SAN DIEGO — The City of San Diego's newly passed Unsafe Camping Ordinance will make it illegal for people to set up tents near waterways. New efforts are underway to get homeless people living along the San Diego riverbed into housing.
"I've been trying to get off the streets for a long time now," said Dullanni Waterman.
He's been homeless for nine years and is currently living along the riverbed. He's tried getting into rapid housing but is still waiting.
"I've been more open to getting help. We've been working with PATH but everything is taking a long time," he said.
Waterman works fulltime. He's trying to save money to get an apartment. He says it's hard holding a job while living on the streets.
"Working and being homeless is not easy. My experience has been hard because I've had to deal with sweeps," he said.
He says being forced to move from the area because a sweep would likely cause him to lose his job. He says he'd have to start all over again.
CBS 8 told him about a new $17 million grant that was awarded to the City of San Diego, Santee, San Diego County and Caltrans.
The money will pay case managers to visit the encampments and connect people with resources and housing.
"The beauty of this grant is that it really is looking at rental subsidies so that we can get individuals into the more permanent housing and what the different opportunities there are and needs they have," she said.
Waterman says getting help like this would change his life.
"It's just one little thing that can set everything in place for the rest of their life. That's what I need is a place for my stuff and my two kids who are my dogs," he said.
Outreach efforts are expected to begin towards the end of this summer. The program will also focus on cleaning up the riverbed as encampments are moved out.
WATCH RELATED: San Diego City Council approves homeless encampment ban (June 2023).