County of San Luis Obispo Renews Housing Now Program to Serve the Community’s Most Vulnerable
Author: Homeless Services Division
Date: 5/8/2025 10:00 AM
The program providing housing and care for chronically homeless residents with complex health needs will continue through June 2026.
San Luis Obispo, CA—On Tuesday, May 6, 2025, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors approved an agreement with Transitions-Mental Health Association to continue the Housing Now Program through June 2026. The continuation of the program provides ongoing support for previously homeless individuals facing complex health and behavioral challenges.
Originally launched in 2014 as a pilot program called 50Now, the Housing Now Program was designed to provide permanent housing for the 50 most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness in San Luis Obispo County. The program follows a housing-first model, and combines stable housing with mental health therapy, substance use treatment, peer support, and healthcare navigation and advocacy.
“The Housing Now Program has proven itself a critical piece of our homeless services system,” said Laurel Weir, Administrative Services Manager for the County of San Luis Obispo’s Homeless Services Division. “It creates avenues for people with the highest needs and who would otherwise struggle to access housing and ongoing care. We use a standardized assessment tool to prioritize those most in need, and shift them to the front of the queue.”
Program participants for the Housing Now Program are screened by an assessment to determine their individual needs and what barriers they may face that limit their ability to secure housing. Some of these barriers may be chronic health conditions, untreated behavioral health conditions, or previous involvement with the justice system. The goal is to provide long-term support for those who most often or most heavily rely on emergency public services.
The program has shown measurable success since it began. After a 21-month period, the original 50Now pilot reported 72% of participants remained in permanent housing, a 97% reduction in citations and/or arrests, and a 52% reduction in emergency room visits. Based on these outcomes and its continued accomplishments, the program has been expanded several times by the Board of Supervisors. Today, the program is now known as Housing Now and provides 80 permanent supportive beds.
Since 2014, the program has housed 238 participants, many of whom have transitioned to more independent living situations. According to the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 annual report, the program achieved the following outcomes:
- 94 individuals were housed in permanent supportive housing
- 100% of new clients improved their self-sufficiency
- 100% reduction in arrests and citations among clients with prior justice involvement
- 88% reduction in hospital and emergency room stays
- 79% reduction in time spent in psychiatric health facilities
- 84% of clients remained stably housed for at least 24 months
- 73% of clients were referred to education and employment programs
While the program changes lives for those enrolled, it also strengthens the wider community. By diverting those experiencing chronic homelessness into more appropriate care systems, Housing Now reduces strain on hospitals, law enforcement, and other emergency response agencies.
To learn more about Housing Now and other programs from Transitions-Mental Health Association, visit t-mha.org.
To learn other ways the County of San Luis Obispo is working to address local homelessness, please go to slocounty.gov/HomelessServices.
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