Leaders in San Diego’s South County are redefining how the region tackles homelessness, opting for treatment‑first shelters and temporary housing rather than the federally endorsed Housing First model. The shift aligns with President Trump’s recent executive actions that seek to replace unconditional housing assistance with programs that require participants to address addiction and mental‑health issues before receiving permanent homes.
Local policy changes
Chula Vista, the largest city in the South County corridor, has made its preferences clear. The city now focuses on clearing encampments, expanding affordable housing, and directing homeless residents toward treatment programs. Permanent supportive housing—central to the Housing First philosophy—remains a small component of each city’s plan.
National City has set aside 24 supportive units for veterans within a larger affordable‑housing project, while Imperial Beach earmarked 25 units for seniors exiting homelessness. Chula Vista is constructing or financing a few dozen permanent units, but the bulk of its effort centers on a 62‑bed tiny‑home complex run by the faith‑based nonprofit City Net, which requires residents to work toward resolving the issues that led to their homelessness.
Faith‑based involvement
The centerpiece of National City’s response is a faith‑based shelter operated by the San Diego Rescue Mission. The shelter emphasizes sobriety and refers clients to residential treatment. At a recent press conference, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. unveiled the Trump administration’s “Best Practices Toolkit,” which promotes treatment‑first approaches and discourages unconditional housing placements.
Rescue Mission CEO Donnie Dee stood beside Kennedy, praising the shelter’s strategy. Chula Vista Mayor John McCann, a Republican seeking re‑election, described the city’s high‑barrier shelter as “high barrier, so you’ve got to be clean,” underscoring the administration’s emphasis on personal responsibility.
Local leaders weigh in
San Ysidro School District Trustee and District 8 City Council candidate Antonio Martinez told a recent public‑affairs forum that he does not always support Housing First, arguing, “We need to tackle other issues before housing…drug addiction, mental illness, families that are living in their car…housing helps some but not all.” His rival, Gerardo Ramirez, said policy labels matter less than outcomes, urging more high‑quality drug and mental‑health treatment and, when necessary, compelling participation.
In a mayoral debate, McCann claimed his city’s approach is among the strictest in the county and highlighted a 25 percent drop in unsheltered homelessness in Chula Vista—one of the highest declines county‑wide. The most recent regional count shows Chula Vista’s unsheltered population fell roughly 25 percent last year, compared with a 7 percent decline in the city of San Diego and an 11 percent county‑wide reduction.
Contrasting viewpoints
Mayor Todd Gloria of San Diego continues to champion Housing First, noting that permanent supportive housing resources have nearly doubled and that unsheltered homelessness has declined for two consecutive years. However, Martinez and other South County officials argue that a one‑size‑fits‑all housing solution ignores the complex needs of families dealing with addiction and mental‑health challenges.
Research on Housing First remains mixed. While many studies link the model to greater housing stability, critics point to cases where individuals relapse into substance abuse without mandatory treatment components. The Trump administration’s toolkit seeks to address those concerns by integrating treatment requirements into federal grant guidelines.
What’s next?
South County candidates for mayor and city council this election cycle—most of them Democrats—have pledged to lower housing costs, build more affordable units, and expand home‑ownership opportunities, but none have placed homelessness at the forefront of their platforms. The region’s ongoing debate reflects a broader national conversation about how best to balance compassionate aid with personal accountability, a conversation now being shaped by President Trump’s policy direction.
Original reporting: Voice of San Diego — read the source article.
