The city of San Luis Obispo announced a significant investment in local homelessness prevention programs Wednesday.

Nineteen local programs received funding as part of a $150,000 grant from the city that aims to improve homelessness prevention and transitional housing options in the area, according to a news release from the city.

“While the city of San Luis Obispo provides a number of programs (Mobile Crisis Unit, Community Action Team, etc.) to connect individuals to homelessness prevention services, the city also budgeted $150,000 this year for grant funding to help support service providers and get closer to achieving its Major City Goals related to preventing and addressing homelessness in San Luis Obispo,” the release said.

According to the release, 29 different programs applied for the city’s Human Services Grants — formerly known as Grants-in-Aid — in 2023, amounting to a total of $379,245 in requests.

Some of the city’s largest contributions went to some of the region’s largest homeless service providers, with Shower the People’s $20,000 award for providing hot showers and basic hygiene to homeless individuals standing above all applicants, according to the release.

City Farm’s 2024 Youth Empowerment Program, which provides underserved San Luis Obispo youth with career and college readiness workshops and technical instruction, received the second-highest award of $15,000, the release said.

Five different programs received $10,000 awards, the release said, including the 5Cities Homeless Coalition’s rapid re-housing and homeless prevention assistance program, the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County’s homeless prevention work, and the Senior Nutrition Program’s Meals that Connect program.

Meals that Connect’s Senior Nutrition Program also received $10,000 to serve free noontime meals to seniors aged 60 or older, as did Hospice of San Luis Obispo County’s grief counseling and in-home caregiver support program.

The city made an $8,400 commitment to Smart Share Housing Solutions’ Waterman Village tiny home transitional living program.

The city also awarded $8,000 to Restorative Partners to fund emergency needs such as housing, transportation, hygiene producs, daycare, resume building, and right-to-work documents for individuals impacted by crime.

According to the full list of funding recipients, most other programs that the city chose to fund received $7,500 or less this year.

Other notable contributions included funding for the following programs:

• $7,500 for Lumina Alliance’s emergency shelter operation support

• $7,000 for the San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation’s Senior Legal Services Project
  
  

• $6,850 for United Way of San Luis Obispo County’s 211 health and human services referrals program

• $6,000 for the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County’s no-cook meal bags for homeless residents

• $5,000 for the Literacy for Life Organization’s adult literacy program

• $5,000 for the Family Care Network’s general operating support

• $5,000 for CAPSLO’s Safe, Healthy, At Home, In School, and Out of Trouble family advocate position

• $5,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Luis Obispo County’s community and site-based mentoring for vulnerable youth

• $5,000 for The San Luis Obispo Committee for Education on Alcoholism’s “MiddleHouse” alumni housing program

• $3,750 for the Court Appointed Special Advocates of San Luis Obispo County, Inc.’s child advocacy and homelessness aversion efforts

• $2,500 for Ombudsman Services’ homelessness prevention efforts for seniors and disabled adults living in long term care facilities