Mega San Diego homeless shelter proposal delayed

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- The ambitious $1 billion plan to rent, retrofit, and shelter 1,000 of San Diego's homeless is encountering complications just two weeks after the mayor's announcement.

Experts attribute the delays to a lack of basic information regarding the deal, which has now stalled the approval of a 35-year land lease for an indefinite period. The proposed shelter project sits just west of the Interstate 5 south off of Kettner Blvd.

The city council's Land Use and Housing Committee originally scheduled to pass the deal on Thursday, but will now have to postpone approval.

"If it doesn’t go through a committee, If we don’t get a chance to ask questions and look at the details, you can’t evaluate the plan. So the saying if you fail to plan, you're planning to fail, and I think that has been the problem with a lot of the proposals that the mayor and the housing commission has brought forward," said Lori Saldana, the former California Assembly Speaker Pro-Tem.

The proposed 65,000 square-foot warehouse would include open sleeping quarters for those in immediate need of a bed, as well as private rooms for families. Responding to the delay, the city issued a statement:

"We’re delaying going before the City Council’s Land Use and Housing committee as we work on responses to questions from the Independent Budget Analyst, who’s doing a deep dive on the deal. As fast as we want to move on the City’s most urgent challenge, it’s worth taking a little extra time to make sure we secure the best deal possible for the taxpayers," Rachel Laing said.

Despite efforts to address real estate concerns, homeless advocates express concerns about the potential consequences of open barracks-style shelters.

"They want 1,000 people in whatever square footage facility this is, we have seen from Alpha shelters to Golden Hall, that is becomes a vector for illnesses," Saldana said.