Homelessness

San Diego Joins Camping Ban Case Review by US Supreme Court

September 19, 2023 by Source

On Monday, in a closed session, the San Diego City Council voted 6 to 2 to join a city in Oregon that is asking the US Supreme Court to weigh in on the legality of its camping ban. After yesterday’s vote, San Diego will file an amicus brief, or a written submission with legal arguments and recommendations about the case.

San Diego is only joining the case as an “amicus curiae,” or a “friend of the court.” This means the city isn’t party to the case, but can get permission to submit briefs and arguments supporting the city in Oregon — Grants Pass. Of course, San Diego has a reason as it just recently implemented its own camping ban.

Read the full article → 1 comment

Bill Walton: ‘Todd Gloria Has Lied to Us’

September 15, 2023 by Source

By Bill Walton/ Times of San Diego / September 15, 2023

The nightmare continues. When people treat you like they don’t care, believe them.

Todd Gloria, in his more than 3 1/2 years as mayor of what used to be America’s Finest City, has lied to us. He lied to us about who he is, what he’s done, and what he’s going to do. These lies make us distrust him and his homeless policies. Todd Gloria’s ongoing misinformation propaganda campaign promoting the terrific job he’s doing is contrary to

Read the full article → 29 comments

As South San Diego County Cities Enact Camping Bans, the Unhoused Will Be Pushed to the Border. Now There’s an Idea – A Short Satire

September 1, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

When the city of San Diego enforced its ban on homeless encampments, neighboring cities like Chula Vista experienced an influx of unhoused people.

Sebastian Martinez, the executive director of a Chula Vista-based nonprofit that provides homeless services for the South Bay, told 7SanDiego:

“We’ve already seen, even in the weeks leading up to the actual announcement of San Diego’s camping ban, a huge influx of folks, folks that aren’t from Chula Vista, National City or IB.”

And now Chula Vista, the county’s second-largest city, is considering its own homeless camping ban.

Read the full article → 16 comments

Gloria’s Homeless Encampment Didn’t Survive Hilary

August 21, 2023 by Source

Vic, a 61-year-old unsheltered man, helped others staying at Mayor Gloria’s homeless encampment to move out of the Golden Hill safe campsite before Hilary hit. Vic took the photos.

Read the full article → 8 comments

Point Loma Bakery Locks Door During Business Hours Due to Disruptions by Unhoused People – Customers Need to Ring Bell

August 14, 2023 by Source

A Point Loma bakery has announced that they are in “lock down until further notice” due to disruptions by unhoused people at their business.

Phatties Bake Shop in the 4100 block of Voltaire Street will still be open during business hours, but customers need to ring a bell for admittance. The bake shop continues to be open to the public daily from 7 p.m. to 2 p.m.

The owners say that they’ve been dealing with unhoused people stealing products, destroying property, coming in and screaming, and even one entering the bakery armed with a crowbar.

Read the full article → 11 comments

Unhoused Caretaker of Point Loma Native Garden to Move On … Into a Home with Plans to Launch Bridge Between Housed and Unhoused

August 11, 2023 by Source

By Dorian Hargrove and Brian White / CBS8 / August 10, 2023

Michael Garvey rakes the dirt path at the Point Loma Native Garden in Ocean Beach. He cleans the area, removes leaves and weeds, wipes the wooden benches, and supplies treats to the dogs who go for walks in the garden. But soon, Garvey will not work at the small garden any longer.

Garvey is not a city employee who has been transferred to another job, he is a homeless senior who has been unhoused for nearly 40 years and has lived in the park for most of the past two years.

Read the full article → 1 comment

San Diego Mainstream Media Parrot City’s Account of Homeless Camp Site

August 10, 2023 by Staff

By Geoff Page

On Monday, August 7, The Rag requested a tour of the city’s “hot lot” camping site at the City Operations facility as a follow up on The Rag’s two previous stories about the site. Some of the media had previously requested a site visit but had been rebuffed on privacy grounds. The Rag decided to try anyway.

Three hours after the email requesting the tour, the city responded informing The Rag about a media event scheduled for the next day, Tuesday, August 8. A link was provided that brought up an invitation for the media to tour the site. It was dated the same day as The Rag’s email, Monday, August 7.

