OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) — Oceanside’s first homeless shelter is nearing completion.
City and county leaders recently held a ribbon cutting for the long-awaited "Oceanside Navigation Center."
Thursday, construction crews put the finishing touches on the one-of-a-kind facility.
The city had hoped to finish the shelter last year, but renovating an old school into a 50-bed shelter took longer than expected.
The rooms had to be gutted, and windows and a new HVAC system had to be installed.
"What makes this navigation center really special... it's not built like a warehouse. It's got more of a home feel," said Salvador Roman with the City of Oceanside.
The center will initially house 20 people transitioning from the city's motel voucher program, which is set to end next week.
The facility will not only provide beds, but it also features a dayroom with computers, showers, a cafeteria, as well as spaces for other services like mental and physical health providers to meet with the person.
Shawn Zanco, who works with the Oceanside Housing Authority, said the center will make keeping in touch with clients easier.
"I have somewhere to meet them and to get a hold of them and we work with their case manager. We work together to get the individuals housed," Zanco said.
According to a Regional Task Force on Homelessness report, Oceanside has the second-highest unsheltered population in North County -- an improvement from the number-one spot last year.
Roman said they hope to continue the downward trend with the opening of the navigation center.
The shelter is expected to start taking people in next month.
