You’ve heard all the stories about the growing signs of a growing problem that has been a problem for years but now appears to be worse than ever.
The problem is homelessness in San Diego. Maybe the stories of people who live downtown tell it best.
The San Diego Union Tribune went and talked to some of them and published their stories this week:
Among them, a young father who walks his two kids in strollers and sees discarded cartons of food and piles of trash were scattered around tents, in the gutter and on the street.
A mother of a three-year-old daughter whose condo, where she has lived for 9 years, is on the market because, as she puts it, “I do not feel safe.”
Another downtown resident says, “You name it, I’ve seen it…people OD on the street….people with their pants down, defecating on the street."
One man tells his story of being struck in the face with the bottle by someone living on the street and ended up in the hospital.
These are the stories from people who live in the epicenter of San Diego’s biggest problem. The city says it does regular abatements of encampments and throws away tents and other items that are considered abandoned, but they can’t keep up.
In other words, parts of downtown San Diego have become dangerous and even unhabitable for many of those who live downtown.
And despite more calls for more laws against encampments and for more shelters, this monster problem remains one without a solution.
(Photo reporting partner 10News)