SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Friday is the day that the Rosecrans Homeless Bridge Shelter in the Midway District, which helps those with behavioral health issues, closed its doors.
It was up and running, helping the unhoused since 2022.
“I am homeless at this point. It’s only been a couple of days,” Kimberly Garwood said. “I did run into a friend, and thank God he let me sleep there last night.”
Garwood’s story is like many who are struggling and living on the streets of San Diego.
“I lost my job. I was in home caregiver, and the person I took care of passed on. I couldn't pay my rent,” Garwood said.
She became homeless after roughly two years ago; then fell into addiction, but has been sober for seven months.
Part of Kimberly’s journey in and out of homelessness led her to the Rosecrans Shelter.
“It's very beneficial. If you just stay strong, stay strong and ask questions, ask questions, as many questions as you need to ask what programs, you know, things that can lead you to some kind of survival,” Garwood said.
Another group that provided her assistance in Ramona, which visited the Rosecrans Shelter, and she got connected with them as well. Unfortunately, she became homeless again after she was unable to secure employment.
But as ABC 10News reported, the shelter is closing Friday after being open since 2022.
It comes after a disagreement between the City of San Diego and the County over the future of the next-door building and impacts to the site and utilities for it.
The San Diego Housing Commission and the City have previously told me everyone at Rosecrans has been offered another shelter bed option, which were held for those staying at Rosecrans.
“You know a lot of people see it as a blessing because they don't have to go to a street and it might be at that time uh but really it's just shuffling them around,” Garwood said.
In a joint statement, the Housing Commission and the City said on Friday, “After all clients were provided alternative sheltering options, the Rosecrans Shelter in the Midway area will end its shelter operations today. Over the past several weeks, the City, San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC), and Alpha Project, which operates the shelter, have worked extensively to engage with shelter residents to assist them in transitioning to alternative housing options in anticipation of the shelter closure.
Intakes were suspended at all City-funded, single-adult and youth shelters from May 22 through June 23 to set aside shelter beds at other programs to accommodate Rosecrans Shelter residents.
Only six residents remained at the shelter today. Five have transferred today to alternative shelter options, and one voluntarily exited the shelter program.
As they have for weeks, staff members continued to engage with these residents to assist them in transferring to another shelter option before shelter operations end today. Staff members also offered to assist with transporting their belongings to a safe storage site if they wished to do so.
With the conclusion of shelter operations, the necessary work to decommission the shelter site will conclude no later than August 31. This includes a full asset inventory and transition of remaining ancillary services and supplies.”
Kimberly herself is once again shuffling around looking for a place to stay, and losing a resource like this is a blow to the unhoused community.
“It is a gut punch. It's very devastating. Um, my heart's got to stay strong,” Garwood said.
