The San Diego City Council Tuesday approved a contract with nonprofit Jewish Family Service of San Diego to continue running the city's Safe Parking Program, including the new H Barracks site.
The barracks site, near San Diego International Airport, is intended to have 190 spaces for people using the program. Tuesday's approval by the council is a one-year contract with Jewish Family Service.
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"The individuals and families served through the Safe Parking Program are our neighbors, and many are experiencing homelessness for the first time — needing just a little bit of help to get back on their feet," Mayor Todd Gloria said. "Programs like Safe Parking give us a chance to intervene early and get folks on a path back to housing, and with the H Barracks site, we'll be able to help hundreds more struggling San Diegans.
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SIGN UP "I thank Jewish Family Service for continually stepping forward to partner with the city on this extremely successful program."
The program already has 200 spaces, so Tuesday's action nearly doubles the number of spaces where people can legally park and sleep while working to get out of homelessness. H Barracks also includes space for recreational vehicles.
"The Safe Parking Program traditionally serves a different population than what we often see at our shelters or in our Safe Sleeping Program," said Sarah Jarman, director of the city's Homelessness Strategies and Solutions Department. "We know from the latest Point in Time Count that the need here has grown and not just for cars, but for oversized vehicles too. Investing in multiple types of sheltering options is key to meeting people where they are."
Some members of the community don't want the H Barracks site to be used for that purpose.
"No, just flat out no," one San Diego resident told NBC 7. "All you're doing is encouraging it when you put a place for the homeless to be."
But others agree action needs to be taken to help people out of homelessness.
"Anything we can do to find them a better place and provide a path to a better life for them, I'm definitely supportive of that," Robert Palmer, another resident, told NBC 7.
A separate contract is needed between the city and JFS for the safe parking site located off Balboa Avenue at Jewish Family Service's administrative campus.
Program sites include restrooms, housing navigation, mental health services and job training, and participants work with case managers to create individual housing goals, according to the city.
"The Safe Parking Program is a powerful example of what we can achieve through partnership," said incoming JFS CEO Dana Toppel. "We are deeply grateful to the city of San Diego for their continued collaboration and support, which allows us to provide a safe, dignified space for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
"Together, we're offering not just a place to park — but a pathway to stability, hope, and a brighter future."
According to a city staff report, just within the last year, JFS has served more than 1,000 individuals across all four safe parking sites. Of those, more than 800 exited the program with more than 250 of them moving into permanent housing.
The H Barracks were previously military barracks, but the crumbling buildings were torn down earlier this year. The area is the future site of a San Diego Pure Water treatment facility. Paving was completed this month at the location and mobile office trailers for program staff have been added, with electrical work and lighting upgrades to be completed soon.
The site could be open through 2029. The city has four one-year options to renew the agreement, before the Pure Water facility begins operations.
San Diego expects to open the site in May.
