NEWS RELEASE
November 16, 2011

CCDC Receives Statewide Award Recognizing Leadership Efforts
to End Homelessness

 

 

SAN DIEGO – Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC) received a statewide Public Sector Champion Award for its ongoing leadership in efforts to end homelessness in downtown San Diego from the California division of Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH). At a November 10, 2011 awards ceremony in Los Angeles, CCDC was praised for its bold policy initiatives, a strong track record in creating supportive housing and effective collaboration with community partners.

“We are particularly honored because this award incorporates our collective efforts to address homelessness in downtown San Diego,” said CCDC Board Chair Kim John Kilkenny. “Experience shows that housing alone is not enough. Supportive services are a critical component to stabilize lives.”

Some of the successful initiatives that CCDC has led or supported include:

• Since 1975, CCDC, on behalf of the Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Diego, has provided gap funding or otherwise facilitated the construction of more than 3,300 affordable housing units downtown, including almost 300 units of permanent supportive housing. Additionally, CCDC has helped fund nearly 1,000 homes in nearby neighborhoods. Looking ahead, more than 700 affordable housing units are in the development pipeline or currently under construction, including more than 260 supportive housing units.

 

• CCDC formalized a policy that all affordable housing projects must designate at least 15 percent of the total number of units to supportive housing. This ensures that formerly homeless tenants receive the help they need for physical, emotional or substance abuse issues. This policy exceeds State standards.

 

• CCDC created a Five-Year Work Plan Toward Goal of Ending Homelessness in Downtown San Diego that was approved by the San Diego City Council and includes input and commitments from an unprecedented partnership of elected officials and representatives from local, regional, state and federal governments, public and private sector agencies, service providers, and non-profit organizations.

 

• The organization supported a comprehensive assessment of the homeless population through a 2010 Registry Week survey that quantified the number of individuals who sleep on the streets each night (more than 1,000) and identified those who were particularly vulnerable due to physical, emotional or substance abuse issues. One year later, more than 100 of the most vulnerable are housed and receiving the help they need.

“We will continue to allocate redevelopment resources for supportive housing and remain steadfast in our commitment to help the most vulnerable in downtown San Diego,” said Kilkenny.

 

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CCDC is a public, nonprofit corporation established in 1975 by the City of San Diego to plan and facilitate the redevelopment of the 1,500-acre downtown area.