Giving Back: Homelessness in San Diego

Helping to Combat Homelessness in San Diego

By Whitney Benzian Photos by Evgeny Yorobe Photography

For most of us here on the island, the holiday season stirs up warm memories of friends and family gathering to celebrate and engage in long-held customs and traditions. We pursue these rituals around long, bountiful dining room tables covered with decadent dishes and a crackling fire. We want for nothing. We are lucky indeed.

However, just beyond our golden beaches, stylish restaurants and customcrafted homes lies another San Diego, one many of us rarely see.

This story is a snapshot of a much less fortunate world beyond Coronado’s city limits into San Diego County’s homelessness crisis, a population that severely needs our attention.

We will survey the numbers and socioeconomic issues. This is simply a glimpse of the problem and by no means attempts to capture all the nuances and contributing factors to this deep societal failure.

So, how did we get here? The homeless population while always present in San Diego in some form or another appears to have grown significantly over the last decade and the numbers back this up. To better understand this, one must turn to the 1980s.

According to the United States Interagency on Homelessness, modern day homelessness began in the early 1980s and they point to the emergence of four prominent factors. 1) The loss of affordable housing and an uptick in foreclosures; 2) wages and public assistance did not keep up with the cost of living; 3) closures of state psychiatric institutions without the creation of sufficient community-based housing aid services; and 4) rapid income inequality that contributed to changes in local housing markets.

Fast forward to 2020 and many of these factors are still prevalent and appear to remain contributing causes to our current state of affairs.

Let’s take a look at the numbers. According the United States Housing and Urban Development Agency, in 2019 the country’s homeless population sits at about 552,830, while California has approximately 151,278. The San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH), a local authority on this matter, published a report stating the number is closer to 129,972 or 25% of the nation’s homeless population. The Public Policy Institute of California uses the 130,000 number but qualifies it by noting it likely doesn’t account for the many “sheltered” homeless individuals who may be “couch surfing” and lacking a stable roof over their heads.

San Diego County's population, which from my research disproportionately affects people of color, stands at about 8,102 according to the local 2019 pointin-time count. When San Diego’s 2-1-1 organization examined the correlations between high housing costs and homelessness, they found that “nearly 5,000 of them are living unsheltered on the streets, in vehicles, canyons and other places people aren’t meant to be living.” Over the course of any given year, the RTFH also states “more than 20,000 people experience homelessness” in San Diego.

It may be your experience with homelessness is mainly in Downtown San Diego. This homeless hub accounts for around 645 individuals. The Downtown San Diego Partnership, a business organization that runs Clean

& Safe, a homeless outreach program, breaks down the number of homeless individuals by city of San Diego neighborhoods in a 2020 report, below (downtownsandiego.org). AREA EAST VILLAGE CITY CENTER GASLAMP TOTAL: 547 379 123 45

The homeless population can be found in almost every corner of San Diego County. Data obtained in the graph below is from the San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness (rtfhsd.org) 2020 report. AREA City of San North County North County South County East County Diego – Inland – Coastal

Total: 7,619 4,887 603 635 473 1,021

These numbers give San Diego County the fourth largest homeless population in the country, just behind New York City, Los Angeles, and Seattle — a ranking that makes it hard for San Diego to proudly market their slogan as “America’s Finest City.”

This population is a diverse group that ranges widely from the recently unemployed to victims of domestic violence, the formerly incarcerated who take refuge in homeless shelters because they aren’t eligible for most housing programs, to youth aging out of the foster care system, to name just a few.

Many struggle with mental illness or addiction. Right now because of Covid-19 rules, the homeless on the streets of Downtown who are using drugs are “the most difficult” because “they have refused help multiple times (actually hundreds) while there is actually enough space (at least temporary space) for people who seek help,” according to a leader in the business and homeless arena.

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, law enforcement’s hands can be tied because coupled with coronavirus-related restrictions, “under a 1967 state law known as the Lanteram-Petris-Short Act, Californians can be held for treatment against their will only if they are deemed a danger to themselves or others or gravely disabled.” This, as you can see, can be subjective.

