The Homeless Services Division oversees the development of strategic plans required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These strategic plans, including the Consolidated Plan and annual Action Plans, guide the use of federal funds to support and develop public services, affordable housing, and economic opportunities on the central coast. 

The current plans and documents that guide the County of San Luis Obispo's funding priorities related to community development may be found under Active Plans & Documents.
 

2025 Community Development Needs Assessment

The County of San Luis Obispo is conducting a communitywide community development needs assessment to determine what community members think are the most pressing community needs related to housing security, homelessness, neighborhood stability, safe living environments, and economic opportunities.

You can help shape our future by guiding how the County prioritizes funding for programs and projects over the next five years.

 

Here is how you can participate:

1. Complete the Survey. The easiest way to make your voice heard is to complete an online survey. This survey will take approximately 5-15 minutes depending on how much information you choose to include.
 
After you complete it, please share this survey with your friends, family, and coworkers living in San Luis Obispo County

2. Attend a Workshop. The County of San Luis Obispo is hosting 6 different workshops both in-person and virtually. To participate, simply pick the one closest to you and show up. For those that prefer to attend virtually, a Zoom meeting will be offered in early October. More details are shared below:
 

Date	Time	Meeting Location
Tuesday, September 17th	6:00pm	Morro Bay Community Center 1001 Kennedy Way, Morro Bay, CA 93442
Wednesday, September 18th	6:00pm	Paso Robles Council Chamber 1000 Spring St., Paso Robles, CA 93446
Monday, September 23rd	6:00pm	Atascadero Library - Martin Polin Community Room 6555 Capistrano Ave., Atascadero, CA 93422
Wednesday, September 25th	6:00pm	South County Regional Center 800 W. Branch St., Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
Monday, September 30th	6:00pm	Department of Social Services – Room 101 3433 S. Higuera St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Wednesday, October 2nd	12:00pm	Countywide Virtual Meeting Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85372578424?pwd=fznIPCyKSmJm7mu41H66f3SDPcpE0L.1

3. Submit a Public Comment. If you have something to share that is better said over email, please reach out to [email protected].

The information learned from the community development needs assessment will be incorporated into the 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and 2025 Action and determine the types of programs and projects prioritized for funding between 2025 and 2029.

What is the Consolidated Plan?

The County of San Luis Obispo's Consolidated Plan is a five-year strategic plan to identify housing and community development priorities that align and focus funding received from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Planning and Development (CPD) to meet the needs of San Luis Obispo community members. 

This plan helps prioritize the use of the following grant programs:

• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program
  • Creates affordable housing solutions, suitable living environments, and economic opportunities 
  • Funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developmen

• HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program
  • Develops and rehabilitates affordable rental and home ownership opportunities by supporting below-market housing solutions and supporting rental assistance programs
  • Funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

• Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program 
  • Helps people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness through essential support services, rapid re-housing programs, and homelessness prevention programs
  • Funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Each Consolidated Plan also yields 5 annual Action Plans that outline the specific projects and programs allocated funding in a given year and their alignment with the Consolidated Plan. The County of San Luis Obispo also shares its project and program accomplishments related to the Consolidated Plan and the Action Plan in an annual report known as the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). All current versions of these documents may be viewed under Active Plans & Documents while previous versions are available under Past Plans & Documents.

Community Development Priorities

The following priorities for the County of San Luis Obispo 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan were identified by public comment, needs assessments, and workshops conducted in 2019:

• Create housing opportunities for residents

• Reduce the number of individuals/families experiencing homelessness

• Create suitable living environments through public services

• Stabilize and revitalize neighborhoods through infrastructure projects

• Improve education and job readiness

Where Do These Funds Go?

The funds guided by Consolidated Plan are used in projects and programs that create new housing opportunities, maintain and update existing housing, assist low-income households, and provide public services through San Luis Obispo County. The full list of funds allocated by the County of San Luis Obispo may be found on the Funding Availability page.