Finding stable housing increases as San Diego expands safe sleeping sites

SAN DIEGO (KGTV)— “Being here, it just makes us feel like home brings us back up. Keeps us positive about everything.”
Kayla Herrera has always dreamed of having a place her family could call home. However, she wasn’t sure this would happen as she struggled to pay for necessities with her paycheck.
Herrera, her husband, and their three young kids lived out of hotel rooms and their car.
“I didn’t have any money. All my checks went to the hotel rooms … food was hard to get; food here, there’s always something to eat,” Herrera said. “I didn’t have anywhere to cook or shower.”
That was until she ended up at the Rose Canyon Safe Parking lot, which is run by Jewish Family Services. Her family moved into one of the trailers. The lot is a 24-hour safe space for families experiencing homelessness.
Those staying there are connected with programs and services to get them into permanent housing.
What makes this safe parking lot unique is the success rate. On average, 67% of people who stay there transition into more stable housing.
ABC10News was there when the site opened in April 2023, before families moved into the trailers.
While each family’s stay varies depending on their circumstance, 135 households have received assistance from this location so far.
This comes, as the City of San Diego has announced plans to expand the Safe Sleeping Program, adding more tent space and reaching a capacity of 750 tents.
“Here, we can stay as long as we need to as long as we’re budgeting, saving our money, working,” Herrera said.
Herra says after six months, her family will move into their new apartment next month.
And she credits help from this program for helping them reach this milestone.
“They do pay for your first and last month’s rent,” Herra said. “Security deposit for you to move into your own place. So that’s where I’m at right now. Without this program, I wouldn’t have found my own place. I’d still be homeless and struggling.”