Lucky Duck Foundation Launches Countywide Shelter Inventory & Offers Funding to Ensure Shelter Capacity is Not Reduced

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Lucky Duck Foundation is offering funding to prevent capacity reductions

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City of San Diego is proposing reducing shelter capacity despite 9 in 10 requests for shelter going unfulfilled

The Lucky Duck Foundation (LDF) today announced the launch of a new countywide shelter inventory tool that will publicly track shelter capacity across every city in San Diego County. At the same time, LDF announced it is prepared to deploy philanthropic resources to help the City of San Diego avoid further shelter reductions amid ongoing budget challenges.

The initiative comes as the City is considering reducing capacity at the 16th & Newton bridge shelter, a 326-bed shelter owned and provided for City use for free by the Lucky Duck Foundation. This follows the elimination of nearly 500 shelter beds since 2023, including the premature closure last year of the 150-bed Rosecrans bridge shelter, which is also owned and was donated by LDF. These numbers come from a new data dashboard created by the Homelessness Hub at UC San Diego that shows regional emergency shelter capacity for all of San Diego County. Data for the dashboard comes from the Regional Task Force on Homelessness Housing Inventory Count and information published by area city governments that fund regional shelters.

“San Diego cannot meaningfully reduce unsheltered homelessness while simultaneously reducing the number of shelter beds,” said Drew Moser, CEO of the Lucky Duck Foundation. “At a time when 9 out of 10 requests for shelter go unfulfilled, shelter capacity should be expanded, not reduced. The City cannot continue reducing shelter inventory if it is serious about reducing homelessness. Because we know the City is facing significant budget challenges, we are offering to help ensure shelter capacity does not decrease again.”

While the inventory does not include safe parking spaces or individual tents the City operates near Balboa Park, this new shelter inventory is intended to establish a clear baseline: shelter beds across San Diego County should only increase from its current levels. The Lucky Duck Foundation will publicly track shelter inventory countywide and in every city moving forward to ensure transparency, accountability, and a continued focus on adding immediate pathways off the streets.

The announcement follows a proposal from the City of San Diego to reduce capacity at the 16th & Newton bridge shelter, a 326-bed facility owned by the Lucky Duck Foundation that has served more than 7,900 unique individuals since opening in 2017 and helped well over 1,000 people exit to permanent housing. Because flooding concerns have been cited as justification for reducing capacity and potentially shuttering or relocating the shelter in 2027, LDF is prepared to invest its private philanthropic resources to implement a flood prevention strategy expected to cost several hundred thousand dollars.

The Foundation noted that the public cost of unsheltered homelessness is widely estimated to exceed $42,000 per person annually when accounting for emergency response, healthcare, sanitation, and public safety impacts.

“If the City believes it can add shelter inventory elsewhere as they are proposing, that is terrific,” Moser said. “But adding beds in one location should not come at the expense of eliminating beds elsewhere. San Diego needs more shelter inventory, not less. If the public agrees, we encourage them to contact Mayor Gloria and City Council.”

Contact Mayor Gloria & City Council

The following are quotes from other homeless organizations, shelter operators and partners supporting the expansion of shelter bed capacity:

Regional Task Force on Homelessness

Tamera Kohler, CEO: “Emergency shelter beds are a critical part of our community’s commitment to safety, stability, and support, providing immediate protection while connecting people – especially seniors – to housing, healthcare, and other essential services. Every shelter bed matters in reducing unsheltered homelessness and creating a pathway to long-term stability. We need more, not less.”

Alpha Project

Bob McElroy, CEO: “Bridge shelters are lifesaving. We have seen more than 1,000 individuals completely turn their lives around and move on to permanent housing because of this bridge shelter. We are not only committed to this model, we are committed to expanding this model and helping more people, especially our aging neighbors, overcome life on the streets. But we need more shelter beds to do it. Period. Reducing bed capacity is the absolutely wrong thing to do.”

