Statement San Diego County Troy Street Cabins 

 LEMON GROVE, CA – In July 2024, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a project to construct the Troy Street Sleeping Cabins in the City of Lemon Grove (the Project). 

The project will be located on Caltrans-owned property that was intended to be leased to the County. However, the County has since learned that the Caltrans-owned property— which was obtained through grants issued by the Federal Highway Administration—cannot be leased to the County. As such, the County must now purchase the property for the Troy Street Sleeping Cabins project. The County Board of Supervisors will consider authorizing the purchase at their next meeting on October 21, 2025, at 9:00 am in the County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 310, San Diego, CA 92101. A copy of the agenda may be obtained at https://sdcounty.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. 

In the meantime, the City of Lemon Grove and County of San Diego have further collaborated to ensure the project will not negatively impact Lemon Grove residents. The following commitments have been agreed to date: 

Operational Issues: 

• The County originally proposed 70 sleeping cabins, but reduced that number to 60. By comparison, the Chula Vista facility has 65 sleeping cabins. These cabins will be used as interim housing for veterans, seniors, youth, and adults. 
• This facility will not be first come first served. There will be an assessment conducted, along with background checks, to determine whether this facility is appropriate for any proposed client. Individuals who are sex offenders, arsonists, or felons will not be eligible. 
• The facility will have zero tolerance for alcohol and drugs, and neither will be allowed. 
• No guests will be allowed at the site. 

Safety/Security: 

• The facility will have perimeter fencing and be secured 24 hours a day/7 days a week with a hired security guard and on-site management, including trained staff who can provide de-escalation techniques. 

City of Lemon Grove Office of the City Manager Official News Release 

•  There will be sidewalks with curb cuts and landscaping to beautify the facility. The facility will have lighting throughout. 
• The County will have a contract with the site operator, the terms will specify that either the County or the site operator will be responsible for handling complaints and other issues arising from the operation of the Troy Street Sleeping Cabins site. 

Impacts on Lemon Grove: 

• Because this is not a City project, the City will not contribute financially to the construction or operation of the facility. 

Public Outreach and Involvement: 

The County has committed to on-going meetings and communication with the City. 

• The County has created and will maintain a website for the project site for continued public outreach and involvement. This website also includes a direct way to contact the County about questions and concerns. 
• If the County purchases the property as anticipated, groundbreaking is expected to occur in Summer 2026, with the project becoming operational around Summer 2027. 

The City and County commit to ongoing communications about this project to ensure that Lemon Grove residents and businesses are heard and provided with information. 

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