Hopes for a regional approach contrast with continued criticism by mayors of homelessness efforts in other cities
Mayor Todd Gloria, if approved by the San. Diego City Council, plans on converting a vacant commercial building in the Middletown neighborhood into the City of San Diego’s largest-ever shelter for people experiencing homelessness. The new shelter on Kettner Blvd. would have approximately 1007 beds and office space in the two vacant buildings, on two floors, with a combined 60,000 sq. ft. of space. Photographed on on Thursday, April 4, 2024, in San Diego, CA.
The other was familiar criticism by mayors that other municipalities either hadn’t been doing enough or, worse, were pushing part of the problem into their cities. “I was shocked, astonished and horrified by what I witnessed during my recent visit,” wrote Damon Zwicker, who lives in the San Fernando Valley, in aposted by The San Diego Union-Tribune on the same day as the mayors’ conference. “. . . To any and all visitors, I strongly advise staying away from the San Diego Gaslamp District for your own safety.”
“Just a couple of weeks ago. . . we started getting things cleaned up, and boom! Here comes in a whole new wave of homeless because of Comic-Con,” Morrison said“They got pushed out of downtown San Diego and then we take on somebody else’s problem all over again,” he added. “We’re a small city, with very limited resources, and yet we’re being asked to take on these huge problems for other people.”
Gloria noted the city of San Diego has done far more than other jurisdictions in providing shelter beds and services; but then the city has a much greater problem than others in the region.“I do believe at some point, somewhere down the road… what’s going to come out of this is actually an 18-city strategic plan instead of 18 individual plans. That’s what we have right now,” Dee said.
For years, city officials have talked about finding locations for homeless shelters in each council district. Placing homeless facilities anywhere is difficult, given that proposals tend to run into immediate community opposition.
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