Reduce & End Homelessness in San Diego
Homelessness is Solvable
Regional Task Force on the Homeless (RTFH) is on a mission to reduce and end homelessness in San Diego. Tamera Kohler, RTFH CEO believes that housing is basic human right and housing ends homelessness. She stated that homelessness is an experience, not a label, and the organization’s goal is to make homelessness rare, brief and non-reoccurring for individuals in the San Diego area. This is an aspirational goal, given the current situation downtown. It is estimated that more than 6000 people move through RTFH processes, and that there are 30,000+ people in need.
RTFH employs proven strategies to address homelessness through policies, administration of funding, measurement of programs and coordination of local and national organizations and resources. She noted that RTFH is not chartered to address poverty or other societal issues, but to manage the ‘Continuum of Care’. To do this RTFH secures community-wide commitment of multiple organizations (housing and services), develops policies and training for the eco-system, collects data and measure progress. It manages $30M annually and has received an additional $40 in the past two years, due in part to pandemic assistance.
RTFH aims to reduce stigma and shame for homelessness. Their goal is to important to work with people who are experiencing their first episode of homelessness so that they do not become ill, entrenched, addicted and/or adapt to long-term life on the streets. To that end RTFH have set strategic Initiatives for San Diego in the next 5 years to reduce by 50%:
Veteran Homelessness
Youth (16-24 year old)
Unsheltered (people living on streets or cars)
Change the Landscape
The pandemic and economic crisis has significantly impacted the number of individuals who are homeless. RTFH is dedicated to identifying flexible funds to increase local housing stock, discharge planning, substance abuse issues. The Homeless Crisis Response System has been put into place to quickly address issues, focus on prevention and more shelters and reduce the great number of unsheltered homelessness.
Act with urgency, purpose and care
RTFH developed the strategic plan for using the Convention Center as temporary shelter during the pandemic and worked with Nathan Fletcher and Mayor Faulker to create the initiative in two days, safely sheltering thousands during a global health crisis.
Securing, coordinating and monitoring funding is central to the RTFH. Project HomeKey, a FEMA program provide dollars to convert hotels into affordable shelters and permanent housing, is one of these programs that RTFH is spearheading.
Another is the American Rescue Plan (ARP) which provides needed funds for rehab, prevention and purchasing housing. More shelter and outreach resources are critical to ensuring an end to homelessness. The ARP contains a one-time investment to build or rehab housing and connect with landlords. These funds are entrusted to jurisdictions (SD, SD Co, Chula, National City, Escondido) to find facilities and accelerate development ie: convert shuttered properties, hotels, trailer parks, etc. that are sustainable and more permanent and the best investment. Ideally these properties are connected with services and oversight so that assistance is available to ensure that individuals continue to stay safe and housed. Along with higher capacity and rental assistance, roommate arrangements are being considered, potentially doubling the available housing stock.
Housing Ends Homelessness
Despite programs and assistance some individuals are not accepting services from RTFH and its ecosystem. These individuals can become perennially homeless. RTFH is trying to find new programs to meet the needs of these individuals, including shelters to accommodate those with various and special needs ie: couples, pets, storage for belongings, as well as ‘beds’ for services such as mental health, rehab, substance abuse, etc. Currently there is no shelter for aging population – a growing trend – as many have with special needs, mobility issues, pets and/or information caregivers to accommodate. RTFH is working on this as well as building trusted relationships so they individuals in need will accept further assistance.
About Our Speaker
Tamera Kohler has 19 years of senior leadership roles in homeless services, non-profit, and lending organizations, including spending over 8 years helping lead nationally-noted homelessness reduction programs for the State of Utah. She has a strong track record in community engagement, contracting, and the data-driven systems critical today to both achieve measurable results and to ensure that resources are allocated wisely, and is well known as an effective change agent.
She joined the RTFH after having served in Seattle's Human Services Department as Division Director of Homeless Strategy and Investment where she oversaw 45 employees, a $58 million budget and the implementation of a new homeless strategy. Prior to that, Tamera was the Assistant Division Director of Housing and Community Development for the Utah Department of Workforce Services.
About the RTFH
The RTFH is the homeless policy expert and lead coordinator for the introduction of new models in the San Diego region and implementation of best practices. Collaboration in the region and utilizing data are key ways to end homelessness, and we continue to expand the network of those who are touched by homelessness improve lives.
The RTFH administers many of the core federal requirements such as serving as the collaborative applicant to Housing and Urban Development (HUD), administering the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) a local web-based information technology system that San Diego’s Continuum of Care (CoC) used to capture and report on progress, conducts an annual Point-in-Time Count (PITC) of homeless in San Diego , and also serves as a funder, regional convener, promoter of best practices, and policy leader in San Diego’s collective efforts to end homelessness.