H Barracks is a property owned by the city of San Diego in the Midway-Pacific Highway Community Plan area that can be used to quickly shelter well over 1,000 unsheltered individuals.
This much-needed shelter is scheduled to be operational in late 2024 and could provide a mix of shelter options, including but not limited to multiple sprung structures, which are durable, easily constructed all-weather fabric buildings that have provided emergency and long-term relief to those in need of shelter for decades.
The site is southwest of the San Diego International Airport runway and east of the boat channel of the former Naval Training Center [now Liberty Station]. It has been used by the San Diego Fire-Rescue and Police departments for training exercises. The city’s planned long-term use for this site is a water treatment facility, but that is several years away, making H Barracks a good temporary use.
In December, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released its Point in Time Count, showing homelessness in America had increased by 12 percent to about 650,000. The San Diego Regional Task Force on Homeless PIT Count for 2023 counted 10,264, a 22 percent increase from 2022. Clearly homelessness remains a crisis requiring an urgent and practical response, including the addition of shelter beds and a more appropriate level of public safety.
According to the city of San Diego, there were more than 64,000 entries in the city’s Get It Done app in 2023 related to issues of unhoused individuals throughout the city, including the Midway, Point Loma and Ocean Beach communities. Complaints are lodged by businesses and residents who are persistently and negatively impacted. H Barracks is a win-win solution for these communities and for the unhoused who would have a place to go instead of the streets.
Although the city and our region have made strides in moving San Diego’s most vulnerable community into shelters, we are still in a deep crisis that requires comprehensive strategy and funding, both of which H Barracks has. While the estimated start-up budget is $15 million to $20 million, this is significantly less than the cost of adding or acquiring permanent housing. For example, a $20 million investment could provide approximately 1,200 to 1,500 shelter beds, whereas a similar investment would yield only 40 to 50 permanent housing units.
Given the magnitude of unsheltered homelessness, the ability to scale quickly and cost-effectively is by far the wiser and more prudent use of resources.
According to the city, as with every homeless resource site in San Diego, services and security will be provided. Patrols of surrounding areas are planned. Fencing for privacy and additional lighting and transit to and from the site to other services are part of the city’s strategy. Critical ive onsite services, such as meals, restrooms and showers, mental health resources, substance abuse counseling, case management, housing navigation, health care assistance, veterinary care, IDs and assistance with Social Security or disability benefit payments are also part of the plan.
Additionally, this is being planned as a 24/7 shelter where people do not need to relocate during the day.
Projects like H Barracks are crucial in expanding the city’s shelter capacity, which then critically expands the city’s ability to enforce laws such as the Unsafe Camping Ordinance. And while removing the violent and criminal behavior that surrounds the unsheltered homeless population is a must, the overall mission of the shelter program for our unhoused population, including families, veterans, older people and youth, is to create a pathway to permanent housing.
Every community in our region needs to play a role during this time of crisis. And while a quick and common response is to say “We need to do something, but not in my neighborhood,” we are in a time of crisis, which requires that all participate and collaborate for the greater good.
Moreover, shelters like what is being planned at the H Barracks site have been proven to clean up neighborhoods and increase public health and safety for a variety of reasons, while most importantly helping unsheltered San Diegans find a brighter pathway off the streets.
Many neighbors of shelters purchased and constructed by the Lucky Duck Foundation who were once resistant have since become grateful after seeing how bridge shelters can significantly improve a neighborhood.
San Diegans can and should be an example of collectively addressing the issue of homelessness. Putting political party affiliation aside while ing quick, cost-effective, humane and proven strategies is critical in addressing our region’s homelessness crisis. Let’s collaboratively and urgently address the issue of homelessness and housing together and be a national leader in doing so. Now is the time for action.
Mary Lydon is executive director of HomeAid San Diego and lives in Ocean Beach. Drew Moser is executive director at the Lucky Duck Foundation and lives in Clairemont.
