Joining a chorus of voices backing my proposed Hope @ Vine Campus, San Diego Rescue Mission President and CEO Donnie Dee recently expressed his full support for the project.  

“This Hope @ Vine facility could be an incredible resource to change the state of homelessness in San Diego,” Donnie said. “To have a 1,000-bed facility that we can access as a downtown provider, along with all the other providers that would be first class and this type of quality – way to go Mayor Gloria. Super proud of you for taking a risk and doing something different.”  

Hope @ Vine plans to deliver homelessness services in a compassionate, modern and dignified way.  

This month the San Diego City Council will review my proposal to turn a vacant building along Kettner Boulevard in Middletown into a state-of-the-art shelter campus. Donnie understands the need for more emergency housing throughout the region. His nonprofit operates three emergency homeless shelters in the county. 

“We’ve got to get people off the streets immediately,” Donnie said. “We’ve got to stop trying to do so much while they’re sleeping in a tent or sleeping in a sleeping bag on a sidewalk. Let’s get you inside – let's eliminate your current crisis of housing, showering, food and connection – let’s get you inside where we can actually care for you."  

In June, the San Diego Rescue Mission opened a 162-bed referral-only, emergency homeless shelter campus in National City. Located in a converted church on Euclid Avenue, the South County Lighthouse is the first of its kind in the South Bay and delivers world-class care in a congregate setting. Single men and women, along with families can access services there. Local artwork and a mural donated by the San Diego Padres Foundation is incorporated in large gathering areas, with operations funded through philanthropic and community partners.  

“What we’re hearing is, ‘Wow, oh my, holy cow, I’ve never been in a place like this before, have you seen the showers? Have you seen the meals? Have you seen the bed I’ve never slept so well,’ that's what we’re hearing,” Donnie said of the shelter’s early reception. “When somebody can experience that – imagine how much more likely they are to sit down with somebody and actually talk about, ‘How did you end up homeless?’ and “How can we change that in your life?”  

The Hope @ Vine campus could help thousands of San Diegans emerge from homelessness over the next decade. The goal is to provide immediate relief, while building toward long-term sustainability and housing.  

Looking to successful models of large-scale homeless service centers in cities like San Antonio and Los Angeles, the Hope @ Vine Campus aims to address homelessness with comprehensive services, secure shelters, and amenities that make people from all walks of life feel welcome and at home. The site features three physically separate spaces, allowing for the creation of multiple smaller shelters and different providers who share the campus, similar to the successful Shelter to Home operation we set up at the Convention Center during the pandemic. This setup means the people staying in the shelter will be safer and more comfortable, and the shared campus will help foster cooperation and allow providers to share best practices, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of services offered. 

“There is a way you can do this that is dignified, there’s a way you can do this that reflects integrity, there’s a way you can do this that reflects excellence,” Donnie said. “I believe with all my heart that’s what the Mayor intends, and I can’t wait for that facility to open so we can all use it as a resource to help people experiencing homelessness.”