Press Release | City of San Diego

City’s Winter Homeless Shelter Program Ending
Shelter Operators Working to Transition Residents to Other Programs, Resources

SAN DIEGO – The City of San Diego began the shutdown of the 2002-2003 Winter Homeless Shelter Program yesterday with the closing of the veteran shelter site in the Midway District. The second winter shelter site will begin closing down Friday, transitioning residents out of the facility over the next three weeks. Both sites will work with housing resource providers to facilitate entrance into transitional programs, permanent housing, or sober living residences.

The 2002-2003 Winter Homeless Shelter Program marks the 16^th consecutive year the City of San Diego has assisted the homeless during the coldest months of winter. The program provided meals, shelter, and social services including medical and mental health attention to 450 homeless San Diegans each night.

This year the shelters were located at three sites, each with its own social service operator. Vietnam Veterans of San Diego served 150 veterans each night in the Midway/Sports Arena area. Alpha Project for the Homeless served 200 single adults nightly on Newton Avenue and 16^th Street. The San Diego Rescue Mission, which provided emergency overnight accommodations for up to 100 women and children at 1150 J Street, will also close on Friday.

“The most striking aspect observed during this year’s program was the aging of the homeless population and the deterioration of their mental and physical well-being,” said Sharon Johnson, Administrator of the City of San Diego’s Homeless Services Program. “It is gratifying to know the City was able to make an impact on the lives of these individuals, even if only for a short time. We hope shelter residents will take advantage of some of the other programs available to them.”

In addition to services provided by shelter operators, the City of San Diego and the County’s Health and Human Services Agency, along with a number of other agencies, have provided more than 300 hours of supportive services, including medical and mental health care, employment and housing fairs, and substance abuse recovery programs. There have also been various donations of clothing, books, hygiene products, and personal care items from the community. The total operating cost for the 2002-2003 Winter Homeless Shelter Program was $895,500, with funds from the City’s General Fund, State Emergency Shelter Grant, Housing Commission, Centre City Development Corporation and the County of San Diego.

In addition to the Winter Shelter Program, the City of San Diego’s first year-round transitional housing facility for homeless families is also operating in the downtown area. Managed by the YWCA, the Cortez Hill Family Center provides a full range of services, including case management, job training and placement assistance, counseling and healthcare, as well as offering homeless families temporary housing for up to 120 days. The Center can serve 150 family members, usually consisting of women and children, in 47 rooms and has been operating at capacity since opening in December 2002. Prior to the opening of Cortez Hill, the transitional housing program had been operating for a year out of a vacant retail outlet on 12^th Avenue and Broadway.

With an emphasis on the City’s urban core neighborhoods and low and moderate income residents, the City of San Diego’s Community and Economic Development Department strives to improve the quality of life and ensure a healthy economy in San Diego through job development, business development, neighborhood revitalization, public improvements, redevelopment, social services, and revenue enhancement.

Community & Economic Development