Homes for the homeless, beds for the sick, and fighting for better care for our kids. 

From adding more than 200 new homes for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, to significantly increasing our capacity to care for those in need of inpatient psychiatric care, to increasing mental health and substance disorder access for the region’s young people, we took some big votes this week. Check it out:

New Housing Available to Tackle Homelessness

239 new permanent supportive housing units will soon open to provide safe, stable housing for homeless veterans and individuals who have been chronically homeless, many of whom struggle with mental health issues.

Working together with the City of San Diego and the San Diego Housing Commission, we successfully secured $55 million in state funding for three projects: 

• Abbott Street Apartments in Ocean Beach

• Pacific Village in the Midway District

• Presidio Palms in Mission Valley

In addition to these state funds, the County of San Diego has committed up to $32 million in loans to ensure these projects succeed and will provide essential behavioral health services for residents.

Starting this month, units will begin opening their doors, with the first residents moving in at Abbott Street Apartments. This isn’t just a home; it’s a foundation for rebuilding lives. With screening, outreach, mental health treatment, and substance use programs, we’re offering comprehensive support to help people not just find shelter, but stay housed.

Major Step Forward in Emergency Psychiatric Care: 30 In-Patient Beds Added

Maybe it’s a family with kids that lives in Mira Mesa who are struggling to make ends meet and the father needs help managing the stress and anxiety of putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their head.

Or possibly it’s someone who has been cleared from a homeless encampment and is working to get their life back on track, and they need trauma-informed care after being chronically homeless. 

The bottom line is that any of us could face a situation where we need to make more psychiatric care accessible. This is why we’ve approved a partnership with UC San Diego Health to significantly expand inpatient psychiatric services at the East Campus Medical Center. This includes adding 30 new inpatient beds for those facing severe mental health crises and a crisis stabilization unit to provide short-term, intensive care.

This partnership, led by Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe, reflects our deep commitment to ensuring equitable access to behavioral health services. Our region is facing a growing need for mental health care, particularly for Medi-Cal beneficiaries, and these services have long been underfunded and out of reach for too many. We are working to change that.

By investing $32 million in this facility, we are building the infrastructure that will provide critical, life-saving care for residents in crisis. It’s a big step in transforming our behavioral health system into one that meets the needs of everyone, from underserved populations in East County to residents across the region.

Increasing Behavioral Health Access for San Diego’s Youth

This week the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a policy I mention to you last week, to maximize behavioral health services, infrastructure investments, and staffing for children, youth and transition aged youth (0-25). This policy means the County will use the data-driven Optimal Care Pathways model to drive strategic investment, address service gaps, and ensure a robust care infrastructure. 

By leveraging data and optimizing resources, the County aims to deliver essential support to young people, helping ensure their long-term well-being. 

Until now, the Optimal Care Pathways model was primarily used to help adults. I’m excited that kids will start to get better help using this new approach. 

In Service,

Terra