City Council vote on 1,000-bed homeless shelter to continue next week

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — There was no vote Monday for a proposed 1,000-bed homeless shelter at Kettner and Vine near the San Diego International Airport, but a motion has been proposed to continue this next week and potentially vote then.

The shelter, which would take over a former printing warehouse, would be leased and transformed to house up to 1,000 unhoused people, with services on-site.

The rent is estimated to cost $73 million during the 30-year lease if approved, plus $12.4 million in operating expenses, totaling an estimated $85.5 million.

This voting that began during Monday afternoon’s City Council meeting comes after a report from the city’s Independent Budget Analyst criticized the city’s plan.

However, Mayor Todd Gloria doesn’t agree with the independent report and says he believes this shelter is the best path forward to battle the ongoing and growing homeless crisis in the city he represents.

Prior to the City Council meeting on Monday, a group of people opposed to the plan gathered outside with signs, voicing their concerns, and also echoing the IBA’s report, saying they don’t think this shelter is a good deal for the city.

“We are very concerned about this. We have over 50 business members, and I have a list of them, who’ve signed letters that they are opposed to this shelter, they are in Little Italy, they are in Mission Hills. They don’t want this shelter because it’s going to impact our business,” said Kevin Arnold, President of the San Diego Neighborhood Coalition, who continued that he has an attorney on standby, ready to file a lawsuit against the city, if this were to pass.

“I’m an ex-homeless veteran,” William Keith said. “I oppose it because the shelters we have here in San Diego right now are broken.”

The independent review shared the upfront cost of the project is $13 million to turn the 64,000-square-foot property into a place to house 1,000 unhoused people.

“This is an opportunity that is too good to pass up…” Mayor Todd Gloria said in an interview in his office with FOX 5/KUSI last week.

The analysis reports the 30-year lease is above market rates, however the mayor has refuted that finding from the IBA.

The report said the project could cost the city up to $30 million a year to operate, going beyond the budget. The report also claims that without new funding, the city would need to cut existing programs or services to pay for this shelter.

“That’s also incorrect,” the mayor said during an interview with FOX 5/KUSI after the report was released last week, disputing the claim that the city would have to cut other programs or services.

In a news release from Mayor Todd Gloria’s office prior to the meeting Monday, several local leaders included statements in support of the proposal.

State Sen. Toni G. Atkins, District 39

“The Hope @ Vine campus is a crucial leap in our local efforts to address homelessness, and aligns with the State’s work of ending it across California. Homelessness remains a top issue for my constituents, San Diegans, and the California State Legislature. I applaud Mayor Gloria’s leadership in addressing this priority issue head-on, and I respectfully ask for the City Council’s support on this proposal.”

State Sen. Catherine Blakespear, District 38

“The Hope @ Vine campus represents a meaningful step forward with the City of San Diego’s commitment to tackling homelessness. Expanding options for safe spaces that provide vital support services is necessary. While permanent housing is everyone’s ultimate goal, moving people from encampments on the street into a shelter is an opportunity we must not pass up. I applaud the leadership of Mayor Gloria for his consistent commitment to reducing homelessness.”

Terra Lawson-Remer, vice chair, San Diego County Board of Supervisors, District 3

“We know that getting people off the streets and into shelters is just the first step; we also need to provide treatment and resources for people struggling with mental health or addiction issues. Some unhoused residents have co-occurring mental health and substance-abuse problems that are exacerbated by living on the street. I am committed to working with the County of San Diego Behavioral Health Department to develop a plan with the City to deliver behavioral health services at new City shelters.”

Joel Anderson, San Diego County Supervisor, District 2

“This project will lift those individuals who are currently living on the streets while returning the parks and sidewalks back to the community residents.”

Angel Alameri, case manager, Dreams for Change; formerly unhoused

“Ignoring this crisis puts the lives of hundreds of people at risk — last year alone, more than 600 died on San Diego’s streets, lost to the battles that this campus could help them fight. Hope @ Vine isn’t just a shelter, it’s a lifeline. I’ve witnesses firsthand the transformative power of shelter and support services. This is an opportunity to change lives.”

Donnie Dee, president and CEO, San Diego Rescue Mission

“The Hope @ Vine facility is a much-needed resource for our homeless crisis. We are encouraged by Mayor Gloria’s vision to do something so bold, so different and so strategic.”

Natalie Ortiz, Unhoused Care Team program director, Downtown San Diego Partnership

“The Downtown San Diego Partnership supports Hope @ Vine because it offers a solutions-oriented, human-centered, and compassionate approach to addressing homelessness in our community. We are optimistic that a centralized campus of shelter and resources can allow service providers to do what we are passionate about, which is to provide hope and equip individuals with the tools they need to rebuild their lives.”

Drew Moser, CEO, Lucky Duck Foundation

“We believe it is not safe or humane for anyone to sleep on the streets. While the proposed Hope @ Vine shelter is not perfect, nothing is perfect in addressing homelessness. The proposed costs and speed of activating Hope @ Vine are much more efficient and timely than the cost or speed of adding or acquiring housing, as well as the worst possible alternative: doing nothing. Committing to a meaningful number of new emergency shelter beds is critical for reducing the significant levels of homelessness and addiction that plague San Diego’s city streets.”

Akilah Templeton, president and CEO, Veterans Village of San Diego

“Projects of this scale bring challenges, but with unified effort, they can succeed. Addressing the homelessness crisis requires both housing and humanity. As a community, we must affirm that in America’s finest city, reducing homelessness benefits everyone.”

Mark Cafferty, president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation

“To best support our unsheltered population and steer them toward the resources and services they need, we have to start by getting people off the streets and out of the dangerous conditions they are now living in. Hope @ Vine presents an important chance to make those possibilities reality.”

Donna Deberry, president and CEO, County of San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce

“The County of San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce supports practical solutions that address the disproportionate adversities Black San Diegans face when combating homelessness. In a city where Black people are 8% of our city population, yet 22% of the unhoused population, the time for an effective resolution to this crisis is now. Mayor Todd Gloria has been diligent in providing various recommendations to solve the unsheltered emergency.”

Michael Trimble, executive director, Gaslamp Quarter Association

“Since the Unsafe Camping Ordinance was implemented last year, the need for shelter beds has significantly increased, underscoring the importance of providing comprehensive services to those experiencing homelessness. Facilities like Hope @ Vine, which offer on-site security, meals, housing navigation, case management and basic necessities, are essential in breaking the cycle faced by homeless individuals. The Gaslamp Quarter Association stands firmly behind the Mayor’s efforts to create this essential resource for our community.”

San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl

“As law enforcement, we play a critical role in addressing homelessness in our City. Years ago, SDPD was part of an important team on a project called “Operation Shelter to Home.” While only temporary, it proved effective having providers under one roof, with all of the services people needed to live. In one year, 1,300 people and 43 families found permanent or other longer-term housing. This model was proved successful and should be replicated with this new shelter.  I applaud the Mayor for taking this bold action and working to get this city the shelter beds it so desperately needs.”

Assistant San Diego Fire Chief David Gerboth

“Shelter and healthcare options for those in need provides tremendous value as it lessens the burden on the 9-1-1 system and crowded emergency rooms. San Diego Fire-Rescue personnel will continue to provide pre-hospital care to those who live, work and visit our city but more options would better serve our homeless population.”

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