The city of San Diego was slated to open a fourth temporary homeless shelter this week, which would up the number of beds provided to those struggling with housing to nearly 800.
The Alpha Project, which already operates a shelter in downtown San Diego, was tapped to operate the new facility at 17th Street and Imperial Avenue. The shelter will serve single adults, veterans and families.
The city extended contracts in June with the Alpha Project, Veterans Village of San Diego and Father Joe's Villages to operate three other bridge shelters.
More than $11 million would be used to keep the three facilities open through 2020. Funding for the bridge shelter program came from the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) reserves and a federal Moving to Work grant.
The local non-profits provide transitional services like health care, counseling, and drug rehab programs to homeless people. With the addition of a fourth shelter, about 793 people each day are provided beds meals, showers, restrooms and 24-hour security.
The bridge shelter program was first announced in September 2017, at the height of a Hepatitis A outbreak affecting the homeless population.
The first two shelters opened in December 2017 on 16th Street and Newton Avenue in downtown San Diego and on Sports Arena Boulevard in the Midway District.
The downtown facility is operated by the Alpha Project and houses single adults. The city said since the shelter's opening in December 2017, the Alpha Project has helped more than 380 people find permanent or long-term housing.
The Midway District facility is operated by Veterans Village of San Diego and houses about 200 homeless veterans each day.
The third shelter, operated by the nonprofit Father Joe's Villages, opened at 14th Street and Commercial near the trolley station in the East Village in January 2018 before occupants were moved to San Diego's Golden Hall in April 2019.
Father Joe's Villages will continue to operate the shelter at Golden Hall, meant for families and single women through 2020.
