San Diego is about to double the number of available shelter beds for young adults at a time when growing homelessness and contracting budgets are straining local resources.
The Safe STAY Wellness Center will have 43 spots for transition-age youth, meaning anyone between the ages of 18 and 24, with a focus on residents from the LGBTQ+ community.
Officials plan to launch the program April 25 in a renovated office building downtown.
“Here, safety is more than a place to sleep,” said Cara Dessert, CEO of The Center, one of three organizations that will run the facility. “It means being surrounded by people who see you, who respect you and who affirm who you are.”
Homelessness in San Diego County has grown almost every month since at least late 2021 and there is nowhere near enough shelter for everybody asking. Last year’s point-in-time count found nearly 900 homeless transition-age young people, an increase of more than 100 from 2023.
The city of San Diego previously had just 21 beds for that population at two temporary locations.
The new facility, a first-floor space near the San Diego City College trolley stop, is owned by the San Diego Housing Commission. The agency used to hold staff meetings at the site but the rooms have recently sat empty.
Mayor Todd Gloria praised the commission for making the floor available. “There should be no unused space in the middle of a homelessness crisis,” he said Friday during a press conference at the shelter.
Private offices now feature pairs of twin-sized beds. Open areas have been carved up with thick, cubicle-like walls to form small bedrooms. New backpacks hang from bed posts while baskets of toiletries rest on comforters. A communal bookshelf is stocked with the game Mancala, a manual on APA style and the comic “Super Late Bloomer” about the author’s life as a trans woman.
Officials said they designed the space with input from young adults who’ve experienced homelessness. Posters, for example, can easily be taped to the fiberglass walls. Plus, offering young people a level of privacy, as opposed to squeezing bunk beds into one large room, means there won’t be areas designated for men or women: Anybody can sleep anywhere.
Some sections remained a work in progress Friday. Washers and dryers still need to be installed. On conference room whiteboard, someone had listed their suggestions for the place, including hanging more mirrors.
The facility will be staffed by The Center, San Diego Youth Services and YMCA Youth and Family Services. Around 6 to 12 staffers are to be on site at any given time, including overnight, and employees can connect residents with housing and other aid.
Some workers have already prepared hand-written notes for the dozens of people who will soon be sleeping there. “Welcome to Safe STAY,” one greeting card by the front entrance read. “We’re so glad you’re here!”
About half the beds are expected to be taken by those currently staying at the two temporary sites, and officials believe the other spots should fill quickly.
The shelter will annually cost around $1.9 million from the city budget. The renovation required $1.5 million in federal funds, and local leaders credited U.S. Rep. Scott Peters, a Democrat from La Jolla, with securing that .
Peters on Friday warned that cutting the federal workforce — a priority of President Donald Trump — could hamper future efforts to help vulnerable residents. “Slashing these critical roles is irresponsible, doesn’t eliminate waste and will only hurt the very people that the agency is supposed to serve,” he said.
The Center can be ed by emailing [email protected] or calling 619-694-6182.
