County and City of San Luis Obispo partner on housing project near Bob Jones Bike Trail

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. – The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors unanimously accepted $13.4 million in Encampment Resolution Funds from the State of California Interagency Council on Homelessness to reduce encampments in flood and fire zones near the Bob Jones Bike Trail segment that runs parallel to S. Higuera Street in San Luis Obispo.

“The acceptance of the Encampment Resolution Funds marks a step-change in the way the County is going about homelessness,” according to Homeless Services Division Manager Joe Dzvonik. “Alongside our community partners, the County is ready to implement methods that are proving successful in cities like Santa Barbara and Austin, Texas. This will be a life-changing project for many of our County’s residents.”

The Bob Jones Bike Trail Encampment Resolution Project will have three primary phases:

• Clean-up of the San Luis Creek and associated open spaces subject to flooding
• Expansion of ongoing field outreach to those living in the area
• Development of non-congregate housing facility with on-site wraparound services, known as the 'Welcome Home Village'

The County of San Luis Obispo Homeless Services Division will work alongside four partners on the project: the City of San Luis Obispo will lead the expansion of outreach services to those living in the Bob Jones Bike Trail area; DignityMoves will build the supportive housing community; LifeArk will build the modular homes; and Good Samaritan Shelter will manage the supportive housing program.

According to the County of San Luis Obispo, the unsheltered population in the County is the third largest nationwide relative to communities of comparable size.

In August of last year, the Board of Supervisors approved the San Luis Obispo Countywide Plan to Address Homelessness with a goal of creating over 2,000 housing units.

The City of San Luis Obispo adopted its Homelessness Response Strategic Plan in March of this year.

“Tackling homelessness is a top priority for the City of San Luis Obispo and this grant and partnership is a direct result of our respective strategic planning to address this important issue,” said City Manager Derek Johnson. “This grant will allow us to reduce the number of homeless encampments along the Bob Jones Bike Trail by providing our most vulnerable neighbors with a place to call home and will also allow the City to clean up the area so that all community members can use it as originally intended."

The Welcome Home Village mentioned in the third phase of the County's plans will be located next door to the County's Department of Social Services offices. The project will provide 8o total beds through the creation of 34 interim and 46 permanent supportive housing units.

The County of San Luis Obispo's Homeless Services Division applied for the state grant in coordination with the City of San Luis Obispo. The grant was awarded on Jun. 14, 2023.