With funding from the City of San Diego, the County of San Diego and philanthropic partners, the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) collaborates with service providers to offer diversion resources to help unhoused individuals and families overcome barriers to housing and return to stable rental homes. This collaborative effort is known as the Diversion Collective.
What is diversion?
Diversion is an approach that provides light-touch case management and short-term financial resources to eligible households who are experiencing homelessness and accessing the homeless crisis response system. Staff work with the household to identify safe and immediate alternative housing options and to submit relevant referrals to services and financial resources to assist the household in stabilizing in permanent housing. Diversion services may include:
- Advocacy with a landlord
- Housing location assistance
- Rental assistance (including rental arrears)
- Financial assistance (including application fees, utility arrears/deposits, moving costs, and security deposits)
- Referrals to external resources and supports
SDHC has operated a homelessness diversion program since 2017, assisting more than 900 households.
| Alpha Project | Jewish Family Service |
| Catholic Charities | Lifeline Community Services |
| Center for Community Solutions | NAMI |
| City of Carlsbad | People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) |
| City of Oceanside | Promises2Kids |
| Crisis House | San Diego Housing Commission |
| Downtown San Diego Partnership Foundation | San Diego Rescue Mission |
| Dreams for Change | SBCS Corporation |
| East County Transitional Living Center | The Salvation Army |
| Father Joe’s Villages | Urban Street Angels |
| Interfaith Community Services | Veterans Village of San Diego |
Funders
Thank you to these funders for their generous support:
- Brutten Family Foundation
- City of San Diego
- County of San Diego
- Cushman Foundation
- Jewish Community Foundation
- Prebys Foundation
- San Diego Foundation
