Continuing to take swift action to shelter and house San Diegans amid the COVID-19 pandemic, on April 7 Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer and the City Council secured $3.7 million in state emergency funding to help prevent the spread of the virus among the homeless population. The move followed work between the mayor’s office and state legislators — including Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, Assemblymember Todd Gloria and Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez — to make state funds available to San Diego.
This grows the total additional resources directed to “Operation Shelter to Home” at the San Diego Convention Center to $7.1 million when combined with state-backed emergency funds from the County of San Diego and the Regional Task Force on the Homeless (RTFH), which have partnered with the City on the extraordinary effort to temporarily repurpose the convention center as a regional homeless shelter.
By April 9, more than 800 people experiencing homelessness will have moved into the convention center, marking a stunning transformation for the iconic building that stood empty just a week ago. Today clients from Father Joe’s Villages Paul Mirabile Center and Golden Hall began transitioning to the once-busy tourist destination, freeing up space for homeless individuals with medical needs to move the Mirabile shelter on Imperial Avenue.
Faulconer addressed the City Council before the vote to emphasize the convention center is part of a new, system-wide, coordinated regional approach to help sheltered and unsheltered individuals remain healthy during the COVID-19 crisis.
The City has also reached an agreement with the County, RTFH and the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) detailing roles, responsibilities and financial terms for Operation Shelter to Home. The City will act as the fiscal agent for its $3.7 million grant and will also manage approximately $1.6 million from the County and approximately $1.7 million from the RTFH.
Eligible uses for the state funding include but are not limited to:
• Increasing Shelter Capacity – support for growing shelter space and the acquisition of new shelters; • Hotels for COVID-19 Isolation – support for the acquisition or lease of hotels, motels, trailers and other alternative isolation placements; • Emergency Shelter Operations – furnishings, supplies, and equipment needed to maintain a sanitary environment for clients and staff; • Street Outreach – supplies and equipment needed to meet the urgent physical needs of unsheltered people and to protect staff from COVID-19; • Providing Transportation – support for the transportation of those experiencing homelessness to and from shelters and medical care; • Adding Staffing – support for additional staff for infectious disease preparedness and case management for clients.
