Closing the gap on homelessness in San Diego
Homelessness is epidemic in San Diego. An estimated 10,000-15,000 people are
without a home on any given night in our county. Nearly one-third of foster
children become homeless in the 12-months after emancipation. The numbers are
staggering, but the faces of the homeless are much like those belonging to you
and me.
The homeless are women with young children or youth suddenly without foster
parents. They are men and women unexpectedly laid off from jobs or overwhelmed
by catastrophic medical bills. They are spouses abandoned in divorce or
suffering from domestic violence. They are people struggling to recover from
illness or injury. They are the temporarily homeless who need opportunities for
new beginnings.
Since our founding in 2002, HomeAid San Diego has joined a national network of
chapters to achieve one goal. We fight homelessness by bringing together
builders, community leaders, trade partners, donors, volunteers and non-profit
professional care providers. We galvanize people and organize resources to build
transitional housing and shelters for men, women and children who are
temporarily without a home.
Under the leadership of Builder Captains, HomeAid San Diego develops projects
with the support of trade partners and volunteers. Once they are completed,
non-profit professional care providers own and operate each project and utilize
the facilities to provide services that help residents regain strength and
purpose in a safe environment. Our goal – bring the fire of hope and pragmatic
opportunities to individuals and families as they seek to restore their lives.
In just a few years, HomeAid San Diego has built seven projects with outstanding
builders acting as Builder Captains and hundreds of local companies donating
critical materials and services. These projects provide more than 45,000 bed
nights each year in San Diego County. The total retail value of construction for
these seven projects exceeds $2,200,000 of this, 93% was donated by our Builder
Captains and their trade partners.
“The capacity to care defines the best of who and what we are in communities. In
that spirit, HomeAid San Diego has forged a partnership of builders, care
providers, community leaders and donors. We build shelters for the temporarily
homeless and in doing so, we help people begin new lives.”
- Mark Read, HomeAid San Diego Board Member & Senior Managing Director, CB
Richard Ellis