SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego County has seen a 25% decrease in veteran homelessness from 2024, but hundreds of former service members still lack shelter. County Supervisor Jim Desmond proposed a new pilot program to address this ongoing issue, and it was unanimously approved during Tuesday's board meeting.
San Diego County is home to one of the largest veteran populations in the nation, with over 200,000 veterans living across the region. However, for hundreds of them, finding stable housing remains a challenge.
The latest point-in-time count found nearly 8,900 people experiencing homelessness in San Diego County. Veterans make up about 7% of that population.
"It's actually down about 25%, but I want to see it down 100%. It's particularly for veterans. So this effort is to try to just keep that train rolling to get veterans the help they need and get them into housing as best we can. And so this is just continuing in that effort," Desmond said.
Desmond, a Navy veteran himself, is calling for a pilot program that would set aside more regional housing beds for veterans and seek out funding for rental assistance and case management.
I spoke with Akilah Templeton, President and CEO of Veterans Village of San Diego, who says those are the two biggest gaps in services right now. Veterans Village helps vets get back on their feet with temporary housing, case management and employment services.
Templeton tells me homelessness among veterans has dropped by over 50% across the nation since 2010, but she says even one vet on the streets is one too many.
"Veterans require extra love and support due to things like complex trauma, service-related disabilities. Difficulty navigating some of the civilian systems that other populations may be slightly more familiar with, and then things like moral injury and PTSD, and underemployment that often intersect with that housing instability," Templeton said.
Desmond is asking the County's Chief Administrative Officer to return in 90 days with a plan outlining the feasibility of the program.
Today, the Board unanimously passed my proposal to expand emergency housing for homeless veterans — a major step forward.
— Supervisor Jim Desmond (@jim_desmond) June 24, 2025
As I said at the meeting: “These are individuals who risked their lives in service of our country. It's unacceptable that veterans are still sleeping on the… pic.twitter.com/8KsPNzFQw7
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