LIVE UNITED SPOTLIGHT: ST. VINCENT DE PAUL VILLAGE Since 2010, St. Vincent de Paul Village has implemented our “frequent user” initiative, Project 25, targeting San Diego’s 35 most severe chronic homeless individuals by providing permanent housing followed by wraparound case management. Substance abuse counseling, mental and physical health services, education and other resources are combined to create a comprehensive system of treatment. As the lead agency, St. Vincent de Paul has a health center on site and the experience to handle the critical elements involved with getting people off the streets and into life. Father Joe Carroll understood the underlying concept behind Project 25, that “Housing First” is the best option. “We’ve learned emergency housing just goes so far. Transition housing only goes so far. Unless you get people into some kind of permanent housing, they’re just going to end up back on the street.” With help from our partners, we can continue to help more of the chronically homeless. As Father Joe says, “No neighbor is beyond help.”
OUR RESULTS Total invested: $2.5 million Permanent supportive housing n units added: 282 n Individuals served with homeless
prevention services: 2,853 Total invested: $614,000 Recuperative Care Units: n served 32 individuals with
critical medical needs Total invested: $420,000 Emergency homeless shelters and drop-in centers in San Diego and North County: n served over 2,000 homeless
Dene Oliver OliverMcMillan
men, women, and children and more than 600 beds Total invested: $415,000 Homeless count and research study: n Homeless count and vulner-
ability index. Study of afford- able housing units. Total invested: $42,000 Project 25 cost savings from March-August 2011: n 77 percent reduction in
in-patient medical stays n 72 percent reduction in
ambulance rides n 74 percent reduction in
ER visits Photo: Limelife Photography
n 56 percent reduction in arrests n 50 percent reduction in number
of jail days Total invested: $1 million
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