{"id":2793,"date":"2026-06-14T06:02:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T13:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/losangelesmovinginsider.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/14\/a-game-changer-el-cajon-launching-street-medical-team-funding-for-lighthouse-shelter-in-south-county\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T06:02:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T13:02:02","slug":"a-game-changer-el-cajon-launching-street-medical-team-funding-for-lighthouse-shelter-in-south-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/losangelesmovinginsider.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/14\/a-game-changer-el-cajon-launching-street-medical-team-funding-for-lighthouse-shelter-in-south-county\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018A game changer.\u2019 El Cajon launching street medical team, funding for lighthouse shelter in South County"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
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El Cajon is trying a new approach to homelessness services after city leaders approved two new contracts for street outreach and shelter operations.<\/p>\n

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The City Council last week unanimously approved a $500,000 contract with Family Health Centers of San Diego for outreach services and a $210,00 contract with the San Diego Rescue Mission for shelter services.<\/p>\n

Both two-year agreements were funded by the city\u2019s Permanent Local Housing Allocation from the state\u2019s housing and community development department.<\/p>\n

The move marks a shift in the city\u2019s efforts to address homelessness. Leaders in El Cajon have long opposed the \u201cHousing First\u201d model, which prioritizes getting individuals into shelter above anything else.<\/p>\n

Family Health Centers of San Diego operates across the county and recently launched a mobile street medical team that provides immediate health services, clinical treatment and transitional housing programs.<\/p>\n

Medical-focused outreach is what\u2019s most different about their services. Councilmember Steve Goble said the agreement was a \u201cgame changer\u201d for the city\u2019s efforts to address the homelessness crisis.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the great thing about this program is that this is the first time a health provider has been part of the social service outreach,\u201d Goble said. \u201cWhen they come across people out in the field, they have the whole health system behind them to address underlying conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The city\u2019s agreement with San Diego Rescue Mission will fund shelter services for the South County Lighthouse, a 162-bed navigation center located in National City. After connecting with outreach workers, unsheltered individuals in El Cajon will be sent to the South County shelter.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

At the same time, San Diego Rescue Mission said it hopes to open an emergency shelter in El Cajon as part of a larger effort to expand its \u201clighthouse\u201d shelter network. Lighthouse shelters are 30-day emergency shelters that typically have 100 or more beds.<\/p>\n

The Rescue Mission focuses its resources and rehabilitation efforts on trauma, addiction and mental health services. Their approach is one that Mayor Bill Wells \u2014 a staunch opponent of Housing First \u2014 described as \u201csomething that can actually help people.\u201d<\/p>\n

As it stands, the organization is still fielding sites for their new facility in El Cajon; homeless individuals will be sent to other lighthouse shelters in the meantime.<\/p>\n

East County Transitional Living Center had also applied to offer shelter services, but they were not selected. Councilmembers Michelle Metshel and Phil Ortiz sat on the ad-hoc committee that selected the providers based on their alignment with the city\u2019s priorities.<\/p>\n

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\n<\/div>\n

The contract will go into effect on July 1.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The two-year contracts focus on medical-first outreach and funds emergency shelter services for a San Diego Rescue Mission emergency shelter located in National City.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018A game changer.\u2019 El Cajon launching street medical team, funding for lighthouse shelter in South County - Los Angeles Moving Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/losangelesmovinginsider.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/14\/a-game-changer-el-cajon-launching-street-medical-team-funding-for-lighthouse-shelter-in-south-county\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018A game changer.\u2019 El Cajon launching street medical team, funding for lighthouse shelter in South County - 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