From Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52)
Since taking office in 2013, I have made it a priority to fight for San Diego to get its fair share of federal funding to help the homeless. In 2014, despite having the 5th largest homeless population in the country, San Diego received the 23rd most funding.
The current formula for how federal anti-homelessness funds are allocated is outdated, and I have been calling on Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to fix this disparity since coming to Congress. Last month, HUD Secretary Julian Castro accepted my invitation to come to San Diego to see first-hand the region’s approach to fighting homelessness.
During his visit, Julian Castro announced that HUD will open a comment period in spring 2016 on revising the current formula for how federal anti-homelessness funds are allocated. This news is a testament to years of hard work from numerous San Diego non-profit organizations, the San Diego Housing Commission, and local leaders who have made this issue a priority.
The announcement from Secretary Castro that HUD is opening the public comment period on this outdated funding formula gives us the chance to make our case. This is what we’ve been asking for and it’s a huge first step. We are very grateful to the Secretary for being responsive to our request and for his visit.
As always, feel free to reach out to either my San Diego office (858- 455-5550) or my Washington D.C. office (202-225-0508) if there is something you would like us to work on. Happy Holidays!
Visit Congressman Peters website at https://scottpeters.house.gov/
