As homelessness continues to grip San Diego, Mayor Todd Gloria and his administration take decisive action, proposing new potential sites for homeless shelters to the City Council for consideration today. As per the City of San Diego, the search for these sites began after a call for submissions in September 2024, with the City Council and the City's Independent Budget Analyst providing suggestions based on proposals from property owners and managers.
"We’ve identified several key sites that can serve as permanent shelters, including two already owned by the City, and I urge the City Council to authorize us to take the next steps in order to help more people off the street," Mayor Todd Gloria told the City of San Diego. This push for action aligns with the City's Comprehensive Shelter Strategy, which seeks to replace temporary shelter sites currently restricted by redevelopment plans with more permanent solutions.
The sites under consideration include properties at 1222 First Avenue, the former address of the City Operations Building, and 820 E Street, the previous Central Library building. A third site is a privately owned commercial property on 2nd Avenue. The exact location is being kept confidential to facilitate potential negotiations. All three require modifications and building improvements to be functional as shelters, with refurbishment costs estimated at $45.2 million and $86.8 million for the City-owned buildings, respectively, while the cost for the 2nd Avenue property is yet to be determined.
This effort to bolster the City's infrastructure for the homeless comes after a proposed lease agreement for a Kettner Boulevard site fell through after a year of negotiations. Mayor Gloria's administration, having already established 1,630 traditional shelter beds and launched a Safe Parking Program, plans to double the program with a new lot near San Diego International Airport later this spring, detailed inside Inside San Diego. Moreover, a partnership with Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego is expected to add up to 210 beds, which comes in time as the City-funded shelter downtown loses 40 due to building redevelopment.
