SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A new homeless bridge shelter opens its doors Monday in the Midway District offering several resources to those in need.
The shelter has a total of 150 beds available for men and women. The Alpha Project operates the shelter, and the organizations is hoping to take in at least 15 people a day.
“We want the folks to feel that we just don’t open the flood gates here,” says President Bob McElroy. “Everyone will get to incrementally know each other here and develop some friendships. The mentoring is the big deal.”
McElroy says the residents are brought in through the outreach teams.
“We have teams out there right now. We have designated pick up, points we hope the folks show up.”
The County and City of San Diego came together to make the opening possible.
“In terms of need, you see it every day on the streets,” says Chair of the County Board of Supervisors Nathan Fletcher. “You continue to see people on the streets, it’s not fair to those individuals to leave them in those conditions. It’s also not fair to our communities, to our small businesses.”
The bridge shelter sits behind the county’s health complex located on the 3800 block of Rosecrans Street. It includes a large front desk, indoor and outdoor common areas, 150 beds, and storage for residents.
ABC 10News learned that 17 different agencies will be working to provide resources to those in need. This includes meals, showers, social workers, mental health and drug treatment services, and more.
“This one is really cool because there’s an emphasis on dealing with folks, like me, who have mental health challenges,” says McElroy. “Those resources are here, additions resources are here. So we’ll be able to address the vast majority of issues that we have on the streets.”
