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Veterans Village and city partners to add 35 shelter beds for veterans, expand services
Summary
Veterans Village of San Diego announced a partnership to add 35 shelter beds and co-located services for veterans, with leaders saying the effort complements a set of city-wide shelter additions intended to reduce returns to the street.
Akila Templeton, president and CEO of Veterans Village of San Diego, said a new partnership with city officials will add 35 shelter beds specifically for veterans and expand on-site services.
Templeton, speaking at a San Diego event, said the Veterans Village campus already includes a health clinic, a full-service dental clinic, employment and financial services and case management that follows clients as they move into permanent housing. "With this project comes an additional 35 much needed, shelter beds for veterans," Templeton said, and she added the program will focus on equipping veterans to "not just to transition into permanent housing, but to actually thrive once they find their forever home."
Mayor Todd Gloria and other city leaders framed the announcement as part of a broader homelessness strategy. Gloria said the city is announcing initiatives that will add 493 shelter opportunities systemwide by December and that many of the new beds "will be filled by veterans and seniors." He added the goal is that "no one currently living in one of our city shelters returns to the street."
Advocates and city staff described Veterans Village as a community-based provider that offers bundled services on a single campus. Templeton thanked partners including the mayor's office, the city council, the San Diego Housing Commission and Father Joe's Villages for their roles in the effort.
The announcement did not include a formal vote or a timeline for when the 35 beds will be available beyond the mayor's broader December target for shelter additions. City representatives at the event offered to meet one-on-one with partners and said contracting and site-specific planning will follow the announcement.
The event combined this veterans-specific announcement with other city homelessness measures; officials said the new beds are intended to complement, not replace, existing shelter and diversion efforts.
The ceremony concluded with officials inviting service providers and residents to tour the Veterans Village campus and discuss next steps for implementation.
