SAN DIEGO — A few months ago, Kimberly Edmonds was living in a park in San Diego. She hid her suitcases, struggled to sleep, and searched for a way out of homelessness.

Then she called 2-1-1. That call eventually led her to Rachel’s Promise Center for Women and Children in downtown San Diego.

“I could not stop crying,” Edmonds said.

A public-private partnership had expanded Rachel’s Promise from 50 beds to 210, adding space for women and children experiencing homelessness. The expansion includes meals, showers, laundry and other support services.

It’s part of a broader strategy San Diego officials said is helping reduce the number of people living unsheltered.

San Diego diversifies its shelter options

Mayor Todd Gloria said the city has focused not only on adding shelter beds but on creating different types of temporary housing. That includes traditional shelters, safe parking, and supervised safe sleeping sites.

San Diego’s latest Point-in-Time Count found a 6.6% year-over-year decline in unsheltered homelessness within the city. It marked the second consecutive year of decline.

Across the county, the 2026 count found 5,108 people living unsheltered, down from 5,714 the year before. Meanwhile, 4,695 people were counted in shelters or transitional housing, up from 4,191.

One of San Diego’s most distinctive approaches is its safe sleeping program, which provides tents in supervised locations for people experiencing homelessness.

Gloria said the goal is to create environments that make people more willing to accept help — and ultimately leave homelessness behind. But getting people inside is only part of the challenge.

The permanent housing question

San Diego’s homelessness system has made progress getting people into permanent housing, too.

A recent three-year analysis by the Regional Task Force on Homelessness found that the percentage of households exiting the homeless services system to permanent housing increased from 23% to 29%.

But the average amount of time people spend experiencing homelessness has remained a challenge.

That raises a larger question for San Diego — and other California cities watching its approach: Can temporary shelter become a bridge to permanent housing rather than a destination?

Gloria said he isn’t declaring victory.

“We have more work to be done,” he said. “This mayor is not saying mission accomplished.”

For Edmonds, though, the immediate change has been profound.

“I’m happy. I’m excited because I’m starting to be human,” she said.

Now, she’s looking toward her next goal: finding a permanent place to call home.