Our Lisa Halverstadt chatted late Friday with Tamera Kohler, CEO of the Regional Task Force on Homelessness, after she toured the site where Mayor Todd Gloria envisions a 1,000-bed shelter. Kohler designed the Convention Center shelter operation during the pandemic that, at its height, temporarily housed 1,355 people. Gloria has often touted that initiative as proof that the city can deliver a successful large shelter operation.
So what does Kohler think of the city’s mega-shelter plan? “I can see potential there, but I don’t see that you could get 1,000 people in there.”
She also doesn’t think the city should compare the potential Hope @ Vine shelter with the Convention Center operation, which benefited from staffing and resources that can’t be replicated in the post-Covid world.
Any recommendations for the city? Kohler thinks the city should decide what population or populations it wants to serve at the shelter and then design the campus around their needs rather than start with the goal of 1,000 beds. For example, choosing to serve seniors with health issues might mean an onsite federally qualified health center and not using bunk beds. Both features would affect how the city designs the space – and thus, how many people could stay there.
One population Kohler doesn’t think should be served at the mega-shelter: families, a group that the city has factored into its initial plans due to the growing number of homeless families.
“Families need their own spaces,” Kohler said.
1.are you trying too keep the homeless tourist .in San Diego shelter..2.are you trying .too make Sandiego in the nunber one city in drug addiction..
Shelter are desing too help.and protect .and too educated.whit positive solutions .and better well living.
3.lisa this is just some suggestions too make too housing and community
The answer.its all working together.
Whit a new face and a new slogan.
Let’s all together turn the page.
And write a new beginning.
Start new Whit a clean slate.
Other wise.will still be using the same page over and over.
Thanks for you attention.
Ps. Great work Lisa muchos blessings
It’s worthless and meaningless rhetoric like yours that keeps the situation the same. Next time, save your verbal garbage for the toilet.
We don’t need mega shelters we need mental health facilities and we need to stop inviting homeless into San Diego. If they aren’t locals – born in San Diego they need to go back to where they came from to find shelter. We do not need more people to take care of. Our health care system is overwhelmed.
In the 1970s, the County of San Diego Welfare Department ran a Return to Residence program, serving homeless folks who ended up at the southwest corner of the country after riding buses or trains across the country. These people were transients, many of whom had run away from homes in other states and drifted to San Diego. County staff social workers would contact their relatives or friends in their hometowns, and if those people would agree to take them in, we would buy bus tickets to take them home. The program limited the regions homelessness problems for decades before a lower court found the program unconstitutional. The city could restart the program today and I have no doubt that the Trump appointed Supreme Court would find the program to be constitutional today.
San Diego needs a simplified process for helping the homeless and those facing homelessness get access to low income housing . Shelters need to be well designed and offer services such as meals, computers, transportation, privacy and outcome goals. The Mentally ill need their own campuses with medical and mental services onsite. Addicts also should be kept seperate. None of these shelters should be in downtown San Diego which is prime real estate and could generate millions in property tax and sales tax if used for other buildings and businesses. Currently we waste millions in tax dollars, grant money and charity doing studies and keeping the inefficient system going and growning. Just my fact based opinion.
I looked at the artist rendition of the new shelter at the top of this article. If you look at it, you’ll see 11 blue panels on the top of the building. In order to get 1000 beds in the shelter, they have to have almost 100 beds under each of those blue panels. Not possible. And even if they could, that’s not allowing any space for kitchens, showers, work area for staff,… Somebody is trying real hard to sell us a disaster.
Exactly. Thank you…disaster is the perfect word….
Yes, at this point homelessness is a business and people like Michael McConnell, Tamera Kohler, “Deacon” (AKA FRAUD) Jim Vargas and the disgraceful and disgusting Bob McElroy have no incentive to reduce homelessness. They will do anything to keep a steady stream of bums pouring into our city so that they can continue collecting millions for their “organizations” (AKA personal bank accounts). These homeless “leaders” and “experts” are nothing but poverty pimps.
I was born in San Diego and currently live out of my vehicle.
I attended the Jewish Family Services safe parking program, which, as it turns out kicks out the people parking there after 2 months.
During my time there they did not provide a single truly valuable service. They are there to help people fill out forms for pre-existing government services, services which we have all already been utilizing. We’re homeless, not stupid, we can fill out our own paperwork.
The problem comes down to a basic mathematical equation, which states that an individual needs X amount of money to afford housing every month. I don’t have the money, so I don’t have the housing.
Why don’t I have the money? I don’t know, try to do some math based on a full time position at a minimum wage job and show me how that can afford an apartment and other living expenses here in San Diego. Give it a shot, you’re all so smart right? You’re all so intelligent and dainty and proper a little math equation won’t hurt right?
I worked with Ms. Kohler for a bit. She was very intense, and frankly, a little scary. Sad to see she’s profiting off the homeless.