The City of San Luis Obispo has awarded $150,000 in grant funding to 12 local nonprofit programs that primarily reduce and prevent homelessness throughout the City.
The City received 27 applications for the Human Services Grants this year, requesting a total of nearly $420,000, which far exceeded available funds.
“The Human Services Grant awardees reflect the heart of our community’s values,” said Matt Pennon, the City’s DEI Manager. “These incredible organizations are doing the hard, often unseen work of making San Luis Obispo a more inclusive, accessible and compassionate place for everyone. By investing in these local organizations and their programming, we are not only helping to prevent homelessness, we are also reinforcing a shared commitment to belonging, equity and dignity for all who call this city home.”
The City’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will distribute the Human Services Grants to the following nonprofit organizations, including:
- $20,000 to the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo for their Homelessness Prevention/Stable Housing Program
- $20,000 to Lumina Alliance for their Emergency Shelter Program for Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence Survivors
- $20,000 to Shower the People for their Shower the People Program
- $15,000 to the Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo for their Housing Stability with Supportive Services Program
- $15,000 to Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project for their Housing/Wellness Navigator Program
- $15,000 to People’s Self-Help Housing for their City of SLO Supportive Housing Program
- $10,000 to CASA of San Luis Obispo for their General SLO CASA Program
- $10,000 to the San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation for their Senior Homeless Prevention Program
- $10,000 to Restorative Partners for their Opportunity to Fund Program
- $5,000 to Long Term Care Ombudsman Services of San Luis Obispo County for their Ombudsman Services
- $5,000 to Meals that Connect for their Nutrition for Healthy Seniors Program
- $5,000 to United Way of San Luis Obispo County for their 211 Homeless Intake and Homeless Prevention Screening Services
The City’s Human Services Grants, formerly called Grants-in-Aid, provide financial support to nonprofit organizations in San Luis Obispo or based in neighboring communities whose services primarily serve City residents residents.
The City Council set the funding priorities for the fiscal year and the City’s Human Relations Commission (HRC) reviewed all applications and recommended awarding grant funds to 12 of the nonprofit programs. Ultimately, the City Council on June 3, 2025 decided to approve the recommended funding allocations from the HRC with one change: they awarded $15,000 to People’s Self Help Housing for a program that will reduce homelessness and awarded $10,000 to SLO CASA for its general program support.
Funds will be distributed in the coming months as the contracts will begin July 1, 2025.
Copies of all grant applications are available for review by contacting the Office of DEI. The next round of grant applications will likely open in early 2026.
For more information on the City’s grants, visit www.slocity.org/Grants.