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San Diego announces 493 shelter openings, including 35 veteran beds at Veterans Village
Summary
Mayor Todd Gloria and nonprofit partners announced a package the city says will add 493 shelter opportunities by December and a 35-bed veteran-specific expansion at Veterans Village of San Diego, with the San Diego Housing Commission and local nonprofits named as partners.
Mayor Todd Gloria announced a package of initiatives intended to add 493 shelter opportunities to San Diego’s system by December and said the city will implement a shelter-focused homelessness diversion effort to free up additional beds.
The mayor made the announcement at a ribbon-cutting event in Otay Mesa where city and nonprofit partners were present; he said the administration was working with the San Diego Housing Commission and nonprofit providers to ensure people in shelters do not return to the street. “We are accomplishing that goal,” Mayor Todd Gloria said.
A councilman at the event emphasized that many of the additional beds will be reserved for veterans and seniors and called for continued community support. The councilman introduced Akila Templeton, president and CEO of Veterans Village of San Diego, who said the project will add 35 veteran-specific shelter beds. “That with this project comes an additional 35 much needed, shelter beds for veterans,” Templeton said.
Templeton described services that will be co-located on Veterans Village’s campus, including an on-site health clinic, a full-service dental clinic, employment and financial services, and case management that will follow residents after transition to permanent housing. She said the organization has focused on community-based veteran services and on equipping veterans with tools to move into and thrive in permanent housing.
A representative of the San Diego Housing Commission thanked partners and said commission staff were available for one-on-one follow-up questions after the event. The mayor and partners named at the ceremony included the San Diego Housing Commission, the Regional Task Force on Homelessness, Father Joe’s Villages, the San Diego Rescue Mission and Veterans Village of San Diego.
City officials framed the announcement as partnerships among government and nonprofit providers; no formal vote, new ordinance or funding source was identified in the remarks. Officials gave the timeline for the shelter openings as “by December.”
