User:Ccmazur/Homelessness in California

San Diego
A 2023 count showed 10,203 homeless people throughout San Diego County, according to the volunteer organization WeAllCount which conducts an annual Point-in-Time count, a 14% increase from 2022. Veterans make up a significant portion of this population, with 814 homeless veterans. This was a 17% increase from the 2022 count.

A Hepatitis A outbreak in November 2017 resulted in a declaration of a health emergency, which affected the homeless population due to inadequate sanitation. In response to the health crisis, San Diego opened three emergency shelters which are expected to cost $12.9 million per year to operate. The city approved a 500-bin storage center for homeless people to store their belongings. San Diego has a history of insufficient healthcare provided to the homeless population, with a majority of homeless people in 1989 lacking any regular access to healthcare.

The city of San Diego's homeless population has fallen in recent years, but is the 6th largest in the United States with 4,801 people homeless in 2022. The large count of homeless people is juxtaposed with the existence of over 30,000 vacant housing units. San Diego has taken action to alleviate the homeless population living on the streets by encouraging housing within vehicles. In February 2019, San Diego repealed a long-standing law which made living within vehicles illegal. This came two years after the construction of a parking lot designed to provide safe residence for people who live in their cars, complete with restroom and shower facilities. The City of San Diego currently has 2,040 emergency and bridge shelters for homeless people, providing temporary housing options. The City of San Diego adopted a "Housing First" program in 2018, which plans to spend $79.7 million for programs assisting homeless people including temporary housing development, permanent housing development, rent assistance, and incentives for landlords to rent to homeless people.

During a criminal trial in 1990, San Diego police officers and supervisors testified that they routinely "cleared" downtown streets of "transients" by rounding them up before dawn and moving them to other jurisdictions such as National City or other unincorporated areas in the county.

'''In June 2023, the city of San Diego passed a ban on public camping. Enforcement of the new ordinance went into effect in late July. The ordinance creates a new "3 strike" system in which a person is first informed about the new law and given information for other services, then issued a misdemeanor on their second offence, and on their third offence can be arrested. While enforcement of the policy is contingent on availability of shelter space, police may issue citations to those encamped close to schools, existing shelters, along train and trolley lines, and in public spaces in which encampment may create a public health risk at any time regardless of shelter space. To address the lack of shelter beds, the city is creating two "safe sleeping" lots at Balboa Park's B street lot and parking lot O. The 136 tent and 400 tent sites can house people per-tent and, at full capacity, can accommodate between 516 and 1032 people. The sites provide their own tents as well as bathrooms, showers, meals, assistance to additional housing services, and 24-hour security. Residence may also bring domestic pets such as cats and dogs.'''