SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego City Council leaders Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to fund the convention center homeless shelter through at least March.
Mayor Todd Gloria introduced the plan last month after extending funding for the shelter through January.
Funds that were previous allocated to shelter operations and were unspent, as well as other funds the council had already approved for homelessness programs, will be used to extend the shelter's Operation Shelter to Home program, which aims to transition homeless individuals into permanent or long-term housing.
Gloria's office says more than 1,186 individuals and 43 families have been housed through the program, with more than 200 others currently in the process of finding permanent or long-term housing.
"Extending Operation Shelter to Home for a few more months allows us to protect this vulnerable population as we ramp up vaccinations around the region," Mayor Gloria said in a release. "In the meantime, we will continue to keep our program residents safe with daily health screenings and other COVID-prevention measures, while at the same time working to permanently end their cycle of homelessness."
The council also approved up to $2 million in funding from the federal "Moving to Work" program for existing shelter contracts with the city from February through June.
