County receives $11.82 million for homeless housing assistance

San Bernardino County has been awarded $11.82 million in the fifth round of Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development to support the creation of interim and permanent housing options at the county’s innovative Pacific Village homeless services campus in San Bernardino.

“Receiving this funding is an extraordinary step toward addressing the homelessness crisis in our region and making a meaningful impact in providing supportive services to those experiencing homelessness,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe. “Through this funding, we aim to make a significant contribution toward improving the quality of life in our communities.”

The Pacific Village housing complex serves as a full-service Continuum of Care campus to promote community health and housing options to the county’s most vulnerable residents. The HHAP funds will allow the county to expand housing options, support rapid rehousing efforts, provide supportive services and enhance homeless outreach efforts.

“Homelessness is a pressing challenge that is receiving our focused attention and strategic efforts,” said Fourth District Supervisor Curt Hagman, who serves on the Board of Supervisors Ad Hoc Committee on Homelessness. “By prioritizing the expansion of housing and connecting individuals and families to vital resources, we anticipate significant progress in addressing the needs of those who are experiencing homelessness in our community.”

The state’s HHAP program provides grant funding to help communities support people experiencing homelessness by developing permanent housing and providing rental and move-in assistance, case management services, rental subsidies and other supportive services.

“I want to thank the California Department of Housing and Community Development for providing this critical funding,” said Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr., who also serves on the Board of Supervisors Ad Hoc Committee on Homelessness. “The HHAP grant will enable us to improve the quality of life in our communities and provide much needed support to people experiencing homelessness.”

San Bernardino County along with the San Bernardino City and County Continuum of Care previously received $8.6 million during the fourth round of HHAP funding, which enabled them to expand shelter and housing capacity and boost outreach efforts to increase the number of homeless individuals and families accessing services.

The recent HHAP award is in addition to $11 million in Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) from the state to provide permanent housing and other support to people experiencing homelessness. The ERF grant will enable the county to enhance outreach and case management efforts as well as support the development of temporary and permanent housing solutions, including the creation of a tiny home campus.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues to serve the needs of people experiencing homelessness,” said the county’s Office of Homeless Services Chief Marcus Dillard. “We will continue to do everything we can to ensure their needs are met.”

In total, San Bernardino County has added 55 non-congregate shelter beds this year in San Bernardino and the High Desert. In addition, the county has sheltered 102 individuals and connected 95 of them to permanent housing.

For information about the county’s Homeless Strategic Action Plan, please visit https://homelesstohome.sbcounty.gov/.