San Diego City Wire

The County of San Diego, the City of San Diego’s Housing Commission, and the National City Housing Authority have agreed on plans to help residents affected by the January storms transition out of the County’s Emergency Temporary Lodging Program to longer-term housing solutions.

The Emergency Temporary Lodging program was created to bridge the gap for those affected by the January floods, allowing them to receive federal support and return to their homes. Nearly 500 households, or more than 1,500 people, are currently supported by the County program and receiving temporary lodging, food, and access to mental health services.

The County provided $4.2 million in grant funds to the San Diego Housing Commission to support participants with rental assistance, security deposits, utility payments, landlord incentives, unit rehabilitation or direct case management costs. The San Diego Housing Commission will determine how best to meet residents' needs including how much support each individual will receive. A similar agreement was finalized with National City. The National City Housing Authority received more than $360,000 in County grant funds to assist their residents in transitioning out of the County Emergency Temporary Lodging Program.

“This is the next step in helping our neighbors recover from the January flood,” said Emergency Services Director Jeff Toney. “The County program to provide hotel rooms ends June 21, and we want to make sure the experts at the city housing agencies have what they need to help their residents find appropriate long-term housing solutions.”

The County Board of Supervisors allocated money for the San Diego Housing Commission, the National City Housing Authority, and the Housing Authority of the County of San Diego to help families leaving the County program secure alternate housing solutions. More than 300 residents in the County program have also received FEMA assistance for home repair or rental assistance.

For more information on the County’s Emergency Temporary Lodging Program, visit AlertSanDiego.org/Recovery.