The county Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to accept a $430,529 grant that will be used to build an immigrant welcome centre in North County.
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development awarded the Local Immigrant Integration and Inclusion Grant.
The county already has an immigrant centre in National City, which opened in March. According to the office of Board Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer, officials haven’t chosen a location for the new welcome centre.
The supervisors established an immigrant office in June 2021 “to build on existing refugee programs” and emphasise support for “all community members – regardless of immigration status,” Lawson-Remer’s office said.
“The diverse makeup of San Diego County residents reinforces the need for culturally competent community engagement to connect immigrant and refugee populations with needed resources,” Lawson-Remer added.
She noted that one in five people in the San Diego region was born outside the United States, “but that’s a fact that the county has downplayed for a long time”.
“This is about making sure that the county is bridging the gap to meet the needs of our diverse communities,” Lawson-Remer said.
San Diego County has the third largest number of refugee arrivals in California, behind Sacramento and Los Angeles, according to her office.
The supervisors also heard an update from the county’s Department of Homeless Solutions and the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs.
As part of a second annual report, office staff focused on accomplishments, immigrant and refugee demographics, funding and service gaps, program improvements, coordination with local, state and federal policies, and community outreach.
According to the report, recent accomplishments include helping 65 refugees find employment, creating the Landlord Education, Emotional Wellness and Self-Care programs, and hiring multilingual community health workers.
On 10 October, councillors voted 3-0 to spend $3 million on services to help migrants and asylum seekers with various needs, such as translation assistance and transportation.
