San Luis Obispo County Awards $500K Grant to Boost Housing Assistance

OCEANO, Calif. — San Luis Obispo County is already seeing promising results from a recent $500,000 grant aimed at expanding housing assistance and homelessness prevention services.

The funding, split between two nonprofit organizations, is supporting efforts such as rental assistance, legal aid, landlord mediation and fresh meal delivery to local shelters in the southern part of the county.

“These services allow for direct rental assistance to keep people housed when they’re behind on rent, navigate legal resources and mediate with landlords,” said Michael Azevedo, housing program manager for 5 Cities Homeless Coalition.

The grant was awarded to El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO), which serves the northern region of the county, and 5 Cities Homeless Coalition (5CHC), which operates in the southern region. Both organizations provide temporary shelter, case management and rehabilitation services.

“Tonight, fortunately, will be my last night here at ECHO, as I have found permanent housing,” said Lynette Smith, a resident of Atascadero.

5CHC offers similar resources in the Five Cities area, helping reduce strain on already overwhelmed shelters, hospitals and jails.

“It avoids adding to an overwhelmed shelter system, hospitals and jails,” Azevedo said.

County officials believe that preventing people from becoming unhoused in the first place is the most effective way to combat homelessness.

“I did live on the street — sleeping in a sleeping bag, with no tent, no nothing — just trying to survive the best I could as a single female on the streets. It's very, very scary,” Smith said.

Last year, ECHO and 5CHC collectively helped more than 800 individuals across San Luis Obispo County either remain in their homes or transition into permanent housing.

“ECHO’s program works with people who are housed but receive that notice on their door saying they have three days to figure it out or they’ll lose their home,” said Wendy Lewis, CEO of El Camino Homeless Organization. “With these funds, we’re not only able to keep them in housing, but also provide financial literacy training, workforce development and other support — so they hopefully won’t need to return to us.”

As part of the new initiatives, “Monday Meals” will now be delivered weekly to shelters in the southern part of the county. 5CHC hopes to expand the program to more days in the near future.