Council Backs Off on ‘Tent Cities’ for Homeless

After months of studious attention to alleviating the city’s homeless problem, the San Diego City Council backed away Monday from all but the least controversial recommendations put forth by a council-appointed task force.

The council voted to delete plans for two “urban campsites” in Rose Canyon and Balboa Park from a proposal submitted by the City Homeless Action Team, directed by council members John Hartley and Valerie Stallings.

The campsites, or “tent cities” as they were characterized by irate residents, drew hostile response after the task force plan was issued last month. Constituent complaints led Hartley and Stallings, whose districts include the proposed sites, to reconsider the urban camp concept.

The council chose not to consider expanding and building three homeless shelters in the Centre City East and Logan Heights areas, after residents and property owners protested the plans last week and Monday. By not raising motions on the three proposals, the council effectively put them to rest.

Residents on the eastern border of downtown have long complained that their neighborhoods have accepted the majority of the city’s social service agencies for the homeless. According to the city manager’s office, about 90% of the shelter beds for homeless are in the two neighborhoods.

The council approved a $10,000 expansion of the Interfaith Shelter Network, a church-run program that provides shelter and counseling for homeless. The expansion will add eight to 14 beds to the program.

Also approved was a $35,000 expansion of a hotel voucher program, subsidized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The program will add about 20 beds.

San Diego has an estimated 8,000 homeless people and slightly fewer than 1,300 shelter beds available in the winter. Months ago, the council set out to augment the city’s shelter resources with 400 beds and was given recommendations by the task force plan.

Council members, social workers, property owners and the homeless were on hand Monday for a marathon public hearing in the council chambers that began in the afternoon and lasted into the night.

Few were pleased with the results.

Councilwoman Abbe Wolfsheimer voiced her exasperation, to the approval of spectators.

“We’re moving on to the next (agenda) item?” Wolfsheimer said after a confusing motion to close discussion on the homeless issue. “So we’ve done nothing in six hours?”