Case study: San Diego acts decisively to relieve homelessness with high-capacity shelters while San Jose dawdles, misallocates funds
Image by Wikimedia Commons
San Jose's homelessness crisis lengthens. But City staff and Council continue to oppose shelter solutions proposed by Mayor Mahan and CM's Doan and Batra--and choose instead to throw millions more at their failed Housing First model. San Diego offers a more humane, cost-effective approach: increase shelter capacity quickly via conversions of vacant warehouse space. NBC San Diego outlines the way forward, below.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria announced a plan Thursday to create San Diego's largest long-term shelter for people experiencing homelessness, with a capacity for more than 1,000 people.
"We have been acting with urgency to bring people into safety from encampments on our streets and sidewalks, rivers and canyons," Gloria said. "We now have a historic and monumental opportunity to get more than 1,000 people off the streets and connected with the services needed to end their homelessness.
"Substantially increasing our shelter capacity will have an immediate impact as we work on the other aspects of our comprehensive approach to ending homelessness, including prevention and the creation of affordable housing," he said.
Gloria's plan, if approved by the City Council, would convert a vacant 65,000-square foot warehouse located at the intersection of Kettner Boulevard and Vine Street north of downtown into a shelter. The site would provide on-site security, meals, housing navigation and case management services. Improvements will include adding showers and additional restrooms, a commercial kitchen, laundry facilities and dining and recreation areas, a statement from Gloria's office reads.
{Editor’s note: Last year, Mayor Mahan proposed a goal of adding 1,000 new shelter placements; he was met by pushback from City Council, and a refusal to reallocate Measure E funds. It will be interesting to note if the stormwater permit issue will act as a forcing function for the Council to add substantial shelter capacity in the coming year. San Diego has a strong mayor model, which gives more authority to its mayor than does San Jose to direct city staff and resources.}
According to Gloria, the owner of the Kettner and Vine facility has agreed to lease the warehouse property for 35 years, with two five-year renewal options. The building improvements and shelter operations will be funded through a combination of local, state and federal funds, along with contributions from local donors.
"The planned size and floorplan of the Kettner and Vine facility give the city flexibility to potentially serve multiple populations — including families, youth and single women or men," said Sarah Jarman, director of the city's Homelessness Strategies and Solutions Department. "The long-term lease also enables the city to upgrade the facility based on the changing needs of unsheltered residents.
If approved, Kettner and Vine will be the 11th new overnight facility serving people experiencing homelessness the city has opened since Gloria took office.
"We have been acting with urgency to bring people into safety from encampments on our streets and sidewalks, rivers and canyons," Gloria said. "We now have a historic and monumental opportunity to get more than 1,000 people off the streets and connected with the services needed to end their homelessness."
Read the whole thing here.
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