Monarch School

Tamara Y. Craver, President & CEO: “For the thousands of students in San Diego County experiencing homelessness, shelter is not just about a bed for the night, it is the foundation for consistent attendance, academic success, and long-term stability. When shelter capacity is reduced, it disrupts entire families and directly undermines a child’s ability to learn and thrive. At Monarch School, the nation’s only K–12 public school dedicated exclusively to students experiencing homelessness, we see the consequences of these gaps every day. Expanding access to shelter and strengthening coordination across the region are critical steps if we are serious about improving outcomes for children and breaking the cycle of homelessness.”

San Diego Rescue Mission

Donnie Dee, President & CEO: “If we are going to change the state of homelessness in San Diego County then we need more beds, not less. The SDRM is in the process of launching Lighthouses (shelter beds) in North and East Counties to complement our Lighthouse in South County. We all have to stretch ourselves and protect the beds we currently have if we are going to solve this humanitarian crisis.”

Urban Street Angels

Eric Lovett, Founder & CEO: “Keeping shelter beds open in the City of San Diego is critical to ensuring that youth experiencing homelessness have a safe place to sleep, escape exploitation and violence, and connect with the support services they need to build a stable future. Every shelter bed represents an opportunity to help a young person move off the streets, continue their education or employment, and take meaningful steps toward permanent housing and independence. As a city, we cannot afford to take emergency shelter beds offline.”

Youth Assistance Coalition

Heather Lezon, Founder & CEO: “The 16th and Newton shelter needs to stay open and at full capacity. There are not enough shelter and placement options in San Diego, and reducing capacity or closing this shelter would be detrimental to the people who rely on it. It is also one of the few places where we can place youth in the evening when other options are unavailable. For many of the young people we serve, this shelter is a critical resource and an important part of keeping them safe.”

East County Transitional Living Center

Julie Hayden, CEO: “One of the challenges San Diego has faced is obtaining a clear and accurate understanding of our shelter inventory. I am grateful to the Lucky Duck Foundation for investing in a tool that promotes transparency, accountability, and informed decision-making regarding our community’s shelter resources.”

Serving Seniors

Melinda Forstey, President & CEO: “Older adults now make up 33% of San Diego’s unsheltered population, up from 29%, making them the fastest-growing population losing housing. Keeping shelter beds open is critical because shelter often serves as the first step toward stability and housing.”

We See You San Diego

Laura Chez, Co-Founder & Executive Director: “For those who have never experienced homelessness, it may be difficult to understand the significance of a shelter bed. One evening a woman told We See You staff that getting into a shelter was “a dream.” Life on the streets had become so dangerous, exhausting, and inhumane that the best-case scenario she could imagine was simply having a safe place to sleep. For many, Alpha Project’s 16th & Newton shelter represents safety, stability, and hope. Beyond providing a bed, it offers access to caring staff and case managers who help individuals navigate housing, recovery, and a path forward. Reducing beds at this life-saving shelter is deeply concerning.”

San Diego Youth Services

Jonathan Castillo, CEO: “Reducing shelter capacity when demand remains so high makes it more difficult for our community to address homelessness. We appreciate the Lucky Duck Foundation’s commitment to preserving shelter beds and investing in solutions that keep people off the streets. Shelters are not only critical for individuals experiencing homelessness, they also benefit the broader community by reducing unsheltered homelessness and creating safer, healthier neighborhoods for everyone. Expanding shelter capacity, not reducing it, is essential to helping all people, including vulnerable youth, access safety, stability and a path forward.”

Salvation Army San Diego

Major Rob Reardon, Divisional Secretary: “Reducing shelter capacity comes at a time when far too many people are already struggling to find safety and stability. We need more shelter beds, not fewer, and immediate pathways into housing, treatment, and supportive services. Every night spent on the streets increases vulnerability, while every open bed creates an opportunity for hope, healing, and a fresh start.”

Home Start

Joe Buehrle Home Start CEO
“Emergency shelter is not the destination; it’s the doorway. By providing safety and immediate support, shelters create the foundation for people experiencing homelessness to access services, regain stability, and move toward permanent housing.”

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The Lucky Duck Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tax ID: 20-3324885