Guest column: A successful model to help the homeless

Here in California and across the nation, there have been many well-intentioned attempts to alleviate the growing problem of homelessness. Unfortunately, most have failed.

There’s no easy solution to end chronic homelessness. If there was, no individual in the world’s most advanced nation would be left to live on the streets.

But cities across California and the United States should look at one of the few programs that has proven to be remarkably successful — Project 25 in San Diego.

Project 25 is a program that I am proud to have created while serving as San Diego’s first Commissioner on Homelessness. What was so significant about this effort, and perhaps one of the biggest contributors to its success, was the private-public partnership between The United Way of San Diego County, the San Diego Housing Commission, the County of San Diego, St. Vincent de Paul, and many others.

All of us came together, united in our goal of helping to reduce San Diego’s homeless population in a way that saves the county money. The challenge was monumental, but so were the results. It is now a national model for how local governments can curb rates of homelessness, while saving taxpayer dollars at the same time.

Project 25 earned its name because it was intended to provide assistance for 25 of the neediest homeless people in San Diego. Four years later, it provides assistance to 35 men and women, aged 22 to 61, five of whom are U.S. military veterans.

Under Project 25, individuals receive permanent housing, along with access to a broad rage of health and social services.

To those who wonder how this program saves money, one would only need to look at the data published in United Way’s recent report, “Project 25: Helping the Most Frequent Users of Public Service.” The results are nothing short of phenomenal.

In its first three years of implementation, Project 25 brought down the median expense per individual from $111,000 in 2010 to just $12,000 in 2013.

From 2010 to 2013, ambulance rides, arrests, visits to the emergency room, hospital stays, and number of days in jail all decreased by at least 60 percent. The program has received numerous awards, including a Golden Watchdog award from the San Diego County Taxpayers Association for its success in reducing homelessness, while saving millions of taxpayer dollars. In total, San Diego County saved $2.3 million in the first three years.

What’s even more profound is the lasting effect it has had on the lives of those who participate.

Each person in the program was not only homeless, many were also suffering from mental illness, physical disability, or substance abuse problems. Sadly, several even suffered from all three.

Project 25 helped transform their lives, and gave each and every one of them a second lease on life. It has also provided them with a foundation that may allow them to one day support themselves.

Creating Project 25 and contributing to its overwhelming success will always remain one of my proudest achievements, and I will continue to work to serve California’s most vulnerable populations.