The flood of people falling into homelessness in San Diego continues to outpace the number of people the region is moving into housing.
The Regional Task Force on Homelessness, which coordinates the countywide response to the crisis, revealed Friday that 14,258 people sought homeless services for the first time over the last year. This total outpaced the 8,843 formerly unhoused people who exited homelessness.
An important nuance: Our Lisa Halverstadt reports that fewer San Diegans lost their homes this past year than the previous one. But there was also a reduction in the number of people who exited homelessness, a drop that the Task Force said reflects the service system’s struggle to secure homes for unhoused San Diegans.
The bottom line: Sixteen people accessed homeless services for the first time for every 10 formerly homeless residents who were housed from October 2022 through September 2023.
Politics Report: The Drug Conservatorship Fight Is Worth Watching
We’ve followed the brewing dilemma at the county for several weeks: The question of whether San Diego County will implement the state’s new law that allows police to detain individuals who can’t take care of themselves because of drug addiction or a mix of addiction and mental health problems.
Last week, county supervisors began arguing about whether to delay implementation based on the concern from hospital leaders that emergency departments would likely take the bulk of these patients and they can’t handle it.
In this week’s Politics Report, Scott Lewis writes how interesting it was to see Mayor Todd Gloria’s reaction to that. Gloria said it’s basically bogus and the county needs to mobilize to deal with the crisis it would provoke.
Read the full Politics Report here.
What’s Shielding San Diego from Wildfires — for Now
This year’s weather has given San Diego a bit of a reprieve from wildfire angst.
Here’s why: We got more rain this year — with an unusual boost from Tropical Storm Hilary in August. And while more rain equals vigorous plant growth, which can become flammable down the road, boosts from Hilary are keeping those plants nice and hydrated.
Another factor: The Santa Anas have been pretty low-key this year compared to others.
Voice contributor Robert Krier has details on what to expect, and why San Diego isn’t totally in the clear. “Residents around San Diego are smart enough to know the danger is still there,” one expert told Krier.
Cup of Chisme: How Beef Week Worked
Andrea Lopez-Villafaña went through her favorite parts of our Beef Week specials last week. No, no of course we didn’t do that just so our reporters could take a little time to get caught up on some deeper investigations.
Seriously though they were fun posts to help you catch up on some of the ongoing disputes in San Diego that shape our public affairs.
VOSD Podcast: Beef Week for Your Ears
Friday’s podcast started with an update on the mayor’s big Housing Action Plan 2.0 and how it came back so fast.
But of course we went right to Beef Week as quickly as we could.
We’re calling it. We have our victors for the hottest beef that’s battled in the region. Our flashiest feuds come from Everyone vs Todd Gloria stemming from failed plans to manage homelessness. With of course, the infamous water divorce between the San Diego Water Authority vs Rainbow, Fallbrook. Our freshest beef comes from Palomar Health vs Board Members with a new lawsuit that brewed earlier this November. Keep an eye out for the unexpected yet deep rivalry between tennis players and picklers.
And with all of these, you can expect to learn about how deep this history goes.
Four victors may seem like a lot, so we have left it up to you to listen along and decide which one really wins the title of hottest beef.
We Got Beef with Broken Links
A link in Friday’s Morning Report was broken, but don’t worry here’s what you missed.
The final piece in our Beef Week reporting theme week looked at how investors are eating up San Diego’s beloved dive bars. It’s a beef shared by many. And one our Will Huntsberry brought to life.
Here’s how Huntsberry put it: “The asshole bartenders and sticky surfaces are only skin-deep qualities of a good dive bar. Their true beauty lies in their economy. They are cheap enough for a slice of community to take hold.”
In Other News
- An investigation in San Diego led to the seizure of 60,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills and other drugs. The investigation also looked into complaints of illegal dispensaries operating near homes and schools. (Union-Tribune)
- San Diego County Credit Union is under scrutiny for collecting $18 million in overdraft fees from customers last year while their own CEO’s salary skyrocketed. “That’s a type of reverse Robin Hood that is not really fulfilling the spirit or mission” of credit unions, Aaron Klein, senior fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institution told KPBS.
- It’s that time of the year. Spotify wrapped is here and FOX5 has a closer look at how San Diego’s music tastes ranked overall.
- The Rancho Santa Fe Association, a nonprofit homeowners group, received $1.5 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds it was not eligible to get. At the moment no criminal charges have been filed. (SDUT)
- San Diego has long dreamt of iconic waterfront architecture. How about tall nets to keep golf balls in? It’s been talked about for years but now there are renderings of Top Golf’s proposal for Harbor Island that the Union-Tribune says is closer to becoming a reality. On Tuesday, port commissioners will vote on a non-binding term sheet with Top Golf. The port oversees tidelands at San Diego Bay and it’s illegal to put housing on those lands but not a golf driving range where they can track your balls.
“The bottom line: Sixteen people accessed homeless services for the first time for every 10 formerly homeless residents who were housed from October 2022 through September 2023.”
VoSD previously used the figure of 13 newly homeless to 10 newly housed. i guess the time period is the difference, but a comparison with this new stat would’ve been nice.
“… but not a golf driving range where they can *track your balls*.”
is that code for something?