Housing First – San Diego

Housing Instability Prevention Program

The Housing Instability Prevention Program (HIPP) helps pay rent and other housing-related expenses for individuals and families in the City of San Diego with low income who are experiencing a housing crisis and are at risk of homelessness. Enrolled households receive assistance for up to 24 months.

HIPP provides $250, $500, $750, or $1,000 per month toward rent on behalf of enrolled households, depending on the household’s circumstances. HIPP prioritizes seniors aged 55 and older, people of any age with a disability, families with at least one child aged 17 and younger, and transition-age youth between the ages of 18 and 24. Program staff work with the participant to stabilize housing by finding ways to increase income and decrease household costs to make their current unit more affordable. If that is not possible, staff work with the household to identify alternative, more affordable housing opportunities. Activities offered by HIPP may include  landlord advocacy; case management services; referrals to external resources and supports; rental assistance for a limited period of time and payment of overdue rent; and financial assistance, including overdue utility costs.

Funding is limited. HIPP currently can assist up to 300 households at any given time. For eligibility information, please see the program flyer (link below).

HIPP identifies participants from referrals from 2-1-1 San Diego and the HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO hotline. Housing Specialists will contact referred households to confirm and verify if they qualify for help.

SDHC operates HIPP for the City of San Diego with funding the San Diego City Council allocated specifically for the creation and continuation of this program.

Flyer
English / Spanish

Homelessness Prevention & Diversion

Homelessness Prevention programs assist individuals and families who are at imminent risk of homelessness to remain stably housed. Prevention provides light-touch case management and short-term financial assistance to eligible households.  helps families at imminent risk of homelessness to remain permanently housed. The programs may provide landlord advocacy; housing location assistance; rental assistance including rental arrears; financial assistance including application fees, utility payments, moving costs, and security deposits; and referrals to external resources and supports.

SDHC identifies participants from referrals from the HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO hotline. Housing Specialists will contact referred households to verify if they quality for help.

Prevention Flyer: English / Spanish

Homelessness Diversion is an approach that provides light-touch case management and short-term financial resources to eligible households who are homeless and accessing the homelessness crisis response system. Diversion may provide landlord advocacy; housing location assistance; rental assistance including rental arrears; financial assistance including application fees, utility payments, moving costs, and security deposits; and referrals to external resources and supports.

SDHC identifies participants from referrals from the HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO Hotline. Housing Specialists will contact referred households to verify if they qualify for help.

Diversion Flyer: English / Spanish

Landlord Engagement & Assistance Program (LEAP)

The Landlord Engagement and Assistance Program (LEAP) provides incentives and benefits to landlords with rental housing units in the City of San Diego who rent to San Diegans experiencing homelessness. Incentives and benefits include:

• Providing movein cost assistance on behalf of LEAP participants, such as security deposits, holding feeds, application fees, utility deposits, and utility arrears.
• $500 for the first unit the landlord rents to a household experiencing homelessness and $250 for each additional unit
• A Landlord Contingency Fund that helps landlords cover expenses, such as repairs, unpaid rent and legal fees that exceed the security deposit
• Dedicated San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) housing specialists to answer landlords’ questions

SDHC identifies participants from referrals from the City of San Diego homeless and housing service providers who work with households experiencing homelessness. Housing Specialists will contact service providers to verify if the household qualifies for help. Landlords must also meet LEAP eligibility criteria to participate in the program.

All assistance is subject to compliance with LEAP guidelines, California Civil Code 1950.6 and any other federal, state and local ordinance that may apply.

LEAP Video

A Landlord Story