We’ve opened a new shelter in Downtown that’s already providing 50 women experiencing homelessness with a safe place to sleep—and we’re not stopping there. With tenant improvements under way, the site will expand in the coming months to serve up to 210 women and children with a mix of congregate, semi-congregate, and non-congregate shelter options. 

The Rachel’s Promise Center for Women and Children replaces a smaller, 40-bed shelter nearby and is part of our broader strategy to expand services where the need is growing. Women now make up more than 40% of those served through City-funded homelessness programs. This new facility helps us meet that shift with dignity-centered shelter space, wraparound care, and on-site services focused on housing, stability, and healing. 

This project is the result of a powerful public-private partnership between the City, the San Diego Housing Commission, Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego, and the private property owners. Local property owners Dene Oliver and Jim McMillan generously contributed to the project by offering the building for shelter use, working closely with Catholic Charities on site design, donating furniture and equipment, and supporting tenant improvements to expand capacity. 

Together, we’re making real progress by turning a closing shelter into a new, bigger and better opportunity—and delivering the kind of shelter with services that helps people end their homelessness for good.  

We’re doing the hard work to permanently embed equity into every decision the City makes—from how we hire to how we invest in infrastructure, parks, libraries, and neighborhood improvements. 

That means changing outdated systems that for too long left historically underserved communities behind. Through initiatives like Parks for All of Us, Build Better SD, and the Opportunity Fund, we’re directing resources to the neighborhoods that need them most—many of which haven’t gotten their fair share in the past. We’ve trained all 12,000 City employees to apply an equity lens to their work, so equity isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a core function of how San Diego runs. 

That same commitment is reflected in my draft budget, which prioritizes investments in communities that have been left behind for too long. 

The truth is, equity isn’t the job of one person or department anymore. It’s the responsibility of every City leader, every employee, and every policy we put forward. And under my leadership, that commitment is not going away. 

Now it’s your turn: What question should I answer next week? Vote on the one that matters most to you.  

1. Why doesn't the City provide mental health services? 

2. Why are you proposing cuts to libraries and recreation centers in the City’s draft budget? 

3. What’s being done to reduce illegal dumping in neighborhoods? 

Vote now:

This week, I’m sharing three books I’ve read recently that have stuck with me: 

📘 “Abundance” by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson 
A powerful look at why government has struggled to build housing and infrastructure—and how we can turn things around. As someone working every day to build more housing, I found this both sobering and motivating. 

📘 “The House of Hidden Meanings” by RuPaul 
RuPaul’s story begins right here in San Diego. It’s raw, funny, and deeply personal. I appreciated the way he reflects on identity, ambition, and transformation with honesty and grace. 

📘 “Dear America” by Jose Antonio Vargas 
This memoir hit me hard. Vargas shares what it’s like to grow up undocumented in America. His story is a reminder of the human side of immigration policy and the feeling of not having a place to truly call home. 

Each of these books offers a different lens on what it means to belong, build, and move forward.