Read the full article → 1 comment

OB Rag Refutes Mayor Gloria’s Tent Count at ‘Hot Lot’

August 7, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

The OB Rag is refuting Mayor Gloria’s count of the number of tents at San Diego’s official homeless encampment, otherwise known as the city’s “first safe sleeping site” or “hot lot.”

Last Wednesday, August 2, the Rag posted reporter Geoff Page’s account of his “revisit” on Tuesday, Aug. 1 to the city operations yard at B and 20th. He wasn’t allowed inside — as no media have — so had to rely on views of the encampment from the hill just to its east. Page reported that there were 55+ tents altogether.

Then Mayor Gloria announced on Thursday that as of Wednesday night, August 2, 111 people slept at the site and were staying “in 93 tents,”

Read the full article → 3 comments

The Rag Revisits Gloria’s ‘Hot Lot’ Homeless Encampment

August 3, 2023 by Staff

By Geoff Page

It has been three weeks since The Rag’s story on the city’s homeless encampment at the city’s Central Operations Station. The hot lot. A return visit was in order to see if the facility was doing any better after all of the criticism in the media. Sadly, not much better at all.

There have been changes. During the last visit, the facility consisted a large fenced area with one interior fence. There was a large area for tents and a small area for a trailer, restrooms and wash stands. The trailer appears to be an office.

Read the full article → 7 comments

The Twists and Turns of Mayor Gloria Over Smart Streetlights and Homelessness

August 2, 2023 by Source

By Michael Smolens / San Diego Union-Tribune /July 30, 2023

A political heat dome is hovering over Mayor Todd Gloria on a couple of fronts. The mayor is supporting smart streetlights, with cameras and license plate reading technology, but has faced the ire of some privacy advocates, who point to his earlier comments about reining in use of surveillance tools.

Similarly, Gloria has been hounded about his approach to homelessness since almost the beginning of his administration two and a half years ago.

Read the full article → 0 comments

Food Is Running Out at OB’s Loaves & Fishes Pantry

July 27, 2023 by Frank Gormlie


KPBS ran a story yesterday about dwindling supplies at OB’s food pantry run by Loaves & Fishes, which is supported by six different churches in the OB-Point Loma area.

People gather and wait for hours at Sunset Cliffs and Saratoga Avenue for food distribution to begin.

But Patrick Swanner, the pantry coordinator for Loaves & Fishes, told KPBS:

“This is the first time since I’ve started that I’ve actually been worried about feeding people.”

Read the full article → 1 comment

‘The City Has Done a Lousy Job of Setting Up the First Camping Site’

July 12, 2023 by Source

By Geoff Page

By now, most folks have probably heard about the tent camping site the city set up for the homeless. The reviews have not been favorable. The Rag decided to have a look.

The site is located at the city’s Central Operations Station, 20th and B streets. This is a long facility as can be seen in the photos. The camping site is at the far northeastern end, 1,145 feet from the front entrance. That is how far a resident would have to walk just to reach B St.

Read the full article → 16 comments

Slim Majority of City Council Finalizes Their Ban on Tent Encampments

June 28, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

On Tuesday, June 27, the San Diego City Council approved the City’s controversial “Unsafe Camping Ordinance,” which bans tent encampments in certain public areas of the city in its second and final vote on the measure.

The exact same line-up of council members voted for and against it as they had back on June 13.

Reportedly, once the city launches a Safe Sleeping Program that would allow for more than 500 tents at two sites near Balboa Park –the first one is expected to open by July 1st on 20th and B St. — enforcement of the new rules would begin 30 days afterwards.

Read the full article → 3 comments

Most Comprehensive Survey Ever on California Homeless Crisis

June 22, 2023 by Source

By Marisa Kendall/ KPBS – CalMatters / June 20, 2023

Losing income is the No. 1 reason Californians end up homeless — and the vast majority of them say a subsidy of as little as $300 a month could have kept them off the streets.

That’s according to a new study out of UC San Francisco that provides the most comprehensive look yet at California’s homeless crisis.

Read the full article → 5 comments

LA Mayor Has Moved 14,000 Homeless Off the Streets in Her First 6 Months

June 20, 2023 by Source

By Ruben Vives, Doug Smith / Los Angeles Times / June 14, 2023

More than 14,000 people experiencing homelessness have been moved off the streets during the first six months of her administration, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass reported Tuesday.

About 30%, or 4,332, acquired permanent housing. An additional 10,049 people were placed in interim housing through city and county programs from December through May, Bass said — a 27% increase over the same period the year before.