One segment we don’t often read about is our veteran homeless population. On any given night in California, we have 11,000 veterans on our streets or 8% of the State’s total homeless population. Among homeless veterans, California has the dubious distinction of having the “nation’s highest share that [sic] are unsheltered (67%).” If a silver lining is to be found, it’s that this population has declined over the course of the decade but is still cause for concern.

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer recently said that “the San Diego region has prioritized getting veterans who served our country off the streets for good. We reduced veteran homelessness by 43% since 2019 and housed hundreds this year.” He went on to add: “It’s great progress, but we won’t rest until every hero has a home.”

While these numbers seem insurmountable, San Diego has a variety of organizations and agencies committed to solving this systemic problem that work to make a meaningful and positive impact.

So, who are these groups and how can you help?

THE SAN DIEGO HOUSING COMMISSION –

“HOUSING OUR HEROES” PROGRAM

If you own rental housing units or know someone who does, the San Diego Housing Commission runs a program called “Housing Our Heroes.” According to the commission, “between 1,000 to 1,600 homeless individuals in the city are U.S. military Veterans, men and women who served their country, but they don’t have a place to call home.” This program aims to pair vacant units with honorably discharged vets.

HOW TO REACH THEM:

The San Diego Housing Commission 1222 Broadway, Unit 300 | San Diego, CA 92101 | (619) 231-9400 | Sdhc.org

THE MONARCH SCHOOL

Another vulnerable segment of this population are families and children. There are more than 1.2 million homeless students across the country and 23,000 in San Diego County. This number speaks for itself. The Monarch School, for over 30 years, has successfully educated homeless youth. You can help them with a financial contribution or by volunteering. Longtime Monarch School supporter and Coronado local Camille Guerin-Boatwright had this to say:

“Monarch is grateful for the support of many Coronado locals who have provided turkeys during the holidays as well as clothes and other essentials. With campus being closed during the pandemic, an efficient way to contribute to the school is to look at their wish list on Amazon and your gifts will be delivered directly to school.” They also have a comprehensive wish list to guide you, or you can make a monetary contribution. If you wish to purchase from this list and would like some guidance, you can email Sarah Krueger at SKrueger@monarchschools.org

HOW TO REACH THEM:

The Monarch School 1625 Newton Ave. | San Diego, CA 92113 (619) 652-4100 | Monarchschools.org

THE DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO PARTNERSHIP The Partnership runs a number of programs to address homelessness:

THE FAMILY REUNIFICATION PROGRAM

This program is designed to reconnect homeless individuals with their families and loved ones across the country. The program enables individuals to rebuild the much-needed support systems crucial to ending the cycle of homelessness.

MAKE CHANGE COUNT

“Make Change Count” is a donation-based program that serves as a fundraising umbrella for Downtown’s homeless initiatives. The red donation station meters you see throughout Downtown accept coin, credit, and debit card donations. The meters are designed to provide the public with an opportunity to donate to programs that effectively address and reduce homelessness.

THE CLEAN & SAFE PROGRAM

For the area residents and business owners, The Partnership operates the Clean & Safe program. The Clean & Safe team works day in and day out to keep Downtown at its best with enhanced maintenance and safety services, including beautification efforts and a comprehensive homeless outreach program on behalf of property owners. Clean & Safe is funded by Downtown property owners and its service area of the district covers 275 blocks of Downtown and includes the following neighborhoods: City Center, Columbia District, Cortez Hill, East Village, Gaslamp Quarter, and Marina.

HOW TO REACH THEM:

The Downtown San Diego Partnership 401 B Street, Suite 100 | San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 234-0201 | Clean & Safe Office (619) 234-8900 | Downtownsandiego.org

• Whitney Benzian is a Coronado city council member and is also a residential real estate advisor with Douglas Elliman. He is a longtime resident of Coronado and lives in town with his wife, January and their three children.

• Evgeny Yorobe is a local San Diego photographer who skillfully captures the beauty of his hometown of San Diego. Evgeny's art is available for purchase at www.sandiego-landscapes.com or (858) 467-0952.