The old Central Library in Downtown San Diego will soon house up to 30 beds.
The property that has sat vacant for years was long sought to house some of San Diego's homeless population.
A superior court judge cleared the way on Thursday by dismissing a century-old deed which placed restrictions on how the property is used.
“We applaud the judge. We applaud the city for taking this step forward at the same time, the city and elected officials can't nibble at this issue. It really takes, you know, high impact meaningful programs and steps forward. Thirty beds or 25 beds, whatever the number is, that'll help, but I think the question is, can the city do more?” said Drew Moser, Executive Director at Lucky Duck Foundation.
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Some people who could potentially be directly impacted stressed the importance of housing.
“I think that’s an awesome idea because it’s very hard for a lot of us to get to the places they want us to go to and having it right here in the central hub where most of the homeless people are -- myself included -- it’s a lot more convenient,” Samantha Lovett said.
Mayor Todd Gloria’s Office said the facility will open within two weeks. The preparation is underway and is expected to cost approximately $74,000.
An evaluation will take place to determine the long-term use of the land/building for shelter or housing.
“The number of beds is determined by how many the fire marshal determined can safely occupy the building,” said Rachel Laing, City of San Diego Mayor’s Office Director of Communications.