Read the full article → 8 comments

A Slim Majority of San Diego City Council Approves Controversial Ban on Homeless Encampments

June 14, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

New Ordinance Is Very Majestic for It Not Only Bans the Poor from Camping on Public Land, It Also Bans the Rich from Camping on Public Land

Late last night, a slim majority of the San Diego City Council approved a controversial homeless camping ban — that was amended with some changes.

After hundreds of people testified over four hours either in Chambers or online — most of whom opposed the proposed ordinance — and after another 6 hours or so of staff presentations and debate, Council members Marni von Wilpert, Joe LaCava, Stephen Whitburn – the author of the proposal, Jen Campbell, and Raul Campillo passed the ordinance. Council members Sean Elo-Rivera, Monica Montgomery Steppe, Kent Lee and Vivian Moreno voted against it.

Read the full article → 5 comments

The Law, in Its Majesty: King Todd’s ‘Unauthorized Camping Ban’

June 13, 2023 by Source

By Mat Wahlstrom

Today, June 13, the City Council will vote to make appearing unhoused in public illegal. Euphemistically called a ‘unauthorized camping ban,” its purpose is to pretend to solve a problem by making it invisible.

Despite winning election largely by campaigning to solve the homeless crisis that undid the political prospects of his predecessor, Todd Gloria has doubled down on Kevin Faulconer’s policy of all stick and no carrot. Cynically or not, yesterday even Faulconer called out this latest effort

Read the full article → 8 comments

As County and Downtown Hit Record Highs of Unhoused Citizens, San Diego City Council to Consider Mayor’s Plan to Restrict Homeless Encampments

June 9, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

As San Diego Mayor Gloria called for the City Council to pass an ordinance on June 13th restricting homeless encampments throughout the city, recent counts of the county and downtown’s unhoused population show record highs.

A count conducted in January found a record high 10,264 homeless people throughout San Diego County, including 5,171 living outdoors or in vehicles. The results of the Jan. 26 count represent a 22 percent increase from last year’s count of 8,427 homeless people.

Read the full article → 4 comments

County Joins City in Plan to Buy Ocean Beach Apartments, Ramada Inn and 2 Other Hotels

May 24, 2023 by Source

By Gary Warth / San Diego Union-Tribune / May 23, 2023

A divided county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday agreed to authorize up to $32 million in loans toward the city of San Diego’s potential purchase of four residential properties that could be used to house more than 300 homeless people.

The city’s Housing Commission is considering buying the properties with money from the state’s Project Homekey program, and the purchases are contingent on receiving the grants.

Read the full article → 0 comments

Homeless Encampments Swept Out from Downtown End Up in Riverbed and on Ocean Beach Bike Path

May 23, 2023 by Staff

Wesley Hill, a 25-year resident of Ocean Beach, is upset. While riding the Ocean Beach bike path on his bicycle, after dodging trash and debris from homeless encampments along the pathway, he ran into a skateboard, crashed head first, cracking some teeth and costing him dental bills.

Hill told Brian White of CBS8:

“The bike path has been a mess for months, if not years. Encampments, other people using it to do drugs, it’s become a public toilet. Frequently, you see shopping carts all over the place.”

Read the full article → 9 comments

Housing Commission to Apply for State Funds to Buy Abbott St. Apartments in OB and Midway’s Ramada Inn for Homeless Residents

May 17, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

At their May 12 meeting, the San Diego Housing Commission unanimously agreed to apply for state funds to help purchase a vacant apartment building at 2147 Abbott Street in Ocean Beach and the Ramada Inn in the Midway District  to provide permanent housing for homeless people.

The Commissioners voted to apply for up to $5 million to help purchase the apartment building which would create 13 units. Vacant since January 2022, the property — if bought — would provide 13 units for people who had experienced chronic homelessness and whose income is up to 30 percent of the area median income, which is $27,350 a year for a one-person household.

Read the full article → 38 comments

How Reagan’s Decision to Close Mental Institutions Led to the Homelessness Crisis

April 25, 2023 by Source

By Divya Kakaiya, Ph.D., M.S./ San Diego Union-Tribune Op-Ed / April 24, 2023

As a psychologist who began practicing nearly 40 years ago, I’ve seen a significant shift in the care of the mentally ill since the mid-1980s — and it hasn’t been for the better.

