Last week, the state announced the latest recipients of grant funding to address homeless encampments. The cities of Carlsbad and Oceanside applied jointly and were awarded $11.4 million to address encampments along State Route 78. The ultimate goal is to move people into safe and stable housing by focusing on the underlying issues that lead to encampments.

The grant comes from the state’s Encampment Resolution Funding Program. One of the reasons Carlsbad was awarded this funding is that our Homeless Action Plan has produced measurable results, which was one of the grant’s main criteria.

• During the last fiscal year, Carlsbad reported a 25% decrease in the number of people experiencing homelessness.
• Carlsbad’s approach is designed to help facilitate long-term, lasting solutions while also managing the day-to-day impacts on our residents and businesses.
• The city looks to fill gaps and coordinate resources among multiple agencies.
• One of the city’s strategies is to seek outside funding to support homelessness efforts and offset local costs.
• Since 2022, Carlsbad has secured more than $6.5 million in grant funding to address homelessness, with about $5 million more coming from this new grant.

The grant funded work will start at the beginning of the new fiscal year in July 2024 and last until 2027.