Veterans Village of San Diego (VVSD) participates in the Homeless Court Program (HCP), which began in 1988 at VVSD Stand Down. Due to the overwhelming need of the indigent and an overburdened court system, HCP fills a valuable community need.
The Homeless Court Program provides the perfect partnership between the court, prosecutor, public defender, and local service agencies to help resolve legal issues for the homeless population.
HCP helps to remove the obstacles that prevent homeless and indigent individuals from reintegrating back into the community addressing a broad spectrum of misdemeanor offenses including jaywalking, charges of being under the influence of a controlled substance, theft, and driving under the influence. Misdemeanors with growing fees and fines become a hurdle that many simply cannot overcome. In fact many will state after participating in HCP, “a ton of bricks has been lifted from my shoulders.”