Lisa Rodarte, 54, became homeless in December.
“I had an apartment, but I couldn't keep up with the inflation, the cost of living, the rent increases,” she said. “Every time we got our Social Security increases, rent just took it away from us. It left me with about $200 to live off of, and I just couldn't do it anymore.”
She stayed with family for a few weeks, but she didn’t want to burden them, she said. On Monday, when temperatures dipped to 41 degrees, she stayed at Living Water Church of the Nazarene.
“I stayed outside for a week. It started getting real cold,” Rodarte said. “I was talking to a friend, and she said, ‘I'm at the Living Water.’ She told me where it was at, and I came here and it's nice. It's better than the streets.”
The church is one of three locations in the San Diego Housing Commission’s inclement weather shelter program. When it’s not raining, the program gets activated when forecasts call for temperatures of 45 degrees or lower.
“We all jump into action,” said Chris Nafis, the church’s pastor. “We call our volunteers, call our staff, make sure that we have everything set up for the night, get food organized.”
Nafis said the program is meant for people who would otherwise be sleeping outside. The church is on the corner of 16th and Market Streets in the East Village, and their 28 spots fill up quickly.
“Everybody out here has a story. Everybody out here has been through some things that would be unimaginable to other people,” he said. “They may not be in the best place in their life, but most of them are trying and most of them don't want to be on the street.”
Father Joe’s Villages operates two other inclement weather shelters. The Joan Kroc Center has room for 61 individuals, plus 11 beds for single women or families with children. The Paul Mirabile Center can fit up to 62 people.
The National Weather Service expects lows of 45 degrees on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights in San Diego. The Housing Commission and service providers decide whether to activate the inclement weather program each morning.
