The city of Chula Vista tonight is voting on a resolution to temporarily close a park that is being used as a tent city by unsheltered individuals.
The city says a rise in crime is prompting the action. KPBS reporter Alexander Nguyen has more.
"Mama Heather" has been homeless for more than 25 years, and for the past five months, she's been living at Chula Vista's Harborside Park. "We all have to go somewhere," Mama Heather said. She's called"Mama Heather" because she takes care of people, making sure they have what they need, and she makes sure the park stays clean.Homeless advocates say the people there have formed a community where they help each other, and it's self-policing.
"My team comes here every week, if not every other week. We've never had a violent incident. We've never had an issue," he said."Folks aren't service resistant. They're happy to take the things that we do have. They try and keep the area clean. Is there drug use inside the park? Yes. But in my experience, it's actually sheltered folks that I've seen come park their cars and come sell here.
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