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When regional elected leaders work together to implement best practices and then fully fund the efforts, they can make significant progress toward reducing homelessness.

That’s what I learned after spending the last year making aÌý. I visited Houston, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, Seattle and Salt Lake CityÌý– all regionsÌýmaking big strides in housing theirÌýhomeless populations by taking truly regional approaches. In those communities,Ìýcounty leaders are working alongside city leaders – based on best practices, such as the housing-first model, whichÌýÌýrather than on temporary or transitional housing and other services and interventions first.

The city and county of San Diego, meanwhile, are playing catch-up, and elected leaders here have beenÌýÌýbecause of theÌý. To immediately combat the spread of the disease, the city isÌý, opening up a city-sanctioned homeless campsite and preparing to open three large temporary tents to house homeless people.

These are all unplanned, short-term solutions that may be necessary to address the public health crisis, but they are not the real long-term solution to homelessness we so desperately need. The cityÌýand countyÌýknow this, but for some reasonÌýaren’tÌýusing the increased attention and focus on the homeless crisis as an opportunity to tell the public about the important work going on behind the scenes inÌý. The plan lays out aÌý, and now is the time to not only educate the public about it, but also advocate for its importance and get community buy-in.

City and county leaders should be actively telling the public about the plan, what it will contain and why we should support it. County Supervisor Ron Roberts, City Councilman Chris Ward, Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Regional Task Force on the HomelessÌýCEOÌýGordon Walker should be leading the effort to use the hepatitis A press conferences and social media posts to remind all San Diegans about theÌýcommunity plan.ÌýThey need to be talking publicly about many tactics the community plan will contain to help us house more people, even before new housing is built; the need to build moreÌýsubsidized housing that includes support services; andÌýthey need toÌýstart working on finding the money to fully fund and implement the community planÌýandÌýgetting people off the streetsÌýfor good.

But those of us passionate about this issue can also help. We can learn about the community planÌýand become advocates for it.ÌýAnd hopefully, we can all help create the groundswell of support that will be needed for a plan like this to be fully funded and implemented.

This was originally published in the Voice of San Diego.