CONNECT with the CityMaintenance
New housing, housing stability and preventing homelessness are critical to addressing homelessness. All of the City of San Diego’s homelessness programs are modeled off federal Housing First guidelines and the San Diego region Community Standards. These evidence-based practices focus on quickly and efficiently connecting individuals to permanent housing with low barriers to entry and also provide access to services as needed.
The Homelessness Strategies and Solutions Department programs primarily focus on “front-end” interventions of the homeless crisis response system. The Department depends heavily on the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) to shore up “back-end” efforts to ensure individuals quickly flow through the system into permanent housing.
The City partners with the San Diego Housing Commission, the City’s public housing agency, on several housing-based programs for individuals experiencing homelessness. The City has made several strides at adding more units of housing and ensuring those who are at risk of homelessness can remain in their homes.
Apply for rental assistance. Please review the eligibility requirements before applying. Availability may be limited.
View Housing Programs and Resources offered by the San Diego Housing Commission.
Connecting to the Homelessness Response Center can help individuals and families experiencing homelessness on their path to permanent or longer-term housing.
Be a Part of the Solution
There are several ways that homeowners, landlords and neighbors can play a part in the solution.
Welcome New Housing and Neighbors to Your Community
One of the biggest obstacles the City faces when developing new housing or finding housing for individuals who've experienced homelessness is the stigma placed on affordable housing and negative community reaction to these new neighbors. The individuals who are placed into these units typically have been stabilized through their stay in temporary shelters or were simply waiting for a place of their own that they could afford. Many affordable housing complexes also come with wraparound services to aid the new residents as they transition to their lives and others have connected to support systems to help them make the transition smoothly. Welcome these new neighbors to your communities and help them build on their achievements.
Help San Diego's homeless through the Landlord Engagement and Assistance Program (LEAP).
With rental homes that already exist in the market, landlords can provide the best opportunity to quickly move individuals and families out of shelters and into a home of their own. The program provides landlords financial incentives while they may be experiencing economic challenges of their own due to COVID-19.
ADUs are detached or attached accessory structures on a residential lot that provide independent living areas. ADUs are intended as permanent housing solutions and shall not be used for rental terms less than 31 consecutive days.
ADUs can be integrated into existing single-family or multi-family properties. They can be designed in various ways, including converting a portion of an existing house, adding to the existing house, converting an existing garage or constructing a new detached structure.