San Diego’s 1,000-Bed Shelter Proposal Stirs Concern Over Costs

The lease calls for the city to pay $1.95 per square foot compared with market rate of $1.44 to $1.54, the budget analyst said.

A homeless encampment in San Diego on Oct. 4, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

San Diego’s mayor announced July 17 a lease deal to convert a commercial building near the city’s airport into a 1,000-bed homeless shelter and resource center, but the city’s budget analyst raised concerns over the cost.

“For years, past mayors and city councils have only engaged in ad-hoc, piecemeal, temporary approaches to addressing homelessness,” Mayor Todd Gloria said in a statement. “With this proposal, we are looking to deliver the change that San Diegans want to see with regard to addressing homelessness on our streets.”