Ten months after the January floods, some families will get financial assistance from the San Diego Housing Commission for the first time.
In spring, the Housing Commission set up a program to help flood victims with rent, security deposits and other expenses. Funding came from the County and City.
But it was limited to families still using hotel vouchers on May 23.
Now, the Housing Commission is using $900,000 in unspent funds to help families who applied but didn’t qualify. Lisa Jones, president and CEO of the Housing Commission, said that money came from the City.
"It doesn't have the restrictions, which is how we're now able to start serving some of those folks that we haven't been able to serve yet," she said.
As of Nov. 6, 313 families have received financial assistance, according to the Housing Commission. Jones said 194 others applied for assistance but didn’t qualify. The Housing Commission is reaching out to them and will give each qualifying family up to $5,500.
Aaron Swanton co-founded Together San Diego, a volunteer network that’s been cleaning up and rebuilding damaged homes. He said he’s glad the remaining money will go out to some of the families who didn’t get it before.
"There are people who have already leveraged their lives to get back as far as they could and still need a lot of help," he said. "Anything helps at this point."
District 4 City Councilmember Henry Foster III represents the area. He has asked Mayor Todd Gloria to allocate an additional $5 million to the Housing Commission to support flood victims.
"As we prepare for another structural budget deficit, it is crucial to prioritize support for our most vulnerable residents," Foster wrote in a memorandum.
Swanton said the community needs philanthropic support.
"We need muscle, money and materials," he said. "That’s what it’s going to take to get this job done."
