Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced another round of Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) funding, with San Diego set to receive over $25.8 million to continue proven programs that bring people off the streets and into shelter and housing. 

The City of San Diego has been an excellent steward of the state’s homelessness dollars, putting them to work immediately to address California’s No. 1 crisis. HHAP funds have supported:

• Sheltering more than 4,200 people

• Helping 1,100 people in Safe Parking programs find a pathway to housing

• Connecting 700 people with stable housing through Family Reunification

• Providing outreach to 5,200 unsheltered people

• Helping nearly 2,700 individuals move into positive housing situations 

This funding reaffirms California’s commitment to reducing homelessness. Thanks to Governor Newsom and the State Legislature, cities will continue expanding shelter capacity, street outreach, and getting people on the path to permanent housing.  

A new online accountability tool from the state provides greater transparency into how Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) funding is spent. Tracking outcomes is important, and our City has made real, measurable progress in reducing homelessness by deploying these funds efficiently and effectively. 

It’s clear that other local governments in our region are failing to step up with the urgency this crisis requires. 

The cities in San Diego County that have zero shelter beds (Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing, or Safe Haven) despite having people experiencing homelessness according to the 2024 Point-in-Time count are:

1. Imperial Beach – 20 unsheltered individuals

2. Lemon Grove – 111 unsheltered individuals

3. Santee – 73 unsheltered individuals

4. Spring Valley (Casa de Oro) – 129 unsheltered individuals

5. San Marcos – 35 unsheltered individuals

6. Fallbrook – 7 unsheltered individuals

7. Ramona – 13 unsheltered individuals

8. Lakeside – 52 unsheltered individuals 

National City had previously been on this list but recently opened a shelter for up to 75 people. The city had 174 unsheltered individuals during the 2024 PITC. 

The number of cities with no shelter highlights the need for all cities to step up with solutions to address homelessness.  

Meanwhile, the County of San Diego is failing in its obligation to provide mental health care to the region’s residents, leaving too many people with untreated illnesses on our streets. 

The City will continue pushing for accountability and using these HHAP funds to sustain our homelessness programs. But the reality is: this must be a regional effort. Every city in San Diego County must do its fair share if we’re serious about reducing homelessness. 

Cities like San Diego have made progress in clearing unsafe homeless encampments, but a growing challenge remains—encampments on state property along freeways, where cities lack the authority and resources to take action. That’s why I’m cosponsoring SB 569, legislation by State Sen. Catherine Blakespear, to help Caltrans and local governments work together more effectively to address this issue. 

This bill will:

• Streamline the process for clearing encampments on state land.

• Improve coordination between Caltrans and local governments.

• Develop funding solutions to support these efforts. 

Encampment fires are a major public safety concern—San Diego alone experienced more than 60 fires near freeway encampments in the past year. The City receives around 300 complaints a month about encampments on state land, but without jurisdiction, we must rely on Caltrans to act. 

By creating a clear, coordinated approach, this bill will help reduce fire hazards, improve public safety, and connect people experiencing homelessness with the services they need. I appreciate Sen. Blakespear’s leadership in advancing this much-needed legislation. 

We are on track to open our fifth Safe Parking lot this spring. Crews recently completed paving the site, which is just north of the San Diego International Airport.  

This expansion will add approximately 200 parking spaces—accommodating both regular-sized vehicles and oversized RVs—nearly doubling the capacity of our program. 

The 2024 Point-in-Time Count showed a 44% increase in the number of people living in their cars, underscoring the urgent need for safe, legal overnight parking with supportive services. Safe Parking lots provide security, case management, and housing navigation. These resources work—on average, 67% of people who stay in a Safe Parking lot move on to more stable housing. 

I recognize the serious challenges facing neighborhoods surrounding hotspots like Robb Field, where vehicle habitation has impacted residents and businesses. My team is working with the San Diego Police Department’s Western and Neighborhood Policing Divisions, and we are working within the legal constraints set by the courts to address this ongoing issue. Expanding Safe Parking is part of that solution, providing a structured, safer alternative for those in need. 

