Displaced, homeless, seeking shelter - How many are there? Thousands, and San Diego California has a significant number of the homeless and displaced. Jen Lebron Kuhney placed the number at 4,526 in 2009 stating in his September 21, 2010 article "Winter Shelter Discussions off to Slow Start," that "Last winter, an estimated 4,526 homeless people were living in the city (of San Diego), according to the San Diego Housing Commission."
Michael Stetz - also of Signs San Diego - cites statistics for 2010 from the San Diego Regional Task Force in the October 25, 2010 article "San Diego Homeless Numbers are Stark":
- More that half of the county's homeless - estimated to be more than 8,500 - are unsheltered.
- More than 1 in 4 (of the homeless) said they have a mental illness. Almost half struggled with alcohol or substance abuse.
- The task force also found that the majority of the homeless - 53 percent - lived in San Diego.
The series of Signs on San Diego articles indicate an ongoing crisis in homelessness.
San Diego Winter Shelter Opposed on Yearly Basis
Kuhney observed that disagreement about the winter shelter's location is an annual occurrence and noted that in the winter of 2009 council members required more than a month to negotiate a site to accommodate the San Diego homeless. Kuhney described resistance during the month-long negotiations stating, "Business leaders and downtown residents again were opposed. Even the lot’s owner was reluctant to host the temporary shelter a second year." This type of resistance leads to yearly delays in finding and approving San Diego winter shelter sites.
The parties involved in developing and approving a site in 2009 eventually reached an agreement, and Kuhney provided information about the size, scope, and history of San Diego winter shelters. Kuhney wrote that, "San Diego has kept the temporary homeless shelter within a six-block area for more than a decade." And he described "the shelter" as "basically a large tent." The annual saga continues in 2010.
November 3, 2010 Council Meeting to Discuss San Diego Emergency Winter Shelter
Katie Orr provides background information about the proposed site for housing the homeless for 2010 in the October 22, 2010 article "Golden Hall Likely Spot for San Diego's Winter Shelter." Orr explained that "The (San Diego) city council has given the preliminary go ahead to put the winter shelter in Golden Hall, just across the courtyard from the San Diego Civic Theater. The council reached the compromise after repeatedly deadlocking 4-to-4 on other possible locations. The council will consider a final proposal for the site on November 3rd.."
When the proposal was considered on 3 November 2010, the following items were listed on the Summary Sheet for the Special Council Meeting:
- Australian Immunisation Schedule
- High Scope Educational Research
- Kenny Chesney Tour Schedule 2005
- Education Glossary Terms
- Db2 Stored Procedure Examples