LEMON GROVE, Calif. (KGTV) – Homelessness continues to be an ongoing issue throughout San Diego County, including in Lemon Grove.
On Thursday, San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher and outreach workers hit the streets to help some of the homeless in the Lemon Grove area.
"There's an urgency that communities demand and there's an urgency that humanity demands. And we give people the treatment and care that they need and get them off the street,” Fletcher said.
Outside of providing housing services and other medical assistance, Fletcher and others held a community panel to address homelessness and possible solutions with the community at large in the area that evening.
"And the reality is we got to build some community support. The county is making unprecedented investment. We're driving, we're fighting. But we got to get the communities behind us,” Fletcher said.
Another effort to help, a partnership between the city and county was announced on Thursday. It’s all in hopes of getting state funding to help pay for a $24 million, 40-unit permanent housing project by PATH Ventures in El Cerrito.
Path Venture CEO Joel John Roberts said it's a two-phased project that can help address some of the homelessness needs.
"There's 7,600 people who are homeless in San Diego. So obviously we're not going to house all 7,600. But it's very important to have this permanent housing for people who have lived on the streets. But also, the phase two part is affordable housing,” Roberts said.
Whether it's outreach, discussions, or projects, Fletcher believes that fight and drive he speaks of can push tackling homelessness over the goal line.
"A shelter solves sleep. Housing solving homelessness. And ultimately, we need more of that permanent supportive housing,” Fletcher said.
