San Diego Housing Commission – Press Release

SAN DIEGO – As the number of families experiencing homelessness and seeking a safe space to stay continues to rise, a proposal to launch a Safe Parking Program at the site of the former Central Elementary School in City Heights is moving forward.

The San Diego Unified School District Board of Trustees voted Tuesday night to approve a license agreement with the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) to operate the proposed program at the site. On November 7, the SDHC Board of Commissioners (Board) will consider the contract with Jewish Family Service of San Diego to operate the program.

“I know what it feels like to call a car home and not know whether the place I was parked was safe to sleep. No child should ever have to feel that way. Every child in San Diego deserves the safety and stability that come from having a secure place to rest at night. The Central Elementary Safe Parking site represents what we can achieve when we work together with compassion, creativity, and a shared commitment to dignity for every family. I’m grateful to San Diego Unified and the Housing Commission for their partnership in helping families in our community find stability and hope,” said City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera, who represents City Heights and has advocated the proposed Safe Parking Program at the former school, including the allocation of City funds for program operations.

“When we create space for families to stabilize, we give them the foundation to rebuild,” said San Diego Unified School District Board Vice President Richard Barrera. “Safe parking programs are a bridge between crisis and recovery, between fear and stability, and between surviving and thriving. We’re proud to partner with Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera, the San Diego Housing Commission and Jewish Family Service of San Diego.”

“No child should ever have to go to sleep afraid for their safety or wellbeing,” said Shana Hazan, Board of Education Trustee, San Diego Unified School District. “Safe Parking programs give families the security and support they need to move out of their cars and into stable housing. As a district, we can’t solve homelessness alone — but we can be part of the solution by partnering with local agencies and supporting programs that help families stay close to their schools and keep students on track to succeed in school. This new safe parking program will help families remain in the community where their children already have teachers, friends, and support systems – and find the housing they need to thrive.”

San Diego Unified School District made the former school site available to be used for Safe Parking. With funding from the City of San Diego and the San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH), SDHC proposes to administer the contract with Jewish Family Service to provide a safe place to park and sleep for a minimum of 40 families with children experiencing homelessness in the City of San Diego. If the contract is approved, the proposed program would also provide services for families staying at the site, including assistance in locating safe and affordable permanent or other longer-term housing.

“Our goal is for everyone to have a home they can afford, but many people experiencing homelessness in our community need safe space and services like a shelter or Safe Parking Program on their path from homelessness to housing,” SDHC Senior Vice President of Homelessness Housing Innovations Casey Snell said. “This Safe Parking Program will provide that crucial support for many unhoused families.”

The program will coordinate with SDUSD’s Homeless Liaison for services and support for the students and their families, as needed. The Safe Parking Program would also include access to a classroom trailer for families to complete homework, case management sessions and basic appliances to prepare meals. Referrals to the program will be received in coordination with SDUSD.

“Safe Parking Programs are a vital lifeline to help families who are living in their vehicles,” Jewish Family Service CEO Dana Toppel said. “With this new partnership, we will help more families exit the cycle of homelessness and move into more secure housing. We look forward to the opportunity to help San Diego Unified families, meeting them where they are with safety, security and support.”

Funding for the program to operate from November 17, 2025, through November 16, 2026, consists of $250,000 from the City’s General Fund, which the City Council allocated in its approval of the City’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget, and $343,000 from the Regional Task Force on Homelessness for a total of $593,000 including administrative costs.

The Coordinated Shelter Intake Program, which SDHC administers, received a total of 857 requests from July through September for families looking for shelter as they experienced homelessness. None of those families, which included children, could be placed in shelter because of a lack of available shelter space. The total may include the same family requesting shelter multiple times.

According to RTFH data, the number of families actively served by the regional homelessness response system in September 2025 (2,852) reflected a 17% increase from September 2024 (2,437).

Media Contacts:

Office of City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera, City of San Diego: [email protected]
San Diego Unified School District: [email protected]
San Diego Housing Commission: [email protected]
Jewish Family Service of San Diego: [email protected]