A new 210-bed shelter for single women and women-led families experiencing homelessness is moving forward in Downtown San Diego. The City is funding this new shelter, and the San Diego Housing Commission will oversee its operations. 

This facility, known as Rachel’s Promise Center for Women and Children, will provide much-needed shelter and support services, helping more people transition into stable housing. The need is clear—women and girls now make up 42% of those served in our homelessness programs, up from 29% in 2020. 

Adding more shelter beds is just one part of our strategy to address homelessness. Alongside prevention, outreach, and affordable housing development, investments like this bring us closer to our goal of ensuring every San Diegan has a safe place to call home. 

Through our innovative Bridge to Home program, administered by the City’s Economic Development Department, we’ve invested $90 million in former redevelopment funds to help get affordable housing projects across the finish line. Projects funded through this initiative so far will create nearly 2,000 new affordable apartments citywide, from Rancho Bernardo to San Ysidro. 

The latest project to move forward is The Grant at Mission Trails, new housing that will receive $2.5 million in Community Development Block Grant funds to help acquire property in Grantville. The Grant creates 47 affordable homes, 14 of these are set aside for people experiencing homelessness or those at-risk of falling into homelessness.  

By investing City funds directly into housing projects, this program provides crucial gap financing needed to turn plans into homes. 

To date, Bridge to Home has supported 23 projects, delivering much-needed housing for working families, seniors, and individuals at risk of homelessness. This is how we’re making real progress—by ensuring that affordable housing gets built in communities across our city.

The City of San Diego has contracts with various service providers to offer shelter options to people experiencing homelessness. At our shelters, people are connected to support services and ultimately put on a path toward permanent housing.    

• The shelters listed below are City-funded (Note: There are additional shelters outside of this system that are operating within the City of San Diego.)   

• Alcohol Use Disorder Shelter (TURN Behavioral Health Services)  

• Alpha Project Bridge Shelter I    

• Alpha Project Bridge Shelter II    

• Barrio Logan Family Shelter   

• Community Harm Reduction Shelter    

• Community Harm Reduction Safe Haven   

• Father Joe’s Villages Bishop Maher Center    

• LGBT Center - LGBTQ+ Affirming TAY Shelter (Clairemont)   

• LGBT Center - LGBTQ+ Affirming TAY Shelter (Midway)   

• PATH Connections Housing    

• Rachel’s Promise Women’s Shelter    

• Rosecrans Shelter    

• Safe Sleeping at 20th & B    

• Safe Sleeping at O Lot    

• Salvation Army Interim Family Shelter   

• San Diego Youth Services   

• Seniors Landing    

• South County Lighthouse (San Diego Rescue Mission)  

• Urban Street Angels Youth Shelter   

• Veterans Village of San Diego (Point Loma Campus) 

Outreach events are critical to connecting individuals experiencing homelessness (and their pets) to services and care. The City just finished hosting another Coordinated Access to Resource and Engagement (C.A.R.E.) resource fair in the Midway area. In partnership with local government and nonprofit partners, onsite services included healthcare, a dental clinic and behavioral health services with opportunities for same-day outpatient intakes. 

City-contracted homelessness outreach teams were on-hand, along with our family reunification program and case management specialists. County partners also had benefit specialists connecting those eligible to resources. Our partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs continues with their mobile field teams onsite as well. 

We understand pets are family – and are so grateful for nonprofit organizations like Project Street Vet and the Animal Pad who were there this week delivering veterinarian care, food and toys. This successful event comes after another C.A.R.E. event last week near City Heights with more planned for the future. 

New San Diego program tackles homeless encampment fire prevention (Fox 5 San Diego) 

New bill aims to expedite removal of homeless encampments along California highways (CBS 8 San Diego) 

The needs of San Diego's homeless community in 2025 (KPBS)