Written by Justin Culetu
On April 1st of this year a temporary shelter was opened at the San Diego Convention Center in order to protect the homeless population during the pandemic. Next week, about half of the 900 people currently sheltered at the Convention Center are set to move into permanent homes, with the other half expected to move out the week after.
Back in October, the City Council approved the purchase of two hotels and the city is now finalizing that purchase, allowing for the Convention Center shelter residents to move to those hotels. Overall, the Convention Center program has helped in the search for permanent housing for over 1,000 homeless people according, to San Diego Housing Commission President and CEO Rick Gentry. Those who are not moving to the hotels are expected to return to other shelters that had been closed due to the pandemic.
Although the shelter will be closed down, the Convention Center does not expect to return to its normal operations of holding large events until May of 2021. The homeless shelter program at the Convention Center was started due to concerns of overcrowding at city-run shelters, which would have increased the spread of COVID-19 among the homeless population. According to San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, only 27 residents and staff members at the shelter tested positive for COVID-19 out of 9,300 tests since April.
During a time where leadership is much needed, those involved with the Shelter to Home program, such as Mayor Faulconer, the San Diego Housing Commission, the Regional Task Force on the Homeless, and other state, county and local officials clearly demonstrated that important characteristic with the success of the program. According to Mayor Faulconer, three times more people have found permanent housing during the eight months of the program compared to past years, with 840 individuals and 45 families obtaining permanent housing.
Photo via SanDiego.org
