San Diego leadership rolls out a comprehensive plan to directly confront the city's homelessness crisis. Mayor Todd Gloria, joined by Council President Sean Elo-Rivera, Council member Stephen Whitburn, and the San Diego Housing Commission's (SDHC) Senior Vice President Casey Snell, announced a set of initiatives aimed at broadening shelter availability and providing diverse solutions for individuals on the path to exiting homelessness. According to a press release from Inside San Diego, the plan introduces 363 new beds into the shelter system and a targeted approach to swiftly transition current shelter participants to more permanent housing solutions.
The initiative, set to kick off on December 1, includes opening 165 additional beds specifically tailored for single adult men, seniors over 55, and veterans at the Veterans Village of San Diego (VVSD). Moreover, a motel will be converted into a non-congregate shelter, adding 105 beds. "With hundreds of new beds at multiple sites, we are delivering on our commitment to ensure that no one who is currently sheltered will be sent back to the streets," San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria was quoted as saying. "This is all possible thanks to close cooperation between my administration, the Housing Commission, the City Council, the Regional Task Force on Homelessness and our network of service providers — all who share the same goal of getting people off the street and connected to care," Gloria stated, as per Inside San Diego.
Collaboration remains a key theme in the initiative, with stakeholder listening sessions indicating the implementation of the action plan. The plan reflects a system-level approach to catering to the sheltering and supportive service needs. "Our goal is to get every person experiencing homelessness in San Diego into permanent housing," Council President Sean Elo-Rivera stated. "Doing that will require us to listen to those who have experienced homelessness, collaborate with multiple partners, and make use of all of the resources and tools available," as noted by Inside San Diego.
Beginning November 1, the SDHC will roll out an initiative focused on diversion resources that will more quickly connect current shelter residents with longer-term housing, freeing up their shelter beds for others. Diversion strategies will include flexible financial assistance, shared housing strategies, and targeted case management, all of which have shown potential for positive outcomes. SDHC President and CEO Lisa Jones emphasized, "we are making intentional and thoughtful efforts to address these needs and center our approach on delivering the resources needed to best serve our unhoused neighbors," according to Inside San Diego.
Additional details include prioritizing residents of the shelter currently operating at Golden Hall for the new beds, given that it's set to close by the end of the year. With Golden Hall's future closure, the City has actively been working on transition plans with those affected. The City's Safe Sleeping program, which recently added 235 tent spaces, is part of an ongoing effort to mitigate the transition. Further, Father Joe’s Villages will operate the beds dedicated to single adult men and seniors at VVSD, while VVSD itself will focus on the veterans' beds.
