>> >>JOANNE: The project targeted homeless people who would most frequent users of emergency
services.
Getting them off the street and into a home, county officials believe they could potentially
save a life and save money.
Joining me is Brian Maienschein commissioner of the plan to end chronic homelessness, and
James Marsh who is a project 25 participant.
Thank you for being here.
I remember being at the first news conference a little more than a year ago.
What makes this project different than other projects in terms of trying to get the homeless
off the street?
>> >>BRIAN: What I wanted to do was look at this problem from an economic angle.
That while there's certainly moral or ethical reasons to reduce homelessness, there's economic
reason.
If you look at people who are frequent users of emergency services, they're very expensive
to tax payers.
And if you provide housing and services to these individuals, the cost savings are substantial.
That's what project 25 at our one year anniversary has shown.
>> >>JOANNE: Is so you targeted people who used the emergency room, ambulance service,
ended up in jail most often in the county.
>> >>BRIAN: We put together a group of 22 organizations that went through and identified
their most costly to tax payers individuals.
We compiled that list, went out, got them into how housing and services.
What we've shown is these individuals were costing tax payers over 300,000 dollars per
year to continue to be homeless.
They were taking, you know, 55 ambulance rides, 39 days in the hospital.
Very expensive to tax payers.
>> >>JOANNE: James you were on that list, after I think was it 40 ambulance rides in
a year?
>> >>JAMES: Yeah, 54, I think.
>> >>JOANNE: Do you remember the first time somebody from project 25 approached you?
>> >>JAMES: O, yeah.
It was clear as day.
I happened to be incarcerated.
I was waiting to go to a program and project 25 came before the program did.
They explained to me what it was about and if I would be interested.
>> >>JOANNE: What did they say to you exactly that made you think I'm going to try this?
>> >>JAMES: We're going to give you a chance to start over.
We're going to show you that you are somebody, that you can believe in yourself.
>> >>JOANNE: And do you remember the first time you had your own key for your own door?
>> >>JAMES: O, yeah, I cried.
It was unbelievable.
Because I can't even remember the last time I had my own key to my own place.
When I walked in and I looked at it and it was like this is mine.
This is my home.
I'm not in a bush, I'm not under a park bench somewhere.
It was just amazing.
A very emotional.
>> >>JOANNE: You were homeless for 12 years.
Why do you thinkÊ what kept you on the street?
>> >>JAMES: My drinking.
I was very, very bad alcoholic.
And that's all I lived for.
I didn't it think there was any other way.
>> >>JOANNE: Are you drinking now?
>> >>JAMES: I got a month clean today.
And I'm doing it because I want to do it.
Because I don't want to end up back where I was.
I enjoy being able to come in and go when I want to go, turn on the TV and watch it.
I enjoy these things.
It's freedom, you know?
It's lovely.
>> >>JOANNE: So, Brian, the program targeted 25 people but actually 35 people are in this
program.
>> >>BRIAN: Yeah, we is have 35 people in this program which is real exciting.
You look at somebody like James, he was cycling through year after year between emergency
room visits, a visit to jail, whatever it was.
His life was never going to turn around and he was going to be continue forever to be
costly to the city of San Diego and the county as whole to the tax payers.
And now you look at he went from 54 emergency room trips to one, 39 days in the hospital
last and 2010 to zero.
Those savings are substantial.
You can tell by his appearance how much his life has turned around.
>> >>JOANNE: This was began a year ago.
Are you going to continue with this?
Will people keep on getting a second chance?
>> >>BRIAN: Yeah.
We already have a three year commitment from all the partners that are involved in it;
the city, the county, as well as united way have committed to three years which is unprecedented.
It's the first time that the city and the county in a non profit community have worked
together on a big project.
All these things have been historic firsts.
We have stlee years now, we'd like to see it continue past that and have more success
stories like James.
>> >>JOANNE: James, what do you hope for your future?
What do you hope this second chance gives you?
>> >>JAMES: Pretty much like a new beginning.
A beginning that I never really had to be part of society again and not just someone
that they frown upon.
>> >>JOANNE: Do people look at you different on the street now?
>> >>JAMES: Yeah.
They talk to me.
They actually talk to me, stop say hi, ask me how I'm doing.
It's wonderful.
It feels great to be able to do that.
>> >>JOANNE: James Marsh, Brian Maienschein, thank you for being here.