San Diego officials moved 180 homeless veterans Sunday morning from a crowded shelter in the Midway District to the relatively spacious waterfront convention center so they can practice social distancing and try to avoid COVID-19 infection.

It was the second wave of homeless people to be moved from city shelters into the convention center. A group of 350 homeless people moved last Wednesday from two downtown shelters, one on Newton Avenue and one on Imperial Avenue.

The relocations were prompted by concerns that beds in the city’s shelters are too close together. At the shelter on Newton Avenue, 325 beds are spaced about three feet apart.

On Tuesday, city officials plan to move homeless people from the Father Joe’s downtown shelter on Imperial Avenue into the convention center.


In addition to creating more space between people, the relocations aim to centralize limited shelter staff and boost medical attention to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 among San Diego’s homeless population.

“Moving them into the Convention Center ensures we can provide a safe environment allowing for appropriate social distancing while providing access to medical, mental health and case management services,” Andre Simpson, chief executive of Veterans Village San Diego, said Sunday morning.

Officials said that once physical distancing requirements have been met for current shelter residents, remaining capacity at the convention center will be assessed to potentially allow the intake of unsheltered San Diegans.

A January 2019 homeless count, the most recent data available, found that 3,626 people were living in shelters and that 4,476 people were living outdoors throughout the county.


Money for the effort could come from $100 million in state emergency homeless resources announced last week. Of that money, the city of San Diego will receive $3.7 million, the county will receive $1.6 million and the county’s nonprofit Regional Task Force on the Homeless will receive $1.79 million.

The effort, which city officials have dubbed “Operation Shelter to Home,” also includes case managers and housing navigators trying to find more permanent housing for homeless people at the convention center.

Teams will work to quickly transition people into permanent housing solutions — with the goal of ultimately reducing the number of individuals experiencing homelessness in San Diego, said Mayor Kevin Faulconer.

“Our veterans have served and protected us, and we’re going to make sure to protect them from COVID-19,” Faulconer said on Sunday morning. “In the convention center, our homeless veterans will benefit from more space, medical monitoring and housing navigators who will help them find a home.”


In addition to more space, the convention center has precautions not in place at the city’s shelters, officials said.

Homeless people and staffers are being screened daily by temperature check and verbal questionnaires conducted by public health nurses. They are also instructed to wash and sanitize their hands upon each re-entry into the facility.

People exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 are evaluated by a nurse or another medical official to determine whether they must be transferred into an on-site isolation, off-site isolation or a medical treatment facility.

Homeless people have been transferred by bus to the convention center, where crews have been setting up cots and health care stations since March 23.


Each person has been allowed to take two bins of personal items that fit under their cot. Larger overflow bins have remain at the shelter sites, and people will be shuttled back if they need to retrieve something.

For the updates on city services and programs, plus links to helpful information and steps the public can take to help reduce the spread of the disease, please visit sandiego.gov/coronavirus