Downtown’s Commercial Street is lined with rows of tents where unhoused people stay on opposite sides of the trolley tracks and underneath a freeway underpass.
Most people drive past this area on their way out of downtown, but last week I stopped. I wanted to see what an encampment looked like at night. Housed residents might go home to cook, watch TV, read, hang out with loved ones and get ready for the next day. But what do people without homes do at night? How do they pass the time?
I watched people sit in their tents, clean up around their area, talk to one another, make coffee and play guitar while others came and went as they ran errands.
As it got dark, small solar lights went on inside and outside the tents. Rap and reggaeton music played from speakers, but no one was dancing, just listening.
Later at night, it got quieter, the music was off and the only sounds around were those of people pushing shopping carts and some people talking.
Here are some images from a night under the bridge.
(Above) TW, who’s 68 and from Maine, sits in his tent at a homeless encampment on Commercial Street in downtown on March 30, 2023. TW says he enjoys cooking and likes keeping his tent clean and organized. He came to San Diego last June from Arizona. / Photo by Ariana Drehsler
Wonderful photo essay.
Thank you. All too often the public perception of the homeless is that they are drunks, bums, drug addicted, crazies, human garbage who should be thrown out or at least moved somewhere else. I am part of a group of people who have been feeding the homeless in this area for about 4 yrs. Yes there are people who use drugs, and yes there are people who have mental health issues. The vast majority of the people we encounter on our trips, are polite, kind people who are doing the best they can in a horrific situation.
I live in San Diego, this is my town. That means if there is something I don’t like, it is my responsibility to do something about it. I will tell you, there ain’t no human garbage in my town. If there is a need, we will feed.
Would you take a homeless home? Provide them with a shower or a bed?
Yes, I have done so since 2009 for over 3 dozen unsheltered residents of San Diego, in my home & business. 3 of these people have been my housemates since 2019.
Martha that’s absolutely awesome. So. Much. Helping. I aspire to be able to take a person in and share what I have, hopefully turn their life around for the better, when I’m a little further along in my life. I really admire you!
A homeless? Not a person, but a homeless? Is that how you would refer to yourself in this situation?
The profiled homeless “San Diegans” are man from Maine who came here after spending time in Arizona and a man from Los Angeles. This is the norm in the media when profiling the homeless here.
It begs the question: how much of the homeless population in San Diego is the result of local issues (e.g. rising rental rates) versus the arrival of unhoused “tourists” who prefer to be homeless in our city? And what are San Diego’s obligations to the latter population?
The SD Regional Task Force on Homelessness has reported for several years from the Annual Point In Time Count that 70+% of houseless residents in SD County became so right here; I think last year it was 84%.
If we could get these people stably housed, the crisis of street homelessness would be greatly reduced.
I am more inclined to help San Diego victims of 3 Strike Law for possession of recreational marijuana, who are experiencing homelessness. I propose funds collected from Marijuana sales tax be used be used for housing restitution. Rather than rescuing decade long budget deficits of mediocre government agencies.
Thank You for this essential reporting!
People sitting in their tents, cleaning up, conversations around music and coffee,
early to bed…And yet, in the morning its used needles, empty alcohol bottles and other trash, human feces, urine-stenched sidewalks.
Hmmm…maybe they knew the Press was coming?
I’d like to know about why that one man was asked to leave the shelter. From what I understand he could have received very good comprehensive Support Services to eventually become permanently housed through them.
FYI no one knew the press was coming out other than me. If you were to take a stroll under the bridge I doubt you would find broken rigs, yes empty beer cans, for recycling, human feces not as often as people believe. Not only do tents line the street, humans do too. Solution: If the city provided trash cans on each corner , less trash. Solution: if the city provided a bathroom on each corner, no feces, etc you get the point. I am currently a resident under the bridge, I do my part along with others to keep it clean, safe and secure. If people would open their eyes and look past the stigmatism of what a definition defined by the powers to be of a homeless person (homeless human) you would see people struggling, trying to keep it together, trying not to be consumed by their short comings, just trying to maintain a sense of stability, doing what it takes to survive on the streets. Unless you have been here… homeless, or walked in our shoes, who are you to judge any of us? I invite each of you to come by say “hello” and have a conversation with me. Get to know me before you judge me…
I concur, there are simple solutions to all of the problems out there on Commercial Street as well as anywhere else that this unhoused, unsheltered & unestablished human populous are gathered. We just need a good person to voice for the 🗣️ voiceless, help the helpless one’s & see it as well as they would speak it. And, it sounds like this would be a great opportunity for you, Rachel Hayes! Just saying…✊🏿💪🏼🙌🏾
Thank you for the thoughtful and well researched photo essay. I believe reporting like this is needed in order to humanize our unhoused population.
Thank you for this photo array of a population that is usually vilified, and showing their humanity. After 35 year career in social services helping disadvantaged people a 3 year period of trauma and loss, I found myself living on the street. For 3 years, I bounced from shelter, to shelter due to time limits, until I found stability under the bridge near Chicano Park. Drugs did not come into the picture until I literally had no roof over my head I was afraid sleeping, believing that I would be attacked under that bridge. Instead, I found d a “family” of sorts who helped watch my belongings so I could access the same services that I had worked in. We supported each other to keep on trying a better life. If you did not know we were unsheltered, you would would see us as human not just predators, drug and thives. Every person out there are human beings and deserving of the sane rights a d respect that housed people are
Housing First.
An interesting photo documentation of a topic of great concern . It also seems brave to me. Thank you for the work.