SAN DIEGO — San Diego City leaders are expected to vote Tuesday on a new ordinance designed to reduce the amount of people living on our streets.
It bans homeless encampments within two blocks of schools, some parks, near waterways and along trolley tracks. It would also make all camping on public property illegal when shelter options are available.
Tuesday morning, Alliance San Diego held a news conference outside city hall, calling on council members to vote no.
"The proposal that is being put forward today to ban encampments is not a real solution," said Erin Tsurumoto Grassi, Policy Director of Alliance San Diego.
"Without shame, a city council that will not provide for its own children to have a place to live, the future! Shame on this city council, shame on this mayor. Do better, we expect more," said Ricardo Flores, Executive Director, of Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) San Diego.
Councilmember Stephen Whitburn introduced this ordinance, he says the city plans to open a safe camping site with more than 500 spaces next month.
He says 42 rooms will open for families at a former Motel in Barrio Logan. Meanwhile Joanne Standlee with Housing 4 the Homeless says the city will also be losing shelter space. The San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness sent this opposition letter to city leaders.
It says the city needs to drastically increase shelter beds. according to a new city report, 1,200 people seeking shelter were turned away last year due to a lack of beds.
On Monday, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said the city’s plan doesn’t go far enough to solve the problem.
“Homelessness in San Diego has reached crisis levels,” Faulconer said Monday morning at a news conference.
Former San Diego Police Department Chief Shelley Zimmerman agreed. “If this proposal passes as written, this will literally pit street against street and neighborhood against neighborhood throughout the entire city of San Diego,” she said.
Faulconer and Zimmerman said there are not enough shelter beds in the city to handle the spike in our homeless population. They fear this ordinance will simply push unhoused individuals to other parts of the city, bringing with them crime, drugs, and trash.
For restaurant owner Mena Desiderio, the situation downtown is beyond frustrating. “Every day we come to work, it's dangerous,” Desiderio said. “It's scary. I can't keep employees.”
They want to see more bridge shelters like the one run by Alpha Project near downtown. It offers beds and services for everyone, including those struggling with addiction.
“Unless you have an alternative - a place for people to go - then you're just criminalizing homelessness,” said Alpha Project CEO Bob McElroy. “ But if you have an option - get help or get in trouble - I've seen that motivation work hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times over again when people have gotten the help.”
The city says its plan includes adding hundreds of safe camping sites and dozens of hotel rooms and targets veterans, seniors, youth, and families.
Dave Rolland, Mayor Todd Gloria’s Deputy Director of Communications, sent CBS 8 a statement in part that said,
“Our new comprehensive shelter strategy, which Mayor Gloria is bringing forward tomorrow before the City Council, lays out our plans for the short, medium and long term and demonstrates the diligence and intensity of the City's efforts to address the crisis.”
WATCH RELATED: Could San Diego's proposed homeless encampment ban face legal challenges? (June 2023).