With all the Padre fans downtown this weekend along with the Dodger fans who are coming down from L-A to see the games tonight and tomorrow night, one of San Diego’s biggest problems will be in full view.
Despite Mayor Gloria and the police department’s recent efforts to clear sidewalks of homeless tents and make-shift shelters, visitors downtown will see lots of people who are homeless.
And a new report today from the Voice of San Diego confirms what most already believe, that the homeless problem is not getting better, and it could be a while before it does.
An investigation by reporter Lisa Halverstadt found that “the city doesn’t have enough shelter beds – or shelter beds that meet specific homeless residents needs such as bottom bunks for seniors – to meet demand.
“This is despite the city’s push to add hundreds of new city shelter beds over the past year. City and Housing Commission officials acknowledge the city needs more shelter beds and options and hope to add nearly 250 more beds this fall.”
And despite these findings by the Voice of San Diego and despite all the public outcry just a couple of weeks ago from San Diego basketball legend Bill Walton, our homeless problem doesn’t appear to be much improved.
But maybe we are at a point, as everyone in San Diego is thinking about and hoping for big wins this weekend by the Padres, everyone, our leaders and members of the community, will be motivated to do a lot more to help us reach a victory over the problem of homelessness.
(Photo Getty Images)