Despite a contentious budget season, the city of San Diego is delivering on its pledge to expand a 50-bed shelter in downtown San Diego called Rachel’s Promise.
The city is now funding an additional 160 shelter beds for women and children experiencing homelessness. That brings the total number of shelter beds at Rachel's Promise to 210, with about 110 beds for single women opening next week and 100 beds for women with children set to become available next month.
People who stay at the shelter will also receive meals, clothes, access to laundry and showers, as well as support services.
The city of San Diego funds the program with an annual budget of $5.6 million, including the operational and administrative costs. This expansion was called for in Mayor Todd Gloria’s most recent budget for fiscal year 2027.
“I want to point out, in a time when we're seeing rising prices that affect everyday San Diegans and, frankly, can be a cause for people's homelessness, the city is not immune to those cost pressures as well,” Gloria said. “And as we tighten our belt to meet our legal obligations to balance our budget, we still are providing more resources to make sure that we can continue to grow our capacity and get more people off the streets and on their way to permanent housing.”
While the added beds will get more women and children off the streets immediately, Gloria said that the ultimate goal is getting people permanently housed.
The city-funded program is operated by Catholic Charities, Diocese of San Diego. Their CEO Appaswamy “Vino” Pajanor said the expansion of the shelter program is not only adding more beds, but also more services.
“We believe that you give them the fish; the fish is the bed, the fish is the food that we are going to provide,” he said. “Then we're going to teach them to fish, because at one point of time, they have to become self-sufficient and sustainable.”
Pajanor said they want to physically meet people where they are. So once someone enters the shelter and is ready for support, they can walk next door to the original Rachel’s Women’s Center that’s been providing daytime services for decades. Or, a service provider will come directly to them if that’s what they prefer.
The program offers housing-related case management, referrals, assistance in applying for public benefits and help in enrolling for healthcare resources. Panjanor said participants will stay at the shelter for as long as they need.
“For some of them, it is to find permanent supportive housing,” he said. “For some of them, it is finding a job. For some of them, it is to get into some kind of a therapy or recovery. We are going to accompany them and whatever time it takes, as long as you're engaged, we're going to accompany you in that process.”
Women are referred to Rachel’s Promise through a program administered by the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC). According to their data, the percentage of unhoused women and girls in SDHC shelter programs rose from 29.9% in fiscal year 2021 to about 40.5% in fiscal year 2026.
SDHC President and CEO Lisa Jones said this program is necessary because there hasn’t been enough shelter options available for women and children who are experiencing homelessness in San Diego.
“Every detail is thoughtful and person-centered and focused on the wellness, the health, the healing, and the pathway to housing for these women and children,” she said.
Pajanor said there will be 28 family units available at the shelter. There’s semi-congregate and non-congregate beds available, which means some are private and some are semiprivate.
Pajanor said they hope to bring in more services for the children at the shelter. They’re also looking to build permanent housing nearby for those in the shelter to transition into in the future.
