With the arrival of the winter season, the City of San Diego has activated its Inclement Weather Shelter Program. The program aims to provide safe and warm places for people experiencing homelessness to shelter in place during rainy or bad weather conditions.
The program typically runs from November through March and is activated when: 1. The temperature is 50 degrees or below and there is a 40 percent chance of rain. 2. The temperature is 45 degrees or below regardless of a chance of rain.
Activation may also occur in exceptional weather conditions, such as one or more inches of rain within 24 hours and sustained high winds.
People experiencing homelessness can access a bed by showing up directly to one of the participating locations. Beds are available on a per-night basis and are first-come-first-served.
According to the city’s website, there are up to 192 beds available in the program. Those locations include:
- Father Joe’s Villages Shelter (123 beds for adult individuals; 11 beds for families with minor children and/or single women)
- Living Water Church of the Nazarene (28 adults)
- People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) Interim Shelter (20 adults)
- San Diego Rescue Mission (10 single women)
Check-in and check-out times vary by location. Generally, most beds are opened in the late afternoon and must be vacated early the following morning.
Individuals staying at the city’s two Safe Sleeping sites are not eligible for indoor shelter beds, according to the city, since the sites are equipped with insulated ice fishing tents that are designed to withstand extreme temperatures.
Though the advice is largely unheeded, the city recommends that people wishing to donate blankets or warm clothes to people experiencing homelessness during the winter give directly to service providers. SDSun
