After storing for 3 years more than a dozen empty trailers meant to be used by homeless people, San Diego appears ready – finally – to utilize them for a safe parking lot in the Clairemont neighborhood near Rose Canyon.
The 20 trailers were given to the city by the state for the unhoused during the height of the pandemic. But for some reason, the city just stored 13 of them near the city’s Rose Canyon Operations Yard on Morena Boulevard — north of Costco. (It’s unclear where the other 7 are.)
So, San Diego’s Trailergate — a minor scandal that no one really cares much about — may soon be over.
On Wednesday, March 15, the San Diego City Council‘s Rules Committee moved forward a plan to open a safe parking lot in the Clairemont neighborhood for people who sleep overnight in campers or other vehicles.
Times of San Diego reported:
The Rules Committee advanced the proposal to the full City Council next week. Under the proposal, Jewish Family Service of San Diego would operate the lot, located near the city’s Rose Canyon Operations Yard. It will operate 24 hours a day and provide access to services to “secure employment, financial stability and more on their path to long-term housing,” a city statement reads.
The city’s Safe Parking program includes the Mission Valley site and two additional locations in Kearny Mesa. … The proposed Clairemont location will provide 15 spaces for parking, as well as 12 camper trailers for Safe Parking participants to live in as they work to end their homelessness. The trailers come equipped with beds, showers and bathrooms and were provided to cities by the state as part of its emergency response to the homelessness crisis. …
The new lot is anticipated to cost $474,000 through the end of June and around $975,000 annually.
(Why do city officials keep calling them “camper trailers”?) Back on Feb. 22, the Rag reported:
The OB Rag located 13 of the unused trailers adjacent to the City’s Rose Canyon Operation Yard at 3775 Morena Boulevard.
Nice and brand new, the trailers are generally 8 feet wide by 25 or 30 feet long and are standard recreational vehicles that are towed behind cars and trucks. They have “pop-out” spare rooms and appear ready to receive needy people experiencing homelessness.
San Diego received the trailers 3 years ago under the Mayor Faulconer administration. Faulconer, obviously, did nothing with them. Then came Todd Gloria, who likewise has not done anything with them.
Until now, hopefully.
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I emailed the city to find out about these trailers. On February 21, I asked:
“I am trying to find out when and where the city plans to deploy the 13 trailers at the city’s Rose Canyon Operations yard. Please advise. Thank you.”
Here was the response on March 7:
“North of the operations yard located at 3775 Morena Blvd. Driving south on Morena, the trailers are visible.”
They didn’t even read my email that said I knew WHERE the trailers were. I asked my question again March 7 and have yet to receive a response of any kind. I just emailed them again.