The city has stopped welcoming new clients at many of its homeless shelters and both of its safe sleeping sites to prepare for the possible closure of a Midway shelter.
Following Mayor Todd Gloria’s decision last week not to include nearly $5 million for the city and county-backed shelter in his final budget proposal, Housing Commission Senior Vice President Casey Snell said city officials last Thursday began temporarily halting intakes at eight other shelters and two safe campsites so officials can focus on moving Midway shelter residents elsewhere.
As of this Thursday, Snell said 136 people were staying at the Midway shelter, often called the Rosecrans shelter since it’s next to the county’s Rosecrans Street health complex.
“SDHC continues to work with (the city’s homelessness department) to prevent any current Rosecrans shelter clients from returning to the streets if the Rosecrans shelter’s operations end,” Snell wrote in an email.
Why this is rough: The decision to halt intakes comes at a time when only one in 10 requests for shelter in the city result in an unsheltered person moving off the street. The city’s call means fewer homeless residents will get shelter. Police will still be able to move people into 100 beds set aside for their referrals but those beds are often full too. The seven shelters that will still take referrals from other outreach workers serve specific populations such as young adults and families, meaning they can’t accommodate all who want shelter.
So is the Midway shelter really closing? TBD. The shelter is now a partnership between the city, county and philanthropists. Gloria wants the county to take over operations as the city faces a $258 budget shortfall and has raised concerns about an upcoming demolition that will force a utility shutoff. County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer earlier this week persuaded fellow supervisors to direct $800,000 in unspent federal stimulus funds to chip away at the estimated $1 million to $2 million in expected new utility hookup costs. Lawson-Remer hasn’t proposed that the county take over operations of the shelter and it’s unlikely a board majority would support that.
What’s next: The City Council and the Board of Supervisors will ultimately decide next month whether to keep the shelter open when they vote on their respective budgets. In the meantime, Midway shelter residents and workers are anxious and upset.
School Closures Likely Coming For South Bay Union
School districts across San Diego County have long grappled with a troubling long-term trend: enrollment decline. The loss of students, which accelerated during the pandemic, has thinned budgets and led to fiscal belt tightening. But almost no other district has been hit as hard as South Bay Union School District.
Over the past decade, enrollment at the district has fallen by about 50 percent, inewsource reports. What’s worse is that officials predict the drop will continue in coming years, continuing to bring funding down with it.
That enrollment decline tsunami has forced tough conversations about the district’s future. During a special board meeting last week, Superintendent Jose Espinoza revealed his plan: closing three schools, one per year, over the next three years. District officials also foresee staff cuts being necessary.
The plan differs from one developed by an advisory committee and faces opposition from community members and staff. Still, a final decision could come as soon as next week.
A Plane Crash and Broken Weather Instruments
Six people died and several were injured Thursday after a small plane crashed into a residential street in the Murphy Canyon neighborhood.The area is home to many military families.
The Union-Tribune reported that the plane crashed around 3:45 a.m. Homes and cars caught fire and powerlines were damaged. A resident told the paper that “you could see the entire strip of flames across the street.”
What happened? It’s unclear at this point. But KPBS reported that weather instruments at Montgomery Field Airport had not been working since earlier this week. The instruments provide information that pilots rely on to land planes.
In Other News
- A KPBS analysis found that Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposal to dial back the city’s accessory dwelling unit program following significant backlash would reduce opportunities to build more affordable housing in neighborhoods with the best schools, jobs and other resources.
- A new audit reveals that the region’s transportation agency didn’t reform its contracting system after criticism about a lack of oversight and a series of no-bid contracts. (Union-Tribune)
- A white actress has sued the county after one of its libraries barred her from playing Black civil rights leaders for a Women’s History Month show. (KPBS)
- The Union-Tribune profiled incoming county Medical Examiner Jonathan Lucas, who has spent most of his career working in the office he’ll soon lead.
- Pope Leo XIV has appointed a new bishop of San Diego’s Catholic diocese. (City News Service)
- The Oceanside City Council reneged its plan to fly the rainbow flag for LGBTQ Pride Month on Wednesday. (Union-Tribune)
The Morning Report was written by Lisa Halverstadt and Andrea Lopez-Villafaña. It was edited by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña.