Cortez Hill Family Center

The Cortez Hill Family Center, located within the Cortez Hill district in downtown San Diego, provides one hundred homeless children and their parents with a temporary safe haven. The 42-unit transitional housing facility opened in December 2002 after local, state and federal funds paid for a $5 million renovation of an old Days Inn. The Family Center is owned by the City of San Diego and operated by the YWCA of San Diego.

The children residing at the Family Center attend local public schools, while their parents work hard to reestablish themselves in permanent housing within the 90 days they are allowed to remain at the facility.The staff at the Family Center helps each family to accomplish this goal by providing them with case management services, counseling, medical care, legal services, and job placement assistance.

The YWCA of San Diego is currently looking to expand the Family Center by building a second structure on-site that would house a play area, space for meetings and activities, and a cafeteria. For more information on the Family Center and additional services offered by the YWCA, go to www.ywcasandiego.org.