The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Tuesday to advance plans for a proposed regional audit of funding for homeless programs.
According to a statement from Supervisor Jim Desmond’s office, the measure “will direct county staff to work with cities, nonprofits and regional partners to identify exactly how much money has been received, how it’s been spent, by whom, and where dollars remain unaccounted for.”
The board’s vote calls for Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton to work with staff on the practicality of an audit and report back to the board within 90 days.
According to Desmond’s office, in the last 10 years, “homelessness across California has grown into a humanitarian, public health and fiscal crisis.”
Despite governmental agencies spending billions of taxpayer dollars, more people are living on the streets, with more strain placed on shelters, according to the proposal.
Desmond cited a state auditor report which revealed that between 2018 and 2023, “over $24 billion in state homelessness funding was spent with little to no consistent tracking or oversight.”
Desmond’s office added that figure represents “a bureaucracy that continues to grow while the public loses faith — and people continue to suffer on our streets.”
Desmond said the county has made progress in reducing homelessness 11% in its unincorporated area, along with launching a public dashboard in early 2026 to show residents where funds are spent.
However, “we need a regional approach that brings transparency and accountability to every dollar spent,” he added. “Homelessness doesn’t stop at city borders.”
Desmond added that taxpayers “deserve to know that their money is making a real difference, and those experiencing homelessness deserve a system that works.”
Before he and his colleagues voted on Tuesday, Desmond said there are still “failures in our streets, parks and neighborhoods” every year, with people dying on the streets. “I think this is just a first step,” he said. “If we can follow the money, we can find where progress has been made and where it hasn’t.”
His colleague Paloma Aguirre asked how the county would compel governmental entities such as the city of San Diego or other providers to turn over information, if it doesn’t have jurisdiction over them.
Desmond replied that he believed some cities will turn over information, which could lead to better collaboration.
An official with Lived Experience Advisors said during Tuesday’s meeting that his nonprofit consulting group “(gets) calls all the time from people that are struggling within the system.”
John Brady added that concerns include service providers who don’t understand those services, new case managers who lack the training and experience to resolve the person’s situation, and misinformation.
To really understand the homeless problem, Brady also told the board that “we need to start listening to our customers,” and implement artificial intelligence-driven, augmented case management overseen by those with experience.
Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer was briefly out of the meeting chambers when the board voted.
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