To the Mayor and City Council: You have to Do Something About the Homeless Crisis
by John Lawrence, August19, 2019
What's happening with the homeless in San Diego is not fair to them, and it's not fair to the tourists and residents that have to put up with it. You outlaw people sleeping it vehicles. Yet it's OK to live in tents on public sidewalks. As an Uber driver I picked up a lady who lives in a luxury high rise at Broadway and Pacific Highway. She regrets moving downtown because she can't walk her dog at night without being verbally assaulted by some homeless person or stepping in some poop. Uber navigates me sometimes through the worst homeless areas at 17th and Imperial so tourists are treated to the sight of people and their belongings sprawled all over the streets in "America's Finest City" supposedly.
Here, in my humble opinion, is what you need to do:
1) Set up one or more public campgrounds where the homeless as well as others can pitch their tents.
2) Provide minimal amenities such as sanitation facilities including port-a-potties, portable showers, lockers and security. You had a place like this in Balboa park. From the San Diego Union, October 2017:
"The first city-sanctioned homeless encampment is scheduled to open Monday in a public works yard near Balboa Park with tents, security, food, showers, restrooms and social services for more than 200 people, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and other officials announced Wednesday.
"Speaking at the city operations yard that will be used for the camp area, Faulconer said the site will be short-lived, with a plan to begin moving people out after the first of three large industrial tents to temporarily house homeless people opens later this year."
You were on the right track and then you blew it by making it temporary. Nobody wants to live in "three large industrial tents."
3) Provide transit passes so that they can get from wherever the campgrounds are located to downtown homeless services.
4) Allow pets.
5) Very low cost solution compared to actual housing.
6) Pass an ordinance making it illegal to sleep on public streets and sidewalks.
Homelessness is becoming a culture embedded in American society. Until this culture is changed, it is becoming a permanent part of American cities, a way of life. As far as drug use, it seems to be happening with impunity on public streets so it's a wash whether or not it would be happening at public campgrounds. Until this street culture is eradicated, HOT teams would have to be in the business of transporting homeless people to the campgrounds because they would probably prefer public sidewalks. After all that's what they're used to, and that's a part of the culture that's being embedded in society.
Forget about "shelters." You only need shelters in case of very inclement weather which we have little of in San Diego. Also don't worry about San Diego becoming a "homeless magnet." The improvement in the city's ambiance if the areas around 16th and 17th streets were cleaned up would be a guiding light for other cities to do the same, and it would promote the city as a tourist destination as in fact, "America's Finest City.".
Sincerely,
John Lawrence
