The homeless crisis is an issue not only in the city of San Diego, but other communities within the county. Last week, the city of Carlsbad was awarded a $2 million grant to help expand its only homeless shelter.
Carlsbad had the fourth-highest unsheltered homeless population in North County at the time of the last Point-In-Time (PIT) count, San Diego County’s annual homeless census. In 2022's PIT count, Carlsbad had 75 unsheltered individuals and North County had 787.
Dallin Craig Mifflin, 37, said he wouldn’t have stayed at Carlsbad's shelter, La Posada de Guadalupe, if his dog wasn't allowed to join him.
“If I couldn’t have her with me, I wouldn’t be here. It’s not an option, being separated," he said.
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La Posada in Carlsbad is one of the few county shelters that allow people and pets to stay together.
Craig Mifflin has been living at La Posada for 3 months. The aspiring truck driver said the best part is the staff. “There is no question that they care so much.”
The nonprofit Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego operates La Posada in partnership with the city.
La Posada started in 1992 as housing for farmworkers and expanded to house homeless men.
Catholic Charities CEO “Vino” Pajanor said, “Most of the focus is on downtown San Diego or in the city of San Diego, which is a need, don’t get me wrong. But there is also a growing number of homeless, unhoused in North County.”
With this $2 million grant, Pajanor said they’ll be able to serve women and families for the very first time. They’ll expand its services and add up to 50 beds, which now has 100.
Like Craig-Mifflin, Michael Weidekemper, who’s lived at La Posada for nearly four months, struggles with his mental health. Reflecting on life before coming to La Posada, Weidekemper said, “That’s just cause I got into a deep depression, very deep, and I started drinking and drinking and it wasn’t going good.”
Weidekemper lived on the beach in Oceanside for eight months, which he said was extremely hard. He went to a rehab facility in Escondido and has been sober since February 2021. He now works at a nearby hotel.
“I just like it here. There are nice beds and it’s close to work. I can ride my bike to work," he said.
Despite having a job, Weidekemper can’t move into a place on his own just yet – he can’t afford it. But there’s hope.
“I just hope it keeps going this good, 'cause now I have a purpose in life and it makes a big difference. Everybody needs a second chance and if you can get into a place where you have a nice roof over your head and you feel safe, that’s going to make you more productive," he said.
The grant for La Posada is $2 million, but the cost to expand will cost another $3 million, which Catholic Charities will have to raise. They hope to finish the expansion of the shelter in about 2.5 years.
Besides Carlsbad, San Diego County also gave grants to expand or continue shelter programs in San Diego, Chula Vista and Escondido. A total of $10 million was awarded to those cities.
If you or someone you know needs shelter, you can call La Posada in Carlsbad at (760) 929-2322 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. for bed availability. Bed availability changes daily. If eligible, clients are referred to orientation and intake between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
