San Diego (KGTV)- A new bridge shelter for the homeless is opening in the Midway District but not in time for the wet weather to make its way through the county.
The city of San Diego also says the wet weather we’re seeing doesn’t necessarily meet the criteria to open inclement weather shelters. Local leaders tell ABC 10News they agree more 24-hour shelters are needed around the county.
“We use to just have winter shelters, says City of San Diego Council member Jennifer Campbell. “We didn’t have year-round shelters, so it’s very good that we have shelters all the time. That's what we need, we more and more shelters all the time.”
It’s unusual for San Diego to see heat, rain, and wind conditions at the same time but the city’s inclement weather program will not be activated for this weekend. Generally, the program runs from March to November.
The City of San Diego says the criteria include:
- Temperatures of 45 degrees or lower
- Temperatures of 50 degrees or lower with a 40 percent chance of rain
- Exceptional weather conditions such as one or more inches of rain with sustained winds
Local leaders say they are excited to open a brand new bridge shelter soon to get 150 more people off of the streets.
“This is designed to be here and be here for a while,” says Nathan Fletcher, Chair Supervisor with the County of San Diego.
“We don’t operate our shelters like most,” says Bob McElroy, President of the Alpha Project.” We really put a lot of attention into establishing relationships with people.”
The Alpha Project will be operating the new bridge shelter. We’re told that 17 different agencies will be working to provide resources to those in need. Resources include meals, showers, social workers, mental health, and drug treatment services. The shelter is set to open on Monday.
