SAN DIEGO — San Diego County is launching new initiatives to address the housing and growing homeless crisis.
On Tuesday, the county announced a program to prevent senior homelessness, and another to help middle-income workers become homeowners.
The skyrocketing cost of gas and housing is impacting us all but seniors on fixed incomes are being hit especially hard.
The county has found about one-quarter of the people who are considered homeless, are at least 55-years-old.
Homeless advocate Amie Zamudio sees it happening first-hand.
"We are seeing a lot of newly unhoused seniors and that's really scary," Zamudio said.
A new rental assistance program for seniors will help keep a roof over their heads.
The pilot program will provide $500 a month to 220 households in this initial phase. The county says the program could be scaled up if the pilot is successful. More details should be coming soon.
The county is also launching another program to help the working middle-class.
"When we talk about the American dream, buying a home is sometimes unattainable for folks," said San Diego County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Nora Vargas.
Middle-income workers make too much money to qualify for low-income programs but often don't make enough to afford a home.
"They might be making $70,000, $80,000, or $100,000 but the average home in San Diego is over $900,000. You need more than a quarter of a million dollars in income to qualify for it," said Supervisor Joel Anderson.
The county is creating a revolving fund that will offer low-interest loans to middle-income workers.
"This is going to help folks who are nurses, teachers, first responders, people out there in these communities," Vargas said.
The county says details for the middle-income home program are still being worked out.
WATCH RELATED: Basketball legend Bill Walton calls out San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria on homelessness, mayor fires back (September 2022)