If you’ve thought that the problem of homelessness in San Diego has been getting worse, you’re right. And if you’ve thought, or at least hoped, the problem of homelessness was getting better, you’re wrong.
The numbers in the new report just released by the San Diego Regional Task Force on the Homeless paints a pretty bleak picture.
A record high total of 10,262 homeless people in San Diego County. Up from 8.427 in last year’s count. A 22-percent increase. From the east county to the coast.
In the city of San Diego, there was a 32 percent increase. The number of people living on sidewalk encampments downtown rose to nearly 2,000.
And in addition to the higher numbers of homeless, a greater percentage of them are now women and seniors.
So is the problem bad? For sure. And that's despite continued efforts to help the homeless find housing, the numbers show the problem has gotten worse.
So will these new numbers speed up efforts to reduce homelessness in our communities? Will they spark new ideas about how to do it? And do we have the money, both private and public, that it may take to win the battle against homelessness in San Diego?
Aren’t we supposed to be America’s Finest City?
(Photo Getty Images)
Photo: AFP via Getty Images