The Troy Street Sleeping Cabins is a County-funded and sponsored non-congregate emergency housing program serving people experiencing homelessness in the unincorporated communities and City of Lemon Grove. The proposed site is located on the CalTrans owned property at the intersection of Troy Street and Sweetwater Road (2800 Sweetwater Road, Lemon Grove, CA 91945). The site will have between 50-70 sleeping cabins, accommodating single women or men and couples. 

• With the $10 million state funding at risk, we needed to act swiftly. Our primary concern was maintaining a positive relationship with the state and addressing the pressing issue of homelessness while ensuring we didn't lose the crucial state funding.

• Additionally, County staff performed some outreach to planning groups and community members since the Troy Street location was evaluated and vetted in 2023.

• Since June 2024, I’ve coordinated several engagement opportunities to share information with community members about this project. So far, I have met with community leaders who were supporters and opponents of the initiative. My team also canvassed over 170 homes of directly impacted neighbors and conducted surveys. We will continue outreach and engagement as additional developments become available.

The County will fully fund the $11.1M one-time design and construction cost for up to 70 sleeping cabins and supportive service space. The County will also fully fund the cost of $3M in annual operations while continuing to advocate for state funding.

• The Department of Homeless Solutions and Equitable Communities’ (HSEC) East County outreach teams work directly with individuals experiencing homelessness and would provide referrals to the anticipated service provider. There will be no loitering allowed around the site and the operator will be conducting regular outreach and cleanup of the site surrounding areas. Walk-up services are not permitted.
• Intakes will be handled in a coordinated fashion from the outreach team to the site operator. HSEC has admission criteria that will prohibit registered sex offenders, arsonists, and individuals having a felony or violent criminal history.
• Referrals to the sleeping cabin program come from the County’s Department of Homeless Solutions and Equitable Communities (HSEC) homeless outreach teams while they conduct coordinated homeless outreach in the community.  Not every outreach encounter with an individual will result in a referral to the program, based on the screening criteria.​

We agree, and will advocate for this with County staff, as long as the participants meet all other requirements of the program. On August 27, 2024, the Board of Supervisors approved Supervisor Montgomery Steppe’s proposal for a Pilot Program specifically designed to expand homeless outreach services within the City of Lemon Grove. This partnership did not exist prior, but offers County services to the incorporated City of Lemon Grove. The Pilot Program will focus on increasing outreach activities and providing critical support and resources to unhoused individuals in Lemon Grove.

The Troy Street Site will accommodate up to 70 sleeping cabins with 1-2 people per cabin.

The average individual stay is estimated at 3-6 months to provide stability and help them transition to permanent housing options. The Troy Street sleeping cabins are considered emergency housing and people can only stay up to 6 months while they get necessary services to be able to move into permanent housing options. 

The County is strongly committed to being a good neighbor to the surrounding community. This site will have 24/7 site management and security as well as security cameras. The site is being designed to be visually pleasing to the community and is anticipated to have gated entry and full fencing.

The proposal includes on-site meals for participants and includes wraparound services such as case management, housing navigation, and access to behavioral health. There will also be employment support services, credit repair, transportation, and other supportive services.

The site will include hygiene facilities (restroom, showers, and laundry), access to internet, community space, and storage amenities.

Our office is going to continue engaging with the community. We want the community to be our eyes and ears once the facility opens and inform us of what’s going on.