What is the Issue?
Homelessness is a serious problem in San Diego. How bad is it? “A report released . . . by the San Diego Regional Task Force on the Homeless found the Jan. 25 [2019] count to be 8,102 homeless people throughout the county. Of those, 3,626 were in shelters and 4,476 were living on the streets, vehicles, canyons or other open places.” UT April 29, 2019
Loss of a job and overwhelming medical bills can get folks evicted because they can’t pay the rent. Some people with mental illness or disabilities are unable to find or stay in programs and housing. Addiction and substance abuse are also significant factors that can contribute to homelessness.
why should you care?
Many people feel compassion for people who are suffering and lacking basic needs like shelter, food and clothing, and would like to know how they can help. On the other hand, homeless encampments and congregations may be magnets for drug dealers and other criminal elements that can prey on the community and create an unsafe environment, especially for children.
Who is working on this issue?
Through a contract with the San Diego Housing Commission, the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), a nationally recognized consultant with broad expertise in homelessness, developed the City’s Community Action Plan on Homelessness. This is a comprehensive, 10-year roadmap that builds on recent progress, lays out short-term achievable goals, and serves as a guide for long-term success. The City Council adopted the plan in October 2019.
In February 2020, an interagency Leadership Council* Council convened to discuss the progress being made on the City of San Diego’s Community Action Plan on Homelessness.
San Diego is constantly working on housing solutions and other services, but there may be occasions where you need to report a problem with a homeless person, e.g. the person may make you or other family members feel unsafe or too uncomfortable to go to a public area.
Neighborhood Policing Division (NPD)
Neighborhood Policing Division (NPD) is a team of 5 police officers that handle homeless encampments and chronic offenders such as an individual persistently occupying a sidewalk. They explain resources available to the homeless, conduct field interviews, make arrests, check for warrants, issue notices for clearing encampments, and impound belongings left behind.
The NPD responds to reports from Get-It-Done and proactively patrols Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, La Jolla, Clairemont, UTC, canyons in Clairemont and Rose Creek, and all of Mission Bay Park. Work Hours: Thursday-Sunday, 5am-3pm
How Do I report a problem?
If a crime is in progress or a life-threatening emergency – call 911
If you see drug dealing or other illegal activities that threaten public safety, call SDPD non-emergency 619-531-2000 and report the activity.
If not life-threatening, call Police non-emergency 619-531-2000. Ask the dispatcher for an event #. Keep a record of this number in case you need to follow up with the police.
Report active or abandoned encampments on the Get-It-Done San Diego App > New Report > Encampment
If problem persists, email our Northern Division Community Relations Officer (see Problem Solver Directory for contact info.) You can also contact two special SDPD teams that address “quality of life” community issues related to homelessness. See below.
Homeless Outreach Team (HOT)
Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) helps homeless individuals and families that want services. HOT provides field assessments for eligibility and referral to available resources such as public assistance, crisis intervention, comprehensive case management, drug/alcohol rehabilitation placement, and psychiatric/medical treatment placement.
Work Hours: Monday-Friday, generally from 5-3pm.
Anyone, including residents observing homelessness, can request HOT services by calling 619-446-1010
#Leadership Council
*The Leadership Council is a cross-agency collaboration, alignment of resources toward systems-level thinking and accountability. The Leadership Council will review progress, problem-solve when challenges arise, identify funding and resources for implementation, and create an appropriate level of both accountability and insulation from political issues.