We all know the uncomfortable feeling of walking past someone on the street, clearly in need of shelter and care. No one feels good about it — and no one should. 

That's why I've been clear that addressing homelessness in San Diego requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. As a city, we must come together to tackle this crisis, which is why we are inviting private property owners and managers to be part of the solution. 

The City of San Diego has made significant strides in expanding shelter capacity. We’ve doubled our shelter capacity, adding over 930 beds in the past year alone. But we still have around 3,000 people living unsheltered on our streets, according to the most recent annual Point-in-Time Count. To make matters more urgent, several temporary shelters are slated to close in the near future, including Golden Hall and the Rachel’s Promise Shelter for women. 

Last week, we issued a formal call for property owners and managers to offer potential locations for shelter  — whether it’s hotels, small commercial buildings or larger facilities that could be transformed into shelter space. This effort is a key part of our updated Comprehensive Shelter Strategy, aimed at creating more short-, medium-, and long-term shelter options to meet the growing need. 

If you own a property or site, please reach out and help us bring more people off the streets and onto the path to permanent housing. 

For more information, or to submit a property for consideration, email ShelterRFI@sandiego.gov before October 7. 

As we continue to address homelessness and housing challenges in San Diego, we know that mental health care and supportive services are vital pieces of the puzzle. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest updates to the state’s mental health website offer a new set of tools that will help us all stay informed on the progress being made with Proposition 1, the implementation of Senate Bill 43 and other crucial behavioral health initiatives.  

The updated website now provides live data on how many new mental health and addiction treatment slots, residential beds, and supportive housing units are being created across the state, with a focus on caring for our most vulnerable residents. 

This transparency will allow the state to hold counties accountable and ensure that these life-saving resources are built and operational as quickly as possible. It also includes maps that show where new programs like CARE Court have been implemented, giving us all a clearer picture of how mental health care is evolving in California. 

San Diego is committed to playing its part in addressing the state’s mental health crisis, and these tools will help keep us on track as we work toward a future where everyone has access to the care and housing they need. 

No one should have to live through what Shawn experienced during his years living on the streets of San Diego. For over a decade, Shawn endured the harsh realities of life on the streets— violence, thefts, uncertainty about where he would sleep each night, and constant worry. His time in Downtown, East Village, and Hillcrest left him with little hope for his future. 

But in 2023, Shawn decided to try out our Safe Sleeping program, taking up temporary residence in one of the tents managed by our nonprofit partner Dreams for Change. 

While the transition was challenging at first, the program’s support allowed Shawn to slowly rebuild trust, develop routines, and regain the confidence he had lost after so many years of instability. With time, he felt empowered to pursue a path toward permanent housing — something he hadn’t been able to consider in years. 

Managed by Dreams for Change and the Downtown San Diego Partnership, our Safe Sleeping sites offer hundreds of tented spaces for people like Shawn who have lived in unsafe conditions on our streets for far too long. 

For Shawn, the site was more than just a place to sleep—it was a lifeline. He was able to find stability, connect with housing navigators, and ultimately move into his own apartment. Shawn transitioned into housing a few months ago, and he is now enjoying his new home and the fresh start it represents. He is reconnecting with family, looking for a job, and feeling optimistic about his future. 

Shawn’s story is just one of many from San Diegans who have moved from the streets to a stable environment through our Safe Sleeping Program. These sites provide not only a secure place to stay but also the services people need to move toward permanent housing. 

Shawn’s journey reminds us that we must continue offering shelter options and services to those in need. By providing safe spaces, we are helping individuals take that first crucial step off the streets and onto the path of recovery and stability. 

In Fiscal Year 2024, City-funded outreach teams connected over 400 people experiencing homelessness with permanent or long-term housing. One such story is that of Shaneece Williams, a 29-year-old mother who, after living on the streets for two years, finally found hope through the City's Safe Sleeping program. 

Shaneece, along with her 2-year-old daughter, Lanyah, were connected with PATH San Diego and secured housing in June. Shaneece credits her daughter with keeping her going through tough times and the outreach team for helping her rebuild her life. 

The City’s outreach teams served more than 6,800 people last year. 

Programs like these, along with the Family Reunification Program, which placed 500 people into housing last fiscal year, are essential in tackling the homelessness crisis. 

Housing’s Worst Crisis in Decades Reverberates Through 2024 Race (CityLab)

How the City’s Responding to the Loss of Hundreds of Shelter Beds (Voice of San Diego) 

Oceanside opens first permanent supportive housing site (The Coast News Group) 

Overwhelming Majorities Are Concerned about Homelessness, Support Many Policies to Address It (Public Policy Institute of California)