The recent one day count of the number of homeless people in San Diego has raised some eyebrows and some frowns.
An overall increase of five percent but a much larger percent increase in the number of homeless living on the streets and not in shelters. More than 5,600 of them. With nearly a 60 percent increase in the number tents and handmade enclosures on the streets, sidewalks, parking lots and embankments.
And if you go downtown much, that is not a surprise. Just look around.
The columnist for the SD Union Tribune, Dan McSwain, who was once homeless himself, describes the situation as a moral, economic and community tragedy.
And as much as there are reports showing San Diego behind other cities in making progress solving its homeless problem and with there being lots of meetings and talk about it, as McSwain pointed out to KOGO News again this week, not much action.
The executive director of the Regional Task Force on the Homeless recently appeared to set an optimistic tone by saying the record-breaking number of volunteers who came out to count the homeless is evidence that San Diego deeply cares about the homeless and finding a solution.
Maybe, maybe not. Caring is one thing. Doing is another.
And when it comes to solving the homeless problem in San Diego, it’s time to get doing what needs to be done and begin ending the disturbing and embarrassing situation for a city that still wants to be known as America’s Finest.
(Photo credit Getty Images)