It has been a busy summer
for the City of San Diego.
One big challenge making an impact
on the homelessness crisis.
A brand new ban on homeless
encampments in public areas has led
to many questions about shelters and
enforcement of the new ordinance.
So as you can see,
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria is joining
us tonight for his monthly visit
to answer some of your questions.
Mayor, welcome. Appreciate it.
The Unsafe Camping Ordinance.
It seems like we talked about
it for many months.
And then finally, about 10 days ago,
last week, Monday,
it actually went into effect.
Do you have a status update?
Our police actually are
giving people a grace period,
a little warning period as
we get used to this new ban.
Well, I would say it's going well.
What do I mean by that?
Well in the 10 days as you mentioned
of enforcement to date we have had
no custodial arrests under the unsafe
camping ordinance because we're
leading with progressive enforcement
model multiple touches education of
the general public Before we can do
an arrest or even threaten that what
we're seeing our folks are dispersing.
Many of them are accepting shelter
often for the first time often
that the threat of enforcement is
causing them to accept shelter.
And the good news is Marcella is
that we're seeing them go to our
safe sleeping site and other shelter
locations which allows us to give
them wrap around services that will
hopefully in their homelessness.
Critics had were concerned that this
would criminalize being homeless.
And I know that you we're trying to
say that something needs to be done.
We can't allow people to
sleep out our streets.
And so 10 days in,
it does appear that people are
accepting some of those resources.
Some are, others are moving along.
This is only 10 days in.
We have more work that must be done,
but I'm encouraged by
what we've seen to date.
I have a lot of respect for our
San Diego police officers as
well as our entire homelessness
ecosystem who have spent the month
after the council vote but before
enforcement going out and educating
and making sure that unsheltered
individuals know what the rules are.
Now, I think that's what the
value of this is beyond the most
important thing which the health
and safety on our city streets.
But it's also setting expectations for
everyone in our community about what
is acceptable in the public rights of
way. Talk about those safe sleeping
sites. How are those going?
Well, we have our first one open.
It's been open for a little over a month.
Our provider is a nonprofit
called Dreams for Change.
They're doing an extraordinary job.
In fact, I believe one of your reporters was
able to take a tour of it just yesterday.
Marcella, what we see are over 100
individuals that are there right now.
Today, they are getting connected to services
and we still have some capacity on that site.
So we continue to invite people
to accept shelter and services.
I've heard an anecdote,
but I'm looking for more details.
And we already have our first
person from the safe sleeping site
graduate into permanent housing.
And so this is exactly what's intended.
Leaving them on the sidewalk
is a recipe for death.
Getting them into care,
getting them triaged and then helping
them move on to permanent housing,
that is what we want to do.
And they benefit because they're no
longer unsheltered and the community
benefits because we no longer have
the unhealthy and unsafe encampments
in front of homes and businesses.
I know it is a delicate balance
and the homelessness crisis has
expanded since the pandemic.
On Monday, a couple days ago we
reported that the mayor's 12 mayor's
including yourself signed a pledge
because there has been a lot of finger
pointing over the past few years.
People who are homeless kind
of move from city to city.
Different cities have different resources,
different shelter availabilities.
What was the pledge that you all signed
on Monday to kind of work together?
Well, it's not binding pledge but
it's a step in the right direction.
What it says is that we the
12 mayor's that were there.
Reminder, there are 18 cities
in the county of San Diego,
so it wasn't everybody,
but the 12 mayor's who were there said
that we all acknowledge this is our
number one problem in our region and
that will work collectively to address it.
You know it's not finger pointing
when you point out that the city of
San Diego has 57% of our region's
homelessness but 85% of our shelter beds.
We are other cities are relying on
the taxpayers of the city of San Diego
to solve their homelessness problem
and it's important to me that every
city in this county does its fair share.
Marcela,
There are communities that have seen
skyrocketing rates of homelessness,
but those same cities still have
0 shelter beds even to this day.
Those cities need to be acknowledged and
called out because they have the same
resources I have to solve this problem.
And if they don't,
all they're doing is sweeping
them into into San Diego and we
just can't continue to do that.
We all have a role to play
in solving this crisis.
And I know I I think there are different
approaches and solving homelessness,
but you know, some people feel strongly
that there needs to be a big emphasis
put on mental health services and trying
to combat drug addiction resources.
But is that part of the big picture
plan for San Diego? Absolutely.
This, I think your viewers should
be proud of the fact that the city
of San Diego and to a great extent
our county of San Diego have been
leaders statewide in the push for
behavioral health reform for both mental
illness and substance use disorder.
You covered extensively the care court which
was passed by the state of California,
signed in the law by Governor Newsom.
It goes into effect in San
Diego County this October.
I've been up to Sacramento multiple
times this year articulating on behalf
of changes to our conservators laws so
that we can care for our most vulnerable
who currently we cannot actually care
for because they're not sick enough.
But we don't want them to get into a crisis,
We want to serve them sooner than that.
I believe that bill will become
law this year,
and it'll be due in part to the
fact that San Diego has been
outspoken in this particular issue.
We are the second largest city
in the state of California,
so when we speak, Sacramento listens.
And whether it's care,
court or the potential for
conservatorship reform,
we're not just only focused on St.
homelessness,
we're focused on the underlying causes,
addiction, mental illness,
and of course,
housing production.
We only have about 30 seconds left,
so let's move to housing production.
You have a housing action Plan 2.0.
I know you were hoping to have Senate
Bill 10 be supported by the Commission,
but that and that was to replace single
family homes with units up to 10.
Your major transport, yes,
your public transportation areas.
How do you move forward
without that component?
Well, that package has ten other reforms
that were unanimously endorsed in advance
and those will make a big difference.
They'll do everything for student
housing to take an old retail centers
and turning them into housing, taking
public property and turning into housing.
And there's a number of other
things that are really good and
powerful tools that will help.
SP10 was 1 component of that.
I think SP10 would be helpful to
provide the kind of entry level
housing that so many of us need.
Those townhomes, those row homes,
those things they left folks
to get a foot in the door when
it comes to home ownership.
Obviously that didn't advance,
but these other 10 reforms are
substantial and they will make a
difference in our housing crisis.
All right. I imagine this will be a
conversation that will continue to have.
And thank you for that very latest
update on the unsafe camping ordinance.
That seems like great news so far
in the 1st 10 days. Thanks, Mayor,
so far. We'll keep at it.
Appreciate it, Carla.