Fifteen new shelter beds opened Tuesday, Oct. 27, at La Posada de Guadalupe Men's Shelter in Carlsbad, and a public fundraising campaign aims to add 30 more.
The city of Carlsbad, Lucky Duck Foundation and Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego announced the expansion alongside a matching challenge called "The Beds Are Here. Help Us Open Them." The campaign's goal is $360,000 in community donations. Lucky Duck Foundation and the city will each match up to $180,000, potentially generating more than $700,000 total, according to Patch, which first reported the announcement.
If fully funded, the shelter's capacity would grow from 50 to as many as 95 beds.
The money would cover staffing, meals, case management and supportive services for the additional beds. Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego operates the 24/7 shelter, which serves men experiencing homelessness, including farmworkers and individuals with few or no resources.
Drew Moser, CEO of Lucky Duck Foundation, said the need is urgent. "In other parts of the county, nine out of 10 requests for shelter go unfulfilled," Moser told FOX 5/KUSI.
Part of the facility was previously used to house farmworkers, FOX 5 reported. As the number of farmworkers needing those beds declined over the years, officials opened that portion to men experiencing homelessness.
Carlsbad Mayor Keith Blackburn said the expansion builds on a longstanding city partnership with La Posada. He said expanding shelter access helps connect people with services they need to work toward stable housing.
Neil Hutchinson, a La Posada resident, described arriving at the shelter after his finances ran out. He said the program immediately connected him with a caseworker for employment and began working toward a housing placement. Hutchinson told FOX 5 that getting off the streets and regaining "a little bit of humanity" gave him momentum to rebuild.
La Posada served more than 100 men last year, according to FOX 5. Organizers said they are also seeking volunteers and staff to help operate the expanded shelter.
The expansion comes as San Diego County's homeless population shows mixed trends. Unsheltered homelessness dropped 11% in the 2026 Point-in-Time Count, but sheltered homelessness rose 12%, according to NBC 7 San Diego. The annual count, conducted each January by the Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH), found 9,803 homeless individuals countywide, down 1% from 9,905 in 2025.
Residents who want to donate can visit ccdsd.org/laposadamenshelter. Those seeking shelter can call 211 for assistance through the Coordinated Entry System.
