As the city scrambles to replace homeless shelter beds being lost at the end of the calendar year, the San Diego Housing Commission Friday approved 263 new shelter beds in three locations.
"Adding these new shelter beds is another significant step toward getting people off our streets and on the path to ending their homelessness," Mayor Todd Gloria said. "This is in addition to other new shelter and housing options like 161 affordable homes for formerly unhoused San Diegans at a converted hotel in Mission Valley, 235 new Safe Sleeping spaces and an expansion of our Safe Parking program, demonstrating our city's comprehensive approach to providing immediate shelter and long-term solutions for those experiencing homelessness."
Around 650 beds are being taken out of inventory due to planned developments at Golden Hall, Father Joe's Villages' Paul Mirabile Center and Rachel's Promise Shelter, along with the scheduled closure of several temporary shelters.
The city council requested a short-term action plan in October from city's Homelessness Strategies and Solutions Department and SDHC to find solutions for the loss of beds from San Diego's inventory.
As a result of government and nonprofits working together, on Dec. 1, 170 shelter beds will be available for single adult men, seniors 55 and older and veterans at the Veterans Village of San Diego campus.
Additionally, San Diego Rescue Mission will add 37 beds and the Alcohol Use Disorder Shelter will add 56. The cost of the three contracts totals around $1.5 million.
"Our goal is to get every person experiencing homelessness in San Diego into permanent housing," said City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera. "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.
"Our short-term action plan did just that and today's authorization is the product of that work. This serves as model for us to move forward in a collaborative process and find the most effective ways to shelter and find homes for San Diegans need."
The number of homeless in the region increased by around 20% between 2022 and 2023, but a less dramatic increase in the city of around 4% was recorded in this year's count.
In October, the city added 230 tents at its Safe Sleeping sites with plans to continue to expand that program.
In September, the council returned an agenda item to staff which could have given the mayor new authority to act amid a homelessness and housing emergency to give city employees more time to understand the ramifications of such a move.
The item, which was pulled by Council President Sean Elo-Rivera before the meeting, would give the green light to Mayor Gloria to expedite housing permitting and homelessness spending.
If passed by the council when it returns, the action as written would grant the mayor the power to — during a declared local housing and/or homelessness emergency — "make orders and directives to address the emergency, procure contracts to uphold standards of living for homeless San Diegans, suspend certain regulations to procure contracts, including City Council approval for contracts under $5 million, and accept and spend any grant monies to respond to the emergency," a city staff report reads.
