By José Martinez | SDUN Reporter

For San Diego’s homeless population, many of the conveniences and services that come with an address are unavailable. That is why Project Homeless Connect, which took place on Jan. 11, provided a “passport” of services for the over 900 homeless men and women who showed up.

The 6th annual event, which took place in Downtown’s Golden Hall, provided a litany of services in one location for its clients – as organizers of Project Homeless Connect refer to them – in order to counter the inconvenience of services being scattered across the county. Booths offering dental and medical exams, haircuts, public benefits assistance, childcare, substance abuse services and massages stood adjacent to areas where clients could collect clothing, toiletries and food at no cost.

Rick Gentry, president and CEO of the San Diego Housing Commission said Project Homeless Connect is partly an effort to “shortcut some of the bureaucracy” of obtaining services for homeless people. The San Diego Housing Commission lead the event for the second time.

“This is an effort to try and connect people on the street with services and goods they might not have available to them otherwise,” Gentry said. “If you don’t have an address, it’s hard to make the system work for you, and this event provides services all in one day and all in one place, rather than scattered around town.”

Clients lined up outside Golden Hall, where a volunteer guide met them at the door. Clients then told their guides what services or items they were looking for, and followed their guides to the appropriate booths.

Kyle Brewer, a client who lives in Golden Hill, picked up clothes and received a haircut. “An event like this helps out a lot of people,” he said. “I think it’s good; everybody’s finding what they need.”

Roger Hanby, a volunteer for the event from North Park, was struck by the generosity of donors. “People are getting what they need,” he said. “There are plenty of clothes and so forth. It’s a miracle how many donations have been sent here.”

Lamar Evans, who lives near San Diego State University, has been to two Project Homeless Connect events, and said he was grateful for it. This year, he received clothing and a pair of glasses. “I think this event is a blessing,” he said. “Things like this are important, here and all over the world. These are hard times and things like this [are] a blessing.”

San Diego Housing Commission statistics state last year’s Project Homeless Connect provided services to approximately 660 homeless individuals. More than half of last year’s attendance suffered from medical issues, and more than a third had mobility limitations. Nearly 60 percent had no form of income whatsoever. This year, over 900 people were served by the event.

District Three Councilmember Todd Gloria said, “Project Homeless Connect provides needed services to our neighbors who need them most. The success of this year’s event makes me even more excited about the opening of San Diego’s first permanent homeless services center, where similar comprehensive care will be offered year-round.”

The Hillcrest-based Alpha Project volunteered at Project Homeless Connect, offering human services information at their booth. Program Manager Travis Larson said, “Our approach has always been pretty grassroots and our family on the streets knows this so our presence was expected and we were anxious to help in any way possible.”