SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- The San Diego Housing Commission on Friday unanimously approved three leases for homeless shelter spaces as two major shelters plan to close by the end of the year.
The Golden Hall Shelter in downtown San Diego and the Father Joe’s Villages Paul Mirable Center are both closing at the end of 2024, removing more than 600 shelter beds for homeless San Diegans.
The leases approved Friday cover hundreds of beds in the San Diego Rescue Mission’s South County Lighthouse in National City, the San Diego Veterans Village, and the TURN Behavioral Services' alcohol abuse center.
City officials said the approved leases will mean an additional 263 beds in the continuing effort to help alleviate the homelessness issue.
The leases will last six months, concluding next June. The City of San Diego has the option to renew these leases up to four times, with each extension lasting a year.
The first six months alone will cost the city more than $1 million. The city will pay for it with money that would have gone to the shelters that are closing.
Mayor Todd Gloria told ABC 10News the interim shelter beds will more than compensate for the beds going away in December.
“As Golden Hall and the Paul Mirabile Center in East Village come offline, none of those individuals will return to our sidewalks or our riverbeds,” said Gloria. “But more importantly, more capacity is being created."
