Raymond Hill spent days trying to get into shelter. He’d wake up early — as early as 3:30 a.m. — to line up at the city’s Homelessness Response Center, which connects unhoused individuals with shelter and other services.
He tried 10 times before he got a spot at the Alpha Project shelter on Pacific Highway. As our Lisa Halverstadt wrote last year, “Hill’s experience illustrates a harsh reality. There aren’t enough city-backed shelter beds to accommodate all the unsheltered San Diegans who want them.”
A year later, we aren’t better off. In fact, things could get worse.
San Diego stands to lose hundreds of shelter beds by early next year. One 264-bed shelter is for now set to close next month. Halverstadt explains in a new story what this means for the city, and what officials plan to do about it. You can read the story here.
One thing: Mayor Todd Gloria told Halverstadt he’s adamant residents of the shelter that may close in early October, Golden Hall, won’t land back on the street. That’s because he has a plan: move them to the city’s safe camping sites, if he can expand the sites.
Translation: Move people saying at the shelter to tents outdoors. Yes, they would have access to services and showers, but it’s still a tent on an asphalt parking lot.
His team is considering other plans, but wouldn’t tell us what they were. This idea though, will be undoubtedly controversial. While safe camping is a good option for some people, it’s not a good fit for others, which is likely why they chose to be in an indoor shelter in the first place. Just a thought.
Hot Classrooms
NBC 7 reported earlier this month that students at Garfield Elementary School got sick due to the heat because the school was having issues with its air conditioning. First responders transported one kid to the hospital.
Naturally, that got us thinking.
Haven’t taxpayers consistently given San Diego Unified School District hundreds of millions of dollars to bring air conditioning to every classroom? The answer is yes.
Reporters Jakob McWhinney and Will Huntsberry write that over the last 16 years, taxpayers have voted to give the district $11.5 billion for that very purpose. Still, kids are dealing with dangerous heat.
They dug into why schools are still dealing with heat problems in a new story. You can read it here.
Thoughts?
I missed my newsletter last week. Sorry, chismosos. I’d love to get feedback from you on this newsletter. What do you like? What do you dislike? What do you want more or less of? Send me an email anytime at andrea.lopez@voiceofsandiego.org.
More Chisme to Start Your Week
- If you haven’t heard already, we have a new reporter. Jim Hinch joined us two weeks ago to cover the South Bay. He’s going to have his own newsletter so keep an eye out. His first story is running tomorrow on how so many cities — including two in South County — are cracking down on homeless encampments. Want to connect with Hinch? Send him an email at jim.hinch@voiceofsandiego.org.
- We’re stepping up our elections coverage. Tigist Layne had a story this week on a rivalry between Vista’s mayor and a councilmember. The mayor wants to oust her so bad. We’re here for the beef. Read the story here.
- Speaking of beefs … the county reassured residents in the South Bay that the air around the Tijuana River Valley was not toxic. A group of researchers had raised alarm about a toxic gas in the area, but the county said their instruments were likely getting false positive readings. That didn’t sit too well with one scientist. Read the full story here.
“…While safe camping is a good option for some people, it’s not a good fit for others, which is likely why they chose to be in an indoor shelter in the first place. Just a thought….”
I agree, especially as winter Is coming. Suggest using professional organizations (with a track record) to provide homeless housing? See below.
“…Helping: Father Joe’s Villages in San Diego, Calif., began serving the homeless and vulnerable in 1950….”
“…History of the Alpha Project Founded in 1986 as a simple project offering work opportunities for homeless men, today Alpha Project operates numerous programs serving over 4,000 people daily….”