East County is set to gain a new emergency homeless shelter, with the San Diego Rescue Mission identifying the region — and El Cajon specifically — as the likely home for its next "lighthouse" facility.

Rescue Mission CEO and President Donnie Dee said the organization is actively fielding sites, and expects to identify a location by summer. Lighthouse shelters are 30-day emergency facilities that typically house 100 or more people. They operate as no-tolerance sites for drug and alcohol use, with a focus on trauma, addiction and mental health services.

"Homelessness knows no zip codes," Dee said. "That's why I'm excited about East County. I think the mayors there understand that homelessness follows the train tracks, the bus stops and the services."

The project is part of a broader strategy to place shelters in North, South and East County that feed into the organization's downtown rehabilitation program. The Rescue Mission opened a 162-bed lighthouse shelter in National City in 2024 and previously operated one in Oceanside before parting ways over policy disagreements.

El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells said he supports the Rescue Mission's model. "I like their model, I think it works," Wells said. "As a clinician, I'm not a believer in Housing First. So, this is something I think can actually help people, so we're in favor of what they're doing."

The need is significant. The 2025 Regional Task Force on Homelessness point-in-time count found 320 unsheltered individuals in El Cajon, 110 in Lemon Grove and 53 in Santee. East County has among the fewest dedicated shelter beds in San Diego County relative to its unsheltered population. Santee is currently served by Crisis House; El Cajon has the East County Transitional Living Center. A county-led project will eventually place 60 cabins on Troy Street in Lemon Grove.

The Rescue Mission hopes to own and self-fund the new shelter, giving it independence from city directives. Dee said ownership structure details are still being worked out with local leaders.