In yet another action to help people move off the streets, the County Board of Supervisors authorized the creation of new shelter sites that will serve up to 211 people every night. Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer joined her colleagues in approving the design, development, and construction of sleeping cabins and a safe parking site for recreational vehicles to serve homeless individuals in unincorporated parts of the region.

“For years, the County had not invested in creating new shelter space, but we’re changing that by aggressively working to address the homelessness crisis. Since I took office, we have worked to create and support more than 900 new shelter beds and safe parking spaces countywide, and we continue to advance efforts with these two new sites,” said Supervisor Lawson-Remer, vice chair of the Board of Supervisors.

Along with other recently created shelter sites, these locations collectively establish 150 emergency housing units, 44 safe parking spaces, and 17 recreational vehicle (RV) parking spaces, further expanding the region’s emergency housing resources. These sites will primarily serve people in the East and South unincorporated communities due to their geographic locations and provide a more centralized location for services.

The Board also voted to accept $10 million in state funding to offset construction costs of the sleeping cabins. Other construction costs will be paid for with American Rescue Plan Act funds the County received from the federal government. 

The Jamacha sleeping cabins will be located on land that the County will lease from the California Department of Transportation. This site is in the unincorporated community of Spring Valley at the intersection of Jamacha Road and the southbound State Route 125 off-ramp at 8534 Jamacha Road. The cabins are part of the Governor’s effort to have the State fund sleeping cabins across the state on properties identified by counties. 

The Willow RV Senior and Family Parking site is a County-owned site located in the unincorporated Lakeside community at the intersection of Willow Road and Ashwood Street. A concept design has been prepared showing 17 safe RV parking sites, an office space, storage, and restrooms. The County aims to begin construction in the first half of 2025. This site is anticipated to serve 85 individuals annually, assuming an average stay of 90 days based on the data collected from another County homeless shelter – the Magnolia Safe Parking site – from August 2022 through November 2023.

The action is part of the Compassionate Emergency Solutions and Pathways to Housing plan approved by the Board of Supervisors in February 2022. As part of this plan, one safe parking site was opened in August 2022, and another is currently under construction and set to open in the spring of 2024. 

The 2023 Point-in-Time Count of persons experiencing homelessness identified 10,264 individuals living on the streets or in San Diego County shelters on one night. Of this number, 5,171 individuals were reportedly unsheltered. The 2023 Point-In-Time Count identified an estimated 200 people experiencing homelessness in the unincorporated areas of the county.

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