New sleep cabins in Pacific Beach will soon house six people working their way out of homelessness. This group is already part of a program where they work to clean public streets, which includes sidewalk sweeping, trash pickup, landscaping, graffiti removal and custodial work.
A case manager checks in weekly to support them in securing full-time employment and permanent housing. Dan Hickey previously graduated from the program. He now works at Costco and has his own apartment.
“There was little steps and goals all along the way,” Hickey said. “And it was guided by my caseworker, Megan. And, let me tell you, she was an amazing asset to have”
Shoreline Community Services employs the group and will soon house them. Executive Director Caryn Blanton said people in the program must be committed to exiting homelessness. She said more people apply than they have the capacity to accept.
“We look at those applications very individually to see how interested are you in getting off the street,” Blanton said. “And, on a scale of 1 to 10, if you're an 8, 9 or a 10, you're probably going to succeed in this program.”
She said applicants go through a few rounds of interviews and drug testing before they’re brought on. But Blanton said providing temporary housing has been the one thing missing from the program. Once the City of San Diego approves Shoreline’s occupancy permit, people can start moving in.
Each cabin includes a small porch area, bed, mini fridge and outlets. They also have a small lamp, some toiletries and a bin of snacks that Blanton says are from local donations.
Since July 2024, Shoreline has had six people in the program at any given time. Once a participant graduates from the program into a stable job and permanent housing, another person can join the group.
Blanton said the paycheck they receive also teaches participants how to manage their spending. And soon a small portion of their wages will go toward paying rent to live in the sleep cabins.
“We want them to start feeling what that feels like,” she said. “That's real life, paying rent, paying utilities. So managing and budgeting your paycheck, it's all part of it.”
The County of San Diego funded the building of the six cabins through a federal grant secured in 2022. Organizations could apply if they had a space to keep and maintain them. Once the cabins are built, each organization is responsible for operating them.
Only three organizations applied and were accepted.
“I wish I could say it was more competitive because we had hoped more organizations would apply,” said Dijana Beck, the director of the county’s Office of Homeless Solutions. “We talked to many across the county; many cited that they were interested, but worried about being able to sustain the program.”
Beck said when her office was first established in 2021, they conducted a community outreach effort that found people experiencing homelessness prefer noncongregate options like sleeping cabins.
“We feel like every little bit counts,” Beck said. “I know this seems like it's only six cabins, but they will ultimately end up serving a lot of people through this program.”
The two other organizations that were accepted will be opening sleep cabin sites in eastern San Diego County early next year.
