Welcome Home City

Welcome to our webpage, students! We are here to support you! 

Welcome Home City (WHC) is a program designed to support homeless and housing insecure City College students. The WHC team assists students in securing sustainable, long-term housing solutions that support our students' mental health and academic journeys. Once a student connects with the WHC team, they may become eligible for the following: stability-focused general counseling, case management, housing navigation, limited financial assistance, in addition to regularly updated resources.

Homeless and Housing Insecure includes students who are:

• Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason.
• Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations.
• Living in emergency or transitional shelters.
• Living in a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation.
• Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings.

If you are a City College student and are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurities, please complete the Basic Needs Assessment form and a staff member will reach out.

Click button to be directed to form. 

Meet the Team

Meet the Team!
Michael Evans, LCSW Pronouns: he/him Program Coordinator	Jovon Owens, ASW Pronouns: her/him Mental Health Counselor / Case Manager	Emily Saldine, LCSW Pronouns: she/her Program Consultant
Marco Circosta Pronouns: he/him PATH Housing Navigator	Jason Rocker Pronouns: he/him Project Assistant	Gabriela "Gaby" Castellanos Pronouns: she/her Project Assistant
Kim Kritzer Pronouns: she/her BSW Intern	Natalie Romero, BSPH Pronouns: she/her MSW Intern	Dalia Sherif, BS Pronouns: she/her MSW Intern

Workshops

Welcome Home City hosts workshops on various topics, often related to housing, housing insecurity, and homelessness. See the list below for upcoming workshops in our Spring Housing-Focused Speaker Series

Upcoming Workshops - Spring 2025

 

Financial Aid and Federal Work Study Basics – Monday, May 12th, 11AM-12PM, Basic Needs Center (T341)

Hosted by Paolo Joseph Arriola (Federal Work Study), this workshop will inform you of all of the important dates, types of work study jobs and processes regarding financial aid and federal work study. Bring your questions and get prepared to learn a whole lot about the world of financial aid and federal work study.

 

Past Workshops - Spring 2025

Connecting With Roommates For Housing– Monday, April 7th, 11AM-12PM, Basic Needs Center (T341)

Hosted by Welcome Home City’s highly knowledgeable PATH Housing Navigator, Marco Circosta, this workshop will provide another way to access affordable housing here in San Diego. Learn tools to help you find a roommate, what questions to ask a potential roommate and the benefits to having one. You don't want to miss out on this additional way to secure affordable housing in San Diego.  This workshop will also provide resources that will help your housing search to be successful.

 

Resilience Toolkit: Budgeting, Self-Care & Life Skills for Homeless Students– Monday, March 3rd, 11AM-12PM, Basic Needs Center (T341)

Hosted by some of the wonderful Welcome Home City's Case Managers, Jovon Owens and Jodi Schenck, this workshop will describe ways that students can create a budget, help support their own self-care and provide general life skills while navigating homelessness. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn these valuable skills that will support your academic journey. 

 

Maximizing Academic Success Amidst Life Transitions– Monday, February 10th, 11AM-12PM, Basic Needs Center (T341)

Hosted by Welcome Home City’s very own Academic Counselor Sandi Duraid, this workshop will provide students with the tools to navigate their academic journey while adapting to life transitions. Get ready to learn about how to improve your transcripts and steps to obtaining your degree. This workshop will also provide information on important dates and deadlines for the academic year as well as on-campus resources to support you.

 

Missed a workshop? Please visit our Canvas shell or YouTube page to find recordings of past workshops.

Resources

For general basic needs resources, please follow this link.

For housing resources, please follow this link.

San Diego City College has also partnered with TimelyCare, a student-centered platform that offers FREE on-demand access to health and wellness support 24/7 (physical health, mental health, and basic needs). Sign up here.

Need Shelter?

Welcome Home City does not provide emergency housing or shelter for students. If you are in need of emergency housing, please contact 211 San Diego (call "211" or visit 211sandiego.org) or visit the Homeless Response Center (HRC) located at 1401 Imperial Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101.

Please note that, if there are extreme weather conditions, the City of San Diego opens more shelter beds. Please visit this link for updated information on San Diego's Inclement Weather Shelter Bed availability.

Contact Us

Wondering how to contact the WHC program? Feel free to call us at (619) 388-3211, email us at welcomehomecity@sdccd.edu, or drop by the Basic Needs Center in T-341 during our open hours on Mondays-Thursdays from 10AM-2PM and Fridays from 10AM-1PM.

PLEASE NOTE: Welcome Home City will be closed for the first two weeks of June (June 2nd - June 14th) and will re-open on Monday, June 16th.