A new 150-bed homeless shelter opened Monday in the Midway District.
The Rosecrans Shelter had been a work in progress for months and now it’s ready to not only house those experiencing homelessness in San Diego, but also provide access to meals, restrooms, showers, air conditioning, laundry machines, security and storage spaces for their belongings.
Located in the County Health and Human Services complex, the new shelter will have 24/7 access to behavioral and psychiatric services, including mental health professionals and addiction resources.
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The Alpha Project, which will be operating the shelter, explained they want it to feel like a community with mentorship and help to find jobs and permanent housing for residents.
The Rosecrans Shelter was brought together by a partnership between the city, the county, the Lucky Duck Foundation and the Alpha Project, in an effort to address San Diego’s growing homeless problem. This also entails working to fix the homeless encampments in the Midway District area that have been frustrating local business owners.
The Rosecrans Shelter will start by using a community outreach program to take in 15 people a day in order to not overwhelm people coming in as well as the staff, according to Alpha Project CEO Bob McElroy.
Residents will be allowed to stay as long as needed, and the shelter will remain on Rosecrans Street indefinitely, according to McElroy.
