County fills funding gap for children’s program, while boosting homeless cabin project

A rendering of the Troy Street cabin site that was part of a presentation by Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe s office Photo courtesy of Montgomery Steppe The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved million in crisis funding for a plan that provides free developmental check-ups to children up to years old The panel also voted to shift money from a homeless shelter project in Lakeside to a sleeping cabins site in Lemon Grove Both votes were unanimous The money for First San Diego s Healthy Evolution Services will prevent imminent provision cuts that would have impacted over children and families according to a announcement from Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe s office The allocation halted a cut that her office disclosed would have resulted in a reduction in behavioral strength services and a reduction in developmental therapies Before the vote Montgomery Steppe notified her colleagues that the undertaking strives to aid the whole family citing a national survey that identified one in four California children from birth to years are at jeopardy for behavioral or developmental delays Supervisors heard from dozens of people including doctors and child advocates who supported shifting funding to rescue the campaign Dr Marsha Spitzer of Family Soundness Centers of San Diego noted the services are vital to ensure that our children can grow to healthy adults Supervisor Jim Desmond though noted that with the funding for the plan tobacco tax revenue decreasing the county necessities a plan When the funding ends for a initiative we just can t backfill it all the time Desmond mentioned The supervisors approved spending another million for the cabin site on Troy Street in Lemon Grove Those funds will be taken from the Willow Recreational Truck Senior and Family Parking project in Lakeside which had stalled Several in the audience cheered the decision With this day s action the remaining funds will now be invested in two high-impact programs aimed at addressing homelessness across the region according to a announcement from Montgomery Steppe and Supervisor Joel Anderson who co-sponsored the Troy Street funding proposal According to the supervisors million will pay for one year of operations of the cabins a new initiative expected to provide temporary shelter and patronage services for approximately people annually through sleeping cabins The county will also spend for its Regional Homeless Assistance Venture to provide urgency housing services including occurrence management daily meals housing aid hygiene facilities transportation and connections to broader social services A county staff member mentioned there will be protection Addressing homelessness is complicated but the Troy Street location is a compassionate way of addressing the issue Anderson noted We re not storing people we re restoring their lives and giving them back the future they once held City News Operation contributed to this review