After hearing from dozens of flood victims impacted by the historic Jan. 22 storms, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to allocate nearly $10 million more to provide food and lodging to those affected.
During Tuesday’s board meeting, supervisors voted 4-0, with Joel Anderson absent, to allocate $6.6 million to continue providing lodging to qualified applicants and $3 million to provide three meals daily for 60 days, through May 11.
“When disaster strikes, San Diegans come together as a community, and we need to continue to look out for one another,” said Chair Nora Vargas. “That’s exactly what our board did today, and I’m grateful to my colleagues for their resolve on this issue … in order to help our communities build back stronger.”
Most of the damage was suffered on Jan. 22, the fourth-wettest day in San Diego since record-keeping began in 1850, and the wettest January day on record.
Flood-damage cleanupA total of 2,400 households — nearly all in underserved communities where flood insurance coverage is low — were impacted by the ensuing floods, which affected a total of 7,750 people, displaced 1,225 households and caused $30.8 million in public damage, according to data collected by the county and verified by federal officials.
Immediately following the storm, the county on Jan. 30 allocated $10 million to fund relief efforts for residents displaced by the storm, creating a temporary lodging program that launched Feb. 12.
The program provides up to 30 days of lodging for residents displaced by the storm, with an extension available based on household circumstances, as the county helps them to find long-term housing solutions. The county also provided mental health services to victims who needed it.
However, officials said the region’s lack of available housing options has exacerbated the problem, making it more challenging for flood victims to find new housing.
Prior to the storm, the county’s rental vacancy rate was only 5.9 percent, with the average cost for a one-bedroom apartment $1,932 and a two-bedroom $2,421. Many landlords also require applicants’ monthly income be three times the rent to qualify.
The county said contractor Equus made attempts to all households eligible for the lodging program. As of March 11, 846 households had been placed in 65 local hotels.
Additionally, the county has helped 922 people connect with food since Jan. 24, including getting over 800 approved for disaster benefits through CalFresh, the state’s version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps.
Yet many of the more than 50 flood victims and other advocates who spoke Tuesday raised concerns with the effectiveness of the county’s disaster relief efforts thus far, as well as with the county’s contractor, who they say was not treating flood victims with dignity or respect.
Nearly everyone who spoke advocated for more comprehensive , including improving mental health services, extending hotel vouchers and providing basic necessities.
Some victims said they were removed from emergency lodging at hotels without notice. Others spoke of the difficulties getting basic essentials in hotel rooms, such as toiletries or towels, or providing their family with food in rooms without fridges, stoves or even microwaves.
“I have to tell children and women that there’s not enough food for them, to turn them away — that’s sad,” said flood victim Linda Mansell, who has been helping distribute food at the hotel she’s been staying at.
Mountain View resident Perla Lopez, who says her mother-in-law died due to the storm, said she lives in perpetual stress. “Please, I ask you to help us,” she said in Spanish, nearly in tears.
Every supervisor who was present acknowledged the residents’ frustrations and apologized for putting them through the grief of having to plead for necessities.
“It’s shameful, honestly, that in addition to having first been an unfair victim of a natural disaster — that itself was a result of decades of underinvestment in your communities — that then, when you came to get help, you didn’t get the help that you had been promised and the help that you needed, so it was twice that you were let down,” said Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer.
Supervisors also said they spoke with Equus about the conflicts they’d heard. Mark Douglas, president and CEO of Equus, also apologized and vowed to flood victims.
“Everyone affected by this storm deserves to be treated with dignity and respect,” Vargas said. “We’re here to be a safety net for our communities, and we are committed to keeping ability at the forefront while we find the most effective ways to bridge the gap until FEMA and other resources become available. We will continue our efforts to ensure everyone gets the they need to rebuild their lives.”
The board’s decision Tuesday also extends the local emergency, while the additional funding is projected to allow the lodging program to continue operating through May 11 and expand food services.
They are taking the funds from their reserves, which is set aside for crises such as this one.
The county is holding two telebriefings this week on its storm and flood recovery resources for the community at noon on Wednesday and 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
