Community Development
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 countywide 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.
The Draft of the Community Development Needs Assessment is now available for public review between November 7, 2024, and December 8, 2024.
Read the Draft 2025 Community Development Needs Assessment Report
Members of the public may submit public comment to [email protected] through December 8, 2024. A public hearing on the 2025 Community Development Needs Assessment will be held on December 10, 2024 the Katcho Achadjian Government Center, located at 1055 Monterey Street in San Luis Obispo, CA.
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.
Upcoming Dates
Decemmber 8, 2024: The last day for public comments on the Draft of the 2025 Community Development Needs Assessment Report to be shared by email to [email protected].
December 10, 2024: The 2025 Community Development Needs Assessment results will be presented to the Board of Supervisors.
April 2025: The draft 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and 2025 Action Plan will be presented to the Board of Supervisors.
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.