The Central Library downtown is a popular destination for all San Diegans, including the region’s most vulnerable residents.
Homeless residents pack the air-conditioned space daily to use public computers and temporarily escape life on the streets, but as the city grapples with an uptick in homeless San Diegans who are struggling with mental illnesses and addiction, library employees have taken on the roles of social workers.
On this week’s San Diego Explained, Voice of San Diego’s Lisa Halverstadt and NBC 7’s Catherine Garcia look at the Central Library’s new role in the midst of region’s homelessness crisis.