Flood Impacted Victims Fight for Hotel Voucher Extension

By Macy Meinhardt, Voice & Viewpoint Staff Writer 

As their hotel vouchers expire, families displaced by the January 22 floods are voicing frustration with the ongoing challenge of navigating various government agencies in search of secure and stable housing while displaced.

“Where am I going to take my wife and two kids. In the car? We are going to sleep in the car? said Moises Godinez at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 13.

Thousands of San Diegans have been affected by the storm system that caused catastrophic damage in low-lying areas and neighborhoods near deferred storm channels and creeks. With a long road ahead of recovery, the most pressing need residents say they need is semi-permanent housing, quickly. 

“You guys need to step it up because this could be your mom. It could be your grandmother, your father. It could be a family member. Would you like them to be out on the street? Would you like them to live out of their car, be homeless, not know what they’re going to do?” said Mary Landavazo, Southcrest Resident. 

In the direct aftermath of the storm, many local organizations including the Jackie Robinson YMCA rallied funding together from the community to donate a variety of hotel vouchers. 

However, much of those vouchers, especially ones donated by community organizations, were not intended to be evergreen. Many vouchers expired on Feb. 14th, Valentine’s Day, with hopes that more formal agencies including the County and the San Diego Housing Commission would kick in with more stable resources by this time. And the City, County, and The Housing Commission assert that this is already in motion. 

According to the County News Center, “The first people transitioning are in two categories: Those already placed into short-term hotel rooms where supporting funding is now running out and those who have not been in hotels and may now need temporary lodging due to the Jan. 22 flood.” 

The County expects this program will provide temporary lodging for hundreds of households. No precise estimate is available. Funding for these efforts have come from a $10 million flood relief program unanimously approved on Jan. 30, by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

Meanwhile, based on figures produced by the San Diego Housing Commission 590 temporary lodging assessments have been made, leading to 336 hotel referrals, 52 referrals to their Midway Drive property, and 85 referrals to other resources. 

One of the most vital components between the local agencies guiding these efforts and the impacted residents is communication. The main message on behalf of these agencies is this: “For residents who are not currently in a short-term hotel room, and need done, you can call 2-11 to apply for emergency lodging. If you have difficulties reaching the application through 2-11, reach out to your County Supervisor for assistance.”

“An operator will ask for information such as the location of the flooded home, pets, household size and medical needs that require accommodations. Applications will be sent to the County and accepted through February 23. The County will follow-up with each household who applied directly. Due to the expected initial workload, there is no option to check on an application. Everyone who applies will be contacted, even if they were determined to be ineligible.” 

Yet, residents say that the communication process in connecting with 2-11 and local agencies for housing has been anything but smooth, or helpful.  During public comment in recent San Diego City Council meetings, many worried residents took the podium to directly plead with county officials.

“Maybe all of you should call 2-11 and see how they treat people. See what they say to people. 2-11 is not the answer. Somebody better get an answer. Today.” said Tasha Williamson, at the Feb. 13 City Council meeting. 

“I call 2-11. I call the city, I call the housing [commission]. There’s no answer. They don’t know what to do, they just bounce the ball to another….” said Moises Godinez, father of two, who resided in Southcrest. 

“I’m really really upset. You said you approved 10 million. I don’t see anything around. I only see organizations from the outside helping us instead of the city helping us.” said  Godinez.

With the urgency that their housing was set to run out that day, other flood victims also spoke at the meeting in criticism of their governmental agencies for not moving fast enough. 

“Today’s our last night there. Where are these families going? Where are we all going? Not nothing’s been done. Promises are being made. People are being bounced from one agency to another. There’s no clarity on what’s really going to happen,” said Landavazo.  

In response to these concerns, Lisa Jones, President of the San Diego Housing Commission, noted at the meeting that victim testimonies are “really hard to hear–the frustration, the uncertainty, that people are feeling.” 

Jones went on to explain how the Housing Commission, specifically, does not have an annual budget to support this kind of effort. The effort being, the capacity to rapidly house an unexpected group of people displaced from a natural disaster. As a result, funds dedicated for other uses by the Commission have been rerouted to support a temporary fund for storm shelter initiatives. The Commission is also taking donations and grants from local organizations to support this effort. 

As of Feb. 12 the Housing Commission had placed 490 adults, 238 children, and 187 pets in local hotels. 

“The San Diego Housing Commission will continue to cover the hotel stays where people with vouchers are staying in order to connect them with temporary housing,” according to the Mayors office.

In a message sent to Voice & Viewpoint, the Mayor’s office asserts that the County’s housing assistance team has been onsite at all hotels where people with vouchers are staying in order to connect them with temporary housing. 

As for soon to expire vouchers that are solely funded by community-based organizations, the city claims they “had no involvement,” 

“However, we have been assured–and the County announced–that all of these flood victims were being placed into temporary housing.” 

As of print time, it is believed that most people who have successfully connected with the housing commission and county assistance has been provided housing for at least 30 more days. 

However, the heart of the matter reflected within these housing concerns is this: Southcrest has felt and continues to feel neglected by their City. 

“92113? We’re nobody,” said Landavazo.

“We don’t feel like we’re important. We feel like we’re you guys don’t care. We are not valuable. But if it was another area, La Jolla? any other areas? You guys are right there. all the money’s there. What about our community? We’re the ones that need it. Not all these other high end areas. We need it. How come you guys can’t maintain our city, but you can maintain the others?”