An app that provides homeless outreach workers with information on the latest shelter bed availability has been expanded across San Diego County, it was announced Monday.
The Shelter Ready app, funded and supported by the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, provides up-to-date information on where shelter beds are available and allows outreach workers to reserve spots for their clients.
The app also tailors its search results to the clients by listing shelters that provide specific services the client is seeking, or filtering out shelters that don't match the client's needs, such as a pet-owning client who only seeks shelters that allow animals.
The app began with a pilot program in North County, but has recently launched countywide.
"This regional launch of Shelter Ready is a major step forward in creating a transparent, accountable, compassionate, and efficient solution to match an individual suffering from homelessness with a suitable emergency shelter," San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said.
"With Shelter Ready, we are equipping our partners with a powerful tool to reduce time consuming barriers
and provide life changing assistance to people in crisis. This technology is one key piece of the puzzle to bring hope, dignity, and real time solutions to a complex public health and public safety crisis that is intrinsic to homelessness."
Stephan said he believes the app could serve as a model for California and the rest of the country, calling it a call to action for any organization genuinely committed to addressing homelessness in the region.
The District Attorney's Office said Shelter Ready's development involved gathering input from dozens of county agencies that provide homeless services.
Tamera Kohler, CEO of the Regional Task Force on Homelessness, said, "The most common question people ask when experiencing homelessness is, `Where can I go for help?' And there's nothing more frontline workers want than to help. So, it's incredibly timely to have an app to help connect people to services they need, including finding a shelter bed."
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