A shelter program serving transition-age youth has a new site in Downtown San Diego that doubles the bed capacity for vulnerable people experiencing homelessness between the ages of 18 and 24. The City of San Diego-funded Safe Shelter for Transition-Age Youth (Safe STAY) program has successfully served 21 transition-age youth across two interim sites, which were also located in the Downtown area, with the intention of serving 43 transition-age youth upon completion of the new site. 

“By expanding the Safe STAY program, we are giving struggling young San Diegans the support they need to build a better future,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. “This new shelter space is part of our broader effort to expand access to shelter and services across the city, including through the growth of our Safe Sleeping and Safe Parking programs and the upcoming 210-bed Rachel’s Promise Center for Women and Children. With this new shelter, we are continuing to get more people off the street and connected to care.”  

The San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) contracts with The Center to operate the Safe STAY program in partnership with San Diego Youth Services and the YMCA of San Diego County. Referrals to the program are facilitated through the Coordinated Shelter Intake Program, which SDHC administers.  

The Safe STAY program’s services include housing-focused case management, transportation assistance, employment support, and basic needs assistance such as food, hygiene, laundry and clothing. The program also connects transition-age youth to services, such as behavioral and mental health, educational, employment and entrepreneurship goals, and personalized care coordination.  

“Without a support system or financial stability, too many of San Diego’s young people are ending up on the streets. This permanent youth shelter will provide a safe space where they will be protected, respected, and offered the help they need, including services for LGBTQ+ youth,” said U.S. Representative Scott Peters. “I secured $1.5 million for this shelter and will keep working to ensure our local service providers have the support and resources they need to care for our most vulnerable neighbors.”  

Shelter residents are anticipated to move into the new shelter space within two weeks. The site has been configured to provide semi-congregate accommodations, which means shelter residents each have their own space within cubicles or shared rooms to provide more privacy compared to traditional congregate shelter settings. The configuration and support services are based on listening sessions, design planning and service-model feedback received from transition-age youth experiencing homelessness.  

“It’s inspiring to see this space—designed by youth, for youth—come to life,” said Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who represents District 3, where this shelter will operate. “I wish we didn’t need shelters for young people, but I’m proud this one will double our capacity to help them build the futures they deserve.”  

“Every young person in San Diego deserves a safe place to sleep and the support to build a better future. The expansion of the Safe STAY program is about more than just beds—it’s about dignity, stability, and hope for our transition-age youth who have too often been left without a place to turn,” said Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera, who represents District 9. "This project is a powerful example of what we can accomplish when shelter is designed based on the input of youth with lived experience—and when we create a space that feels truly welcoming and safe."  

The construction to convert the space into a shelter included creating restrooms with showers, a community area with a kitchenette, a dining area, laundry space and ventilation for laundry exhaust, and lobby and staff office spaces. Construction was completed in about seven months.  

“At a time in their lives when they should be excited about adulthood and their future, too many young people in our community have no choice but to focus on today—with the uncertainty and hardship of finding a place to sleep each night,” SDHC President and CEO Lisa Jones said. “I cannot express enough how life-changing it can be for these vulnerable young people in our community to have a safe place to sleep—youth who deserve to have the support and safety that our amazing partners on this project are uniquely experienced to provide.”  

In addition, the program includes street outreach services to build rapport with transition-age youth experiencing homelessness and address basic needs, such as making referrals to shelters; identifying and facilitating diversion opportunities; providing referrals to medical care, transportation, mental health care and substance abuse treatment; and providing housing-focused, street-based case management services, with a focus on fostering positive exits from homelessness.  

“Safe STAY is more than a shelter; it’s a critical lifeline,” said The Center CEO Cara Dessert. “As part of our housing continuum at The Center, it not only provides an affirming safe space for youth but also connects them to our wraparound services, from mental health support to peer groups and job readiness programs. Vulnerable youth come to us in survival mode and they leave with the care and the resources to dream, to grow, and to thrive.”  

The annual operating budget for the Safe STAY program is approximately $1.9 million.  

According to Regional Task Force on Homelessness data from the annual census of the population experiencing homelessness, the number of transition-age youth experiencing homelessness in the San Diego region rose 21% from 2023 (739) to 2024 (897), Approximately 25% of adults experiencing chronic homelessness indicated they first experienced homelessness before the age of 24.