The City of El Cajon’s debate over a new program to store homeless people’s items after clearing out encampments is just another symptom of a huge problem locally and statewide.
Based on history over a period of decades, solving it would appear to be pretty much impossible. Reducing homeless may be the biggest and hardest problem facing every local government in almost every community.
There are plenty of efforts but many of them don’t seem to be working. Encampments are cleared. People who are homeless who see no other options just move and set up new ones, until they are cleared.
Local governments and community non-profit organizations say there is a need for more shelters and more services and more housing and more mental health and more addiction treatment.
But in almost every city in San Diego County, there are people camped out on sidewalks, in river and flood channel beds, living each day in often squalid conditions.
Conventional wisdom has suggested that just money can’t solve the problem. But more money would certainly help.
But so would more of what is really needed. More of a real commitment. And more compassion. And more willingness by local government and the community to do more.
(Photo reporting partner 10News)