For years, the process of requesting shelter in San Diego has largely been first-come, first-served. This approach has come under scrutiny as demand for beds continues to outpace availability, prompting local leaders to consider prioritizing shelter access based on vulnerability.
“Do we need to look at how we prioritize differently?” asked Lisa Jones, president and CEO of the San Diego Housing Commission, during a board meeting in December. “Maybe we have to look at our most vulnerable that are on our streets and think about it from that perspective.”
Shelters funded by the city have been operating at or near capacity for some time, with recent months seeing especially high pressure. In November alone, there were 2,442 requests for shelter beds but only 199 placements—a success rate of roughly 8%, according to Casey Snell, senior vice president at the housing commission. The main barrier was simply a lack of available space.
From July through November, more than 12,000 requests were made; just over 1,200 resulted in placements. Housing Commissioner Ryan Clumpner raised concerns about repeated denials: “What happens with credibility and effectiveness when people repeatedly get a negative answer? Do they keep requesting, or do people, the more times they hear ‘no,’ begin becoming more resistant?”
Many individuals request shelter multiple times. Officials reported that November’s requests came from 868 households—an average of three attempts per person.
Some support exists for moving toward a system that ranks requests by vulnerability. Bob McElroy, CEO of the nonprofit Alpha Project, said this would reflect earlier practices: “I’ve been irritated all these years when they turned away from it.” He argued that disabled residents, older adults, and those who have spent the longest time outdoors should be prioritized.
Father Joe’s Villages already uses stricter criteria for some privately funded programs. Deacon Jim Vargas, president and CEO of Father Joe’s Villages said: “We look at, for instance, is a person pregnant? If they have very small children, or if they’ve given birth recently, they’re considered more vulnerable.”
Gustavo Prado has experienced homelessness for two years and supports prioritization: “It makes sense to me,” he said while standing downtown. Prado had not been able to secure a shelter spot and was preparing for rain with limited resources.
While certain programs focus on specific groups—such as women and children or young adults—the current Continuum of Care Community Standards do not specify prioritization criteria.
City spokesperson Matt Hoffman commented via email: “Staff are always open to evaluating new tools to better serve those in need.” City leaders are expected to discuss creating a priority list at an upcoming public meeting before any formal proposal is introduced.
The rise in demand may be linked in part to expanded encampment sweeps following an agreement between San Diego and Caltrans in July granting city crews access to clear state-owned land near freeways. Some individuals displaced by these sweeps did obtain temporary or permanent housing but remain a minority among those affected.
Housing commission officials have not directly attributed increased requests to the Caltrans agreement but acknowledged several contributing factors. The city’s improved ability to field requests is one such factor; since July’s opening of The Hub—a homelessness resource center inside the downtown library—coordination with helpline 211 has streamlined referrals.
Additionally, technology improvements such as an app developed by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office now allow outreach workers to check bed availability quickly rather than spending hours contacting shelters individually.
