[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Thank you for writing to Councilmember Chris Ward and for your support of using government buildings for homeless shelter and housing. As a City Councilmember and as Chair of the Regional Task Force on the Homeless, Councilmember Ward has been dedicated to using public lands to quickly expand our shelter capacity and lower the cost to development housing.
Since taking office, Councilmember Ward has been an advocate for using public lands. On March 20, 2017, Councilmember Ward called on Mayor Faulconer to conduct a “Comprehensive Review of Public Lands for Affordable and Permanent Supportive Housing Opportunities” and consider “low-barrier emergency shelter opportunities at city-owned facilities such as Golden Hall.” The latter recommendation was reiterated in memoranda to Mayor Faulconer on July 19, 2017 and September 22, 2017, calling for the utilization of Golden Hall to immediately address the City’s unsheltered crisis. Councilmember Ward further detailed the urgency to use public land for affordable housing production in a January 8, 2018 memorandum, leading to recent changes for affordable development in the City’s land use code.
Councilmember Ward was grateful to see the activation of Golden Hall as a bridge shelter for women and families and recently supported the expansion of the bridge shelter to serve homeless youth. Councilmember Ward is committed to working with other agency partners, including the County, MTS, the Federal Government and the State of California to ensure all public properties are being used to their fullest potential.
Please do not hesitate to contact Brian Elliott of the Councilmember’s staff, belliott@sandiego.gov, should you have any questions.
Councilmember Chris Ward
Third Council District, City of San Diego
(619)236-6633[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
