For years, city-funded shelters made their own rules and the city didn’t keep tabs on how many homeless residents they kicked out.
That changed a few years ago and city officials soon learned that one of their biggest shelter providers was booting more clients than others.
Now our Lisa Halverstadt reports that the city’s housing agency has set rules that dictate when and how homeless shelters, campsites and parking lots for people living in vehicles can remove residents.
The San Diego Housing Commission’s new policy lists violations that can result in immediate bans for as long as four months, urges progressive discipline for lesser issues and ensures homeless residents have a right to appeal suspensions. It also sets expectations for homeless residents.
The city’s housing agency says it plans to continue closely monitoring how discipline is playing out in shelters – and that it made progress reducing suspensions even before the new rules took effect Oct. 1.
Another Month, More Sobering Homelessness Data
It’s now been 31 months since the number of newly housed San Diegans outpaced the number falling into homelessness.
The Regional Task Force on Homelessness reports that 1,269 people countywide became homeless for the first time in October and 940 exited homelessness.
October’s data is another reminder that regional efforts to house homeless residents aren’t keeping up with the number of people losing their homes.
All the Battles in National City
There’s a lot going down in National City.
Councilmember Jose Rodriguez won re-election by more than 50 percentage points, but just two weeks after Election Day, Mayor Ron Morrison has requested he be censured. Our Jim Hinch explained why in a new story.
For the latest South County Report, Hinch unpacks other battles brewing in the small southern city.
Ahead of the Council’s Tuesday meeting, Hinch explained why National City’s frayed relationship with the Port of San Diego was set to take center stage during an appointment vote.
The Council removed the city’s last Port commissioner after she was censured by the agency’s board. National City officials have also complained about how much they’re reimbursed for services it provides the Port, like police and fire response.
Read the South County Report here.
Song of the Week
Oliver Slime, “Baby Are You Down For Me?”: The lead single from 2024 release “Thank You For Your Time,” is a laidback gem filled with analog fuzz, tinkling piano and gentle saxophone flourishes. Lyrically, the singer meditates on romantic disappointment and the inevitable distance time apart creates. It’s a delightfully smooth listen only made better by DELAHCRUZ’s vocal additions. Read more about the song of the week here.
Like what you hear? Give Oliver Slime’s 2024 album, “Thank You For Your Time,” a listen.
Do you have a “Song of the Week” suggestion? Shoot us an email and a sentence or two about why you’ve been bumping this song lately. Friendly reminder: all songs should be by local artists.
In Other News
- A proposed battery storage facility on privately owned land in Valley Center is facing opposition from locals.
- After a year of mounting debate about the future of rodeos in the city of San Diego, city council members are set to weigh new regulations for such events this week. (Union-Tribune)
- Some University of California employees will go on a two-day strike starting Wednesday. The approximately 37,000 workers include employees of the UC San Diego Medical Center. (City News Service)
- President Joe Biden has included $310 million in funding to renovate the long-failing South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plan in his latest disaster relief package. (City News Service)
The Morning Report was written by Lisa Halverstadt and Jakob McWhinney. It was edited by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña.