HomeMy WebLinkAbout3-01-2022 County ARPA Homeless and Housing March 1, 2022
Board of Supervisors
C/O County of San Luis Obispo
1055 Monterey St
San Luis Obispo, CA 93408
Re: Support for Item 18, Request to consider: 1) a request to consider a funding plan for
$5,346,000 in American Rescue Plan Act Housing and Homeless projects
To the Board of Supervisors,
The City of San Luis Obispo strongly supports this Board item to direct American Rescue Plan
Act of 2021 (ARPA) funding to help support affordable housing and homeless programs in San
Luis Obispo County. This proposal aligns with some of the most pressing needs in our region.
In fact, a September 2018 survey commissioned by Visit SLO CAL of residents of SLO County
found that homelessness had the largest negative effect on resident’s quality of life. A second
survey of visitors to SLO County found that homelessness had a negative effect on their visit to
San Luis Obispo. UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies released a survey last week
of voters that showed that 66% of voters felt that the State has done a poor or very poor job of
addressing homelessness.
We strongly support funding the renovation and preservation of the Anderson Hotel as extremely
low affordable housing in the middle of downtown San Luis Obispo. This housing provides 68
units of extremely low-income housing. This housing is a much-needed part of the City’s housing
mix. Residents of the Anderson are on average about 70 years old, and the average monthly
income is approximately $1,000. Residents pay 30% of their income to live in the property. This
property is vital to meeting the housing needs of very-low-income residents of our region.
The recent establishment of multiple safe parking sites throughout the County has clearly
established that there is a great need for these services. Combining safe parking with access to
services helps the individuals using the parking to access help in hopes that they will be able to
find more permanent housing within the community. We hope in the near future that safe parking
won’t be needed as there will be other housing options for these individuals, but until that time
comes, we believe it is vitally important to serve these individuals.
Thank you for your consideration of this funding plan. The City looks forward to continuing to
work with the County of San Luis Obispo and the Board’s leadership and County services to
address the needs of our County and the unhoused population.
Sincerely,
Erica A. Stewart, Mayor
City of San Luis Obispo
C: City Council