This week the City of Carlsbad was awarded a $2 million grant from the County of San Diego to help expand Carlsbad’s only homeless shelter to be able to serve women and families for the very first time.
The nonprofit Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego operates the La Posada de Guadalupe emergency shelter in partnership with the City of Carlsbad. The shelter currently provides emergency and transitional shelter services to homeless men, including farmworkers.
The city has worked with the nonprofit for many years, helping to identify a location for the shelter and contributing money to help develop and operate it.
Funding will be used to expand the shelter by renovating and adding a second floor. The shelter currently has 50 beds for single men. The planned expansion will increase the shelters by 30-50 beds to serve women and families.
Construction is expected to start in 2023.
The City Council approved a separate grant in May 2022 to allow the shelter to hire two more staff with clinical expertise. This will allow the shelter to expand some of its services even before the new space is complete.
The shelter provides services including medical screenings, drug and alcohol counseling, language instruction, money management classes and other tools to help shelter residents find jobs and permanent housing.
The shelter is located near the city’s police and fire headquarters, east of El Camino Real, north of Faraday Avenue.
A total of $5.3 million dollars in grant funding was awarded by the county to four cities, with the City of Carlsbad being the top recipient and receiving the full $2 million requested in its application.
Goals and work plan progress
The City Council’s goal to reduce homelessness was updated in October 2022 as part of the 5-Year Strategic Plan. The new goal is to enhance the quality of life for everyone in Carlsbad by adopting and implementing an updated Homeless Response Plan that addresses the complex needs of individuals experiencing, or at risk of experiencing homelessness, in a compassionate and effective manner and reduces the impacts of homelessness on the community.
After the Homeless Response Plan is updated in early 2023, the City Council will consider a new Homeless Work Plan with objectives supporting the city’s goal to reduce homelessness. Staff recently reported progress on several programs and initiatives implemented under the 2021-22 Homeless Goal Work Plan, which includes working with Catholic Charities to pursue opportunities to expand the number of beds and enhance services at La Posada. Other initiatives implemented under the existing work plan include:
Adding more homeless outreach officers and social workers
Working with others in the region to ensure Carlsbad is filling gaps not duplicating services
Creating the emergency motel voucher program
Exploring how to utilize new state funding through Project Homekey to create interim or permanent housing
More information
County of San Diego new release
Carlsbad’s homeless response efforts
Homeless Quarterly Report (July 1 – Sept. 30, 2022)
Resources for those in need of help
Chris Shilling, Senior Program Manager, chris.shilling@carlsbadca.gov, 442-339-2284
