Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Winter shelter program closes its doors

A shelter for the homeless in downtown San Diego is closing its doors this week, sending 200 people packing. The Single Adult Winter Shelter Program offered more than food and a place to live. KPBS

A shelter for the homeless in downtown San Diego is closing its doors this week,
sending 200 people packing. The Single Adult Winter Shelter Program offered more than food and a place to live. KPBS reporter Ed Joyce has more.

The non-profit Alpha Project has operated the shelter for the past four years, serving more than 800 people with housing assistance and alternatives to life on the street. During that time, Project President Bob McElroy says there's been a tremendous increase in seniors using the shelter.

McElroy: These are folks who have worked their whole lives, paid their taxes, they're on fixed incomes, the affordable housing downtown, their traditional housing has been torn down with no replacement stock and now they find themselves in the twilight of their years in a homeless shelter.

Advertisement

While the shelter has operated only in winter, McElroy says there's a need for a year-round facility. Financial support for the program came from the City of San Diego, the Port of San Diego, SDG&E and other individuals and organizations. Ed Joyce, KPBS News.