After the deinstitutionalization movement began in California in the 1960s, many state mental health hospitals closed, forcing many folks who needed a lot of care onto the streets.

Read the full article → 23 comments

Opposition Grows to So-Called Proposed Tenant Protections – San Diego Council Votes Tuesday, April 25

April 25, 2023 by Staff

The San Diego City Council will vote Tuesday, April 25th at 2 pm on an ordinance proposed by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera to provide protections to renters from eviction as long as they continue to pay rent and comply with their lease.

But opposition to the proposal is growing and residents are being rallied to call in or attend the meeting to show or voice issues they have with it.

Read the full article → 0 comments

San Diego Homeless Turned Away From Shelters Every Day

April 21, 2023 by Source

By Gary Warth / San Diego Union-Tribune / April 18, 2023

After six years of homelessness, Edward Honore has had it with life on the street.

“I was just stabbed the other day, in my own neighborhood,” he said, rolling up his blood-stained right sleeve to expose a fresh scar. Honore was standing in line just past 8 a.m. one recent morning at the Neil Good Day Center, a drop-in facility for homeless people in downtown San Diego. Like others in line, he hoped to be assigned a bed in a city-funded shelter operated by the Alpha Project or Father Joe’s Villages.

Read the full article → 1 comment

Sign Petition Against San Diego’s Proposed Ordinance to Ban Homeless People From Camping on Public Property

April 21, 2023 by Source

From Change.org Petition Stop Criminalizing Homelessness in San Diego Further

It is very short-sighted and unconscionable to pass the ordinance proposed jointly by Councilmember Whitburn and Mayor Gloria as it currently stands.

The proposed ordinance proves to be uncertain in its efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of San Diego’s homeless population as it calls for inhumane practices by confiscating people’s property

Read the full article → 1 comment

San Diego’s Plan to Crackdown on Encampments Hits a Legal Challenge

March 29, 2023 by Source

by Cody Dulaney/ inewsource / March 28, 2023

A Superior Court judge could undermine San Diego’s strategy to clear homeless encampments from city sidewalks and parks.

This afternoon, Judge Yvonne Campos is set to hear final arguments in a pretrial hearing for a misdemeanor case against a 59-year-old unhoused woman charged with encroachment. It’s a city law that was intended to prohibit trash cans from blocking a sidewalk, but San Diego police have increasingly used it to break up tent encampments that officials say pose a risk to health and safety.

Read the full article → 0 comments

San Diego’s ‘Trailergate’ Gets Some Attention

March 20, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

Somebody was listening.

Late last week, we reported that the city was close to utilizing 12 or 13 of the trailers it had stored for 3 years, given to the city by the state for unhoused needy families. On Wednesday, March 15, the San Diego City Council‘s Rules Committee had voted unanimously to move forward a plan to open a safe parking lot in the Clairemont – Rose Canyon neighborhood for people who sleep overnight in campers or other vehicles.

We’ve been covering the “lost trailers” for the homeless for weeks in the hopes there would be some public and or media traction that would pressure the Gloria administration to get on the ball and put the trailers to the use that was intended.

Read the full article → 4 comments

If All California’s Homeless Lived in One Place, They’d Make Up the 32nd Largest City in the State

March 17, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

California is now home to more than 171,000 homeless individuals, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a 6.2% increase since 2020.

Roughly 67%, or more than 115,000 are unsheltered meaning that they’re living outside.

If all the state’s homeless individuals lived in one locale, they’d make up the 32nd largest city in California. This may not seem so much. But consider this.

Read the full article → 12 comments

After 3 Years in Storage, San Diego Finally Readies Trailers for the Homeless

March 16, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

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.

Read the full article → 1 comment

Removing Tents and Criminalizing the Houseless Are Not Solutions; Housing Is

February 24, 2023 by Source

A tent is a tent, but for many it’s the safest, most private space someone may have while experiencing homelessness.

By Amy Denhart / SD Union-Tribune Op-Ed / Feb. 21, 2023

Imagine having everything you own taken from you at a moment’s notice and being forced to scramble to find a place to sleep night after night, week after week.

More and more of our unsheltered neighbors are subjected to this life as homelessness increases and housing costs skyrocket across San Diego. Our officials respond by ordering homeless residents to take down tents during daylight hours, a misguided policy intended to prevent encampments from forming.

Read the full article → 2 comments

← Older Articles

Newer Articles →