SAN DIEGO — An overnight shelter for women reopened Monday in downtown San Diego.
The old Central Library, which first opened last January but closed in July due to permitting restrictions, is a 34-bed shelter that housed 152 people in a six-month period, the City of San Diego said in a press release Wednesday. The temporary permit is limited to 180 days within a 12-month timeframe to operate the library as a shelter, according to the city
Mayor Todd Gloria says the city is using every resource possible to get people off the street and into care.
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“We will continue to use the Old Central Library to shelter people experiencing homelessness until we are ready to redevelop this site into additional shelter space and affordable housing,” Gloria said.
Last year, 25 out of the 152 people living at the shelter moved on to permanent or long-term housing, the city said. There is potential for transforming the old Central Library into a long-term shelter with affordable housing, per the release.