SAN DIEGO — Last week, the annual Point-in-Time Count conducted in January was released and data showed the number of homeless people living in San Diego County continues to rise.
In its annual Point-in-Time Count conducted in January, the San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness found 10,264 people living on the streets and in shelters, a 22 percent increase from the same time last year.
Deacon Jim Vargas, president and CEO at Father Joe’s Villages joined the FOUR to talk about the need urgent action and called for even more shelter beds in the region:
“We are disheartened to learn that the homeless population continues to grow in San Diego at an alarming rate, and that so many families and individuals are living on the streets. This reality underscores the urgent need for action. These numbers serve as a stark reminder that we must implement more strategic solutions to eradicate homelessness from our community.
Even with an increase in services at Father Joe’s Villages – serving 3,000 each night, expanding shelter beds during the height of the pandemic, providing medical care to more people in our health center, and opening new affordable housing communities – there are systemic challenges we must address as a community before we can put an end to homelessness for good.
It’s critical that we continue this work to expand crucial resources for people in need well into the future. We must continue to advocate for more diverse shelters, comprehensive services, including housing, meals, health care, behavioral health, employment services, and therapeutic childcare to help thousands of people overcome obstacles to housing and income.
Until we have enough shelter beds, many will remain living on the streets. Until we have enough affordable housing, the ultimate solution to homelessness, the number of unhoused will remain an issue.
Together, we must rise to the occasion and rally behind those in need, working tirelessly to provide solutions and support that result in a healthy community.”
And while the Regional Task Force on Homelessness says the actual number is much higher, the number, it says, is "sobering."
"These results show what’s been clear from our monthly reporting and from what we see on the streets – the region’s homeless system and providers simply cannot keep pace with the ever-increasing flow of people across
the county falling into homelessness for a variety of reasons,” said Tamera Kohler, the CEO of the Regional Task Force on Homelessness.
WATCH RELATED: Thousands flock to Balboa Park for Father Joe's Villages Thanksgiving 5k (Nov 2022):