A downtown-area San Diego homeless shelter is getting a new operating contract, and by this summer a similar shelter will be open in the Midway area.
The shelter located at 17th and Imperial Avenue will continue to be run by the nonprofit Alpha Project and stay open through at least June 2023. On Friday the San Diego Housing Commission Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a one-year deal with up to three extensions. Each year would cost the city about $3 million.
"Similar expectations on the operator as far as maintaining and mitigating COVID-19 practices, focusing on helping folks finds ways to exit homelessness," said Lisa Jones, executive vice president for strategic initiatives at the San Diego Housing Commission.
Jones said there was still a need for the 139-bed shelter, and it is in line with San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria's commitment to address homelessness. The Imperial Avenue facility is one of three bridge shelters that the Housing Commission funds. The agency and the city are now working with the county to open a new shelter, but this one would be outside of the downtown area.
"By July we’ll have this new 150-bed shelter open in the Midway area," San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said during this week's State of the County address.
Similar to downtown shelters, the Midway one will be a tent structure in the parking lot of San Diego County's Health Services Complex on Rosecrans Street.
"This really is going to look at having county resources on site," Jones said. "So there will be behavioral health assessments on site."
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Jones said plans could change between now and when the shelter is expected to open in the summer. Homelessness has been increasing in the Midway area, and officials have been working with the community to make the shelter a reality.
"Which is really important and making sure that they are having a feeling of comfort," she said. "That we’re bringing something that’s going to help support their needs and not have a negative impact on the entire community."
The tent structure is being provided by the Lucky Duck Foundation, which helped the city of San Diego jump-start its shelter program a few years ago. Jones said it would be 150 beds at most and will be designed to take in homeless residents 24 hours a day.
