• Late in 2016, local philanthropists Peter Seidler and Dan Shea, among others, met with Dr. James Harris III, president of the University of San Diego, to discuss developing a “Best in Class” model based upon successful homeless solutions in other U.S. cities, specifically: Houston, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City. The team concluded that no practical endeavor concerning the homeless will work without an integrated approach to the issue. Chief among the integrated approach included 1) Full utilization of the Coordinated Entry System (CES); 2) a needs assessment component; 3) triage resources; and 4) full utilization of the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
• In June of 2017, in partnership with the University of San Diego, Seidler and Shea’s team held a press conference to announce plans for a new idea: a temporary homeless shelter idea where Sprung Structure would house up to 250 San Diegans in each shelter by the end of 2017. Read Full Story (link here)
• 2020 Covid-19 Update: Dubbed “Operation Shelter to Home,” the temporary repurposing of Golden Hall and the San Diego Convention Center in the City of San Diego as shelters will support a broader regional approach to address homelessness during this state of emergency. The bridge facilities have been temporary cleared out due to density of congregate spaces (bunk beds were not compliant with recommended CDC social distancing guidelines) (more info).
• As of January 2021, plans are in place to move residents back into bridge facilities following CDC design guidelines. There are no plans to build additional interim shelters (such as the Sprung Structures).

• Plans for the site started in 2017, site was formerly used for winter shelter site.
• Alpha Project approached the community proactively providing how the surrounding neighborhood would benefit from the presence of a new shelter nearby – including cleaner streets with free street clean up, more local resources for businesses, and workforce training opportunities.
• School nearby (Monarch School) already has families experiencing homelessness and was familiar with need for shelter
• Alpha Project developed a neighborhood plan, stood up a community advisory group (BID, community groups) – meeting monthly with various city stakeholders and groups, and housing commission (SDHC) has a hotline for any neighborhood issues that should arise.

• In 2015, philanthropic partners – Peter Seidler, majority owner and managing partner of the San Diego Padres and CEO of Seidler Equity Partners, asked businessman Dan Shea, owner of Donovan’s restaurants, to join him to help solve the humanitarian plight of the homeless in San Diego.
• The team committed to provide funding for some of the Sprung Structures to begin the process immediately, if city and county government did their respective parts in contributing to daily shelter services, assessments, and mental health wrap-around services.
• Lucky Duck purchased two Sprung Structures for the City, leased to the City at no charge.
• City of San Diego helped secure more than $6.5 million in permanent housing funding from the San Diego Housing Commission to make the project possible.
• Continued operating costs come from the City, approved annually by the San Diego City Council to use more than $11 million to keep three temporary bridge shelters (voted in June 2019 for operations through June 2020). The funding is split between the Alpha Project, $5.3 million, Veterans Village of San Diego, $3.5 million, and Father Joe’s Villages, $2.4 million.
• Funding for the bridge shelter program will come from the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) reserves and a federal Moving to Work grant.

Additional Funding Notes

• As part of the State’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20 Budget, the State set aside $650 million in one-time funding for the construction and expansion of emergency shelters and navigation centers, rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, job programs, and for innovative projects like hotel/motel conversions.
• Prior state funds for emergency shelters were provided by the 2018-enacted HEAP funding allocations (link).

• The design includes one main tent and centralized bathroom facility
• Site prep included hook up to electrical, sewage, and water lines
• City GSD and facilities and housing commission procurement division (project managers) involved in development process

• Alpha is a nonprofit that has done work with the City of San Diego in the past and runs workforce development programs, meal service programs (Wheels for Change), runs street outreach teams, and has proactive community engagement approach.
• San Diego contracted Alpha as a sole source provider for the site due the emergency situation in 2017.
• As intended, the Bridge Shelters are reaching out to and serving the most vulnerable San Diegans who are experiencing homelessness. Of the population served since the opening of the Shelters, 55 percent across all three Bridge Shelters entered the Shelters with no income, and an additional 8 percent had
  income at entry of $500 or less. Of the total persons served since the opening of the Shelters, 2,521 as of July 31, 2018, 56 percent had a disability, 48 percent were chronically homeless, and 35 percent were 55 years of age or older.
• Local preference policy at shelters – People from the tent city campground in Golden Hill are the first to move in here.
• Talent retention and acquisition is an issue due to challenging work conditions and shortage of applicably-skilled workers. As such, case managers are paid competitive salaries.
• In November 2017, SD Housing Commission Board of Commissioners, SD City Council, and SD Housing Authority authorized the execution of agreements for the operation of the City’s Temporary Bridge Shelters for a period of seven months from December 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018. This approval supported the oversight and management of the Shelters, operated at three sites within the City, with the goals of addressing homelessness in the City and combating the regional Hepatitis A outbreak. In May 2018, the Housing Commission Board, City Council, and Housing Authority authorized the execution of the first option to renew agreements for the operation of the City’s Temporary Bridge Shelters for a period of three months, from July 1, 2018, through September 30, 2018.