SAN DIEGO — State lawmakers are pushing for a new approach to solving homelessness. Two new bills would allow state funding to support sober housing.
Supporters say the policies will give more choices to people who want to be sober, but others say drug free requirements could prevent people from getting help.
Current state law requires providers to accept people regardless of drug and alcohol use. Lawmakers are now proposing the state fund drug free housing as a component of the state’s "Housing First" policy.
“We got to meet people where they are and understand there is no one size fits all solution," said Mayor John Franklin, Vista.
Two proposed bills aim to address the pressing need for safe and stable housing.
AB 2479 and AB 2893 were introduced by democratic Assemblymember Matt Haney from San Francisco and San Diego Assemblymember Chris Ward. The bills would allow up to 25% of state housing funds in each county to go towards drug free housing.
Lawmakers say they don’t want to do away with "Housing First," instead they want sober housing facilities to work under a "Housing First" framework.
But Vista Mayor John Franklin says he questions whether Housing First policies are actually working
“We can’t continue to do the same thing expecting a different result," said Franklin. "The only pathway to successful permanent housing starts with recovery from addiction."
The mayor recently introduced a measure not to support programs that enable continued drug use and says he supports drug-free housing.
“We’ve got to change those policies," he aid. "And there should still be places where we provide assistance and housing opportunities to those who are suffering from addiction but that shouldn’t be the only type of housing product that we offer."
Samuel Tsoi is the State Policy Manager at Alliance San Diego and says while he understands the need for different types of housing, he believes the "Housing First" approach not only addresses chronic homelessness but also helps people overcome addictions.
“This is very, very much a lifeline for folks and having additional barriers like drug screening would only limit that type of access," said Tsoi.
He worries the proposed bills limit the use of state funding for "Housing First" and harm reduction policies.
“It is not creating a new funding source or a new program," Tsoi said. "It’s saying that we need to use existing dollars and existing programs and we just have to allocate up to 25% to these sober housing approaches. If these bills do become law then those programs might see cuts and then that might affect the overall success for these programs."
Tsoi is urging lawmakers to invest more into "Housing First" policies.
“We really don’t have an official position on these bills yet but looking at what we’ve seen so far we still believe, among many advocates, that "Housing First" is the approach we advocate,” he added.
Both bills specify that tenants would not be kicked out of sober housing if they relapse and if they’re no longer interested in staying sober, the program should move them into different housing.
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