygiene facilities, restrooms, and storage space.
There will also be case management for residents, allowing them to find housing options and social services; 24-hour, on-site security; behavioral health support; meals; and transportation.
Her office added that the county will continue to work closely with California state officials to use $10 million in state funds for the Lemon Grove project, and also work with local community partners to ensure its success.
The county will also continue working with local partners and community members to ensure the new site’s success, according to Ms. Montgomery Steppe.
“This project represents a major investment in the health and well-being of our community,” Ms. Montgomery Steppe said in a news release, that sleeping cabins “don’t just provide a place to sleep, but also a chance for individuals to regain stability and dignity as they transition to permanent housing.”
“The approval of this plan is a testament to our commitment to addressing homelessness in a compassionate and effective manner,” she added. “It is my hope that [Gov. Gavin Newsom] sees the value in this investment and renews our partnership to combat the homelessness crisis together.”
“We really hit the ground running because we know this is a tough subject to talk about in our communities,” Ms. Montgomery Steppe said during the July 16 meeting.
She added that her office received really good feedback for the Troy Street site, even from some people who don’t completely agree with it.
When it comes to the regional homeless problem, “we cannot go around it—we have to go through it,” Ms. Montgomery Steppe said. “That means having those tough conversations.”
Supervisors in March voted in favor of building the Willow RV Senior and Family Parking and the Jamacha Sleeping Cabin sites off Jamacha Road, with the $10 million cost provided by the state.
During the late June meeting, board Chairwoman Nora Vargas—whose district includes the Valley Center location—proposed ending the project after speaking to residents, including a woman operating a daycare business near the site.
“I heard them loud and clear,” she said, adding that reducing homelessness must be shared responsibility across the county, with solutions being community-oriented. Sites “can’t just be where working families are,” she said.
While the homeless site seemed like a “really wonderful opportunity,” the county “fell short” in terms of listening to residents, Ms. Vargas said.
Ms. Vargas was absent on July 16; Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer chaired the meeting.
