SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Some advocates for the unhoused had a pretty simple feeling, know the plan for a 100-bed homeless shelter at Kettner and Vine in Middletown is no more.
John Brady of Lived Experience Advisers and Rachel Hayes both told ABC 10News, “Thank God.”
This week, the City of San Diego’s Homelessness Strategies and Solutions Department is presenting proposals for three potential other sites for homeless shelters.
The City Operations Building on 1st Avenue and B Street, the Old Central Library on 8th Avenue and E Street and a mixed use property on 2nd Avenue are on the table.
“We don’t want to deny people options to get off the streets but, that was a really bad idea,” Brady said.
Brady was against the size of the Kettner and Vine project.
He said there are some reservations about three other locations
“But when you look at the amount of money that we’re spending, my guess is we’re going to be way over 100 people or even several hundred people. And that’s where we have concerns,” Brady said.
The City staff report states it’ll cost around $45 million and around $87 million to retrofit the City Ops Building and the Old Library into homeless shelters, respectively.
A spokesperson from Mayor Todd Gloria’s office tells me they haven't decided on how many beds each could have or how each would be set up.
They add that none of the three sites being presented have space for 1,000 beds.
“A thousand people under one roof is inconceivable,” Hayes said.
Hayes was on the streets for over 10 years before getting into housing about a year and a half ago.
“Alpha Project is the one that got me housed,” Hayes said.
ABC 10News asked Hayes what she would like to see at the proposed sites given she was once in a shelter herself.
“The smaller it is, the more compact; the easier it is for staff and clients to work together,” Hayes said. “You can have a better relationship with staff. Like I said, I was in the small Alpha Project there was at that time - 126 people - and I had a great working relationship with staff.”
On Monday, the City Council voted to direct staff to find out more about making “a long-term shelter at a private property on Second Avenue.”
The vote also included increasing the number of shelter beds at the Veterans Village of San Diego location in Midway.
Council also voted for staff to start the steps to initiate the redevelopment of the Old Central Library.
“I thank the City Council for their vote today to move forward our critically important effort to expand shelter and help people come off the streets and get connected to assistance and housing,” Mayor Todd Gloria said. “Our sustained action over the past several years is turning the tide on this crisis, and additional shelter will help ensure our progress on reducing homelessness and ending unsafe encampments continues.”
