SAN DIEGO, CA – The City of San Diego celebrated today the opening of its new state-of-the-art transitional housing facility for homeless families, the Cortez Hill Family Center.
In the City’s ongoing effort to assist San Diego’s homeless population, the Cortez Hill Family Center was established to help families without permanent housing of their own find temporary relief through the provision of food, shelter and other services, while living in an apartment-style setting.
Cortez Hill is located in the converted Days Inn motel on corner of 9th Avenue and Beech Street, at 1449 9th Ave., San Diego. The Family Center will provide transitional housing for families for an average period of 90 days. The Center can accommodate up to 150 people in 47 rooms, while providing personalized case management, employment assistance, counseling and health care, as well as other services.
According to 1999 statistics from the Regional Task Force on the Homeless, the City of San Diego's homeless family population is comprised of approximately 1,050 individuals. This trend is exacerbated by the region’s high housing costs. Single mothers with children make up the majority of homeless families, though the number of male single parents with children seeking shelter is rising. Most homeless children are unable to maintain grade school level education and may suffer from a number of developmental, behavioral and emotional problems associated with the lack of a stable and established home.
“This center will give homeless families a safe and healthy place to seek shelter. It also will offer a positive environment for children facing difficult circumstances and serve as a stepping stone to independent living for their families,” Mayor Dick Murphy said. “This new facility will help make Cortez Hill a neighborhood we all can be proud of.”
The City has contracted the YWCA of San Diego County to administer the program and case management services. The cost to operate the facility for the first year will total $801,000 with funding provided by the City of San Diego, a State Emergency Shelter Housing Grant, the County of San Diego and private donations and additional grants.
“Cortez Hill Family Center gives homeless families an opportunity to experience the American Dream of having a comfortable, attractive residence in a safe and supportive community,” said Judy Case DiPasquale, Executive Director of the YWCA of San Diego County.
Phase One of construction included the demolition of unneeded facilities and rehabilitation of the existing building. Set to begin in spring of this year, Phase Two will include the construction of a dining area, childcare area and meeting space. The program had been operating in an old warehouse on 12th Avenue and Broadway for a year, but families were able to move into the new location on December 10, 2002.
“We are pleased that this partnership between the City of San Diego and the YWCA of San Diego County brings a new resource to those citizens who need it most. Cortez Hill gives families the ability to stabilize their lives until they can move into permanent housing,” said Hank Cunningham, Director of the Community and Economic Development Department.
The Cortez Hill Family Center was made possible through a partnership among the City of San Diego and its Community and Economic Development Department, Housing Commission and Facilities Maintenance Department; Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC); California Department of Housing Community Development; YWCA of San Diego County, and Golba Architecture. The total cost acquisition and rehabilitation budget for Cortez Hill is $5,065,000.
For more information on the YWCA of San Diego County, visit the web site at www.ywcasandiego.org or call (619) 239-0355. For additional information on the Cortez Hill Family Center and other homeless services programs, visit the City’s web site at www.sandiego.gov or contact the Community and Economic Development Department at (619) 533-6525.
