Author: County News Center, Shannon Handy
Published: 1:29 PM PDT July 13, 2026
Updated: 5:50 PM PDT July 13, 2026
SAN DIEGO — The County of San Diego has revealed a first-of-its-kind workforce sleeping cabin site in Pacific Beach. Compass Commons is a tiny home community operated by Shoreline Community Services to provide safe, climate-controlled housing for people working their way out of homelessness.
Compass Commons features six 64-square-foot sleeping cabins for Shoreline’s Community Care Crew, a workforce hired by local businesses, churches and neighborhood organizations for street cleaning, power washing, custodial work, graffiti removal, landscaping and event support.
The cabins are located in the parking lot of Christ Lutheran Church on Cass street and include locking doors, electricity, climate control and safety features. Participants have 24-hour access to on-site restrooms, gym memberships for daily showers and meals provided by faith-based partners.
Caryn Blanton, executive director of Shoreline Community Services, provided a tour of the cabins, which she described as “a transitional, temporary place — a stepping stone to what’s permanent.”
Blanton emphasized that the residents were carefully vetted and are not simply random individuals. “They’re not just random people coming off the street. This is strictly for our employees who are working their way up,” she said.
Shoreline Community Services is the first organization to turn the County of San Diego’s Building Partnerships sleeping cabin program into an operating workforce housing model. Through the program, the County awarded Shoreline about $95,000 for the purchase, delivery and assembly of the six ADA-compliant Pallet Shelter homes.
The County’s Building Partnerships initiative, approved in 2022, gives trusted local groups a faster, lower-cost tool to expand emergency and transitional housing options. It is part of the County’s Framework for Ending Homelessness, which focuses on prevention, diversion services, emergency housing and permanent housing.
Dijana Beck, director of the county’s Office of Homeless Solutions, noted that only three organizations met the criteria to receive funding for similar projects, due to the need for a suitable site and operational plans.
“We were always looking for innovative ways to address homelessness, and this was one of them,” said Beck.
In addition to the Pacific Beach site, two additional six-cabin villages are expected to open next year in Spring Valley and El Cajon, with a larger 60-cabin project planned for Lemon Grove in the summer.
The introduction of the cabins has not been without controversy. Some community members have voiced concerns about the initiative, both online and in person. However, Blanton expressed optimism about the program’s acceptance, stating, “Once we explain the work program to them, most people say, ‘This is a good idea.'” She also welcomed constructive feedback from those with reservations about the project.
Compass Commons is designed to connect work, wages, services and safe shelter. The program offers a path forward for residents rebuilding their lives in one of San Diego’s highest cost coastal communities, strengthening local homelessness response efforts through practical, community-based partnerships.