SAN DIEGO — Point Loma residents are pushing back against the city's plans for a homeless shelter in their community.
The site of the 'H Barracks,' adjacent to the San Diego International Airport, will be otherwise unused over the next several years. The city of San Diego is pointing to that property as an ideal location to temporarily provide shelter and services for about 700 people experiencing homelessness.
However, many Point Loma residents do not like the idea of this plan. They made their opposition clear at Thursday night's Peninsula Community Planning Board meeting.
"They're putting our children and us at risk!" said one resident.
It was standing room only, as more than 100 residents showed up to rail against the city's plans for a homeless shelter near their community. This city-owned property in Point Loma will eventually house a new Pure Water recycling facility in five years' time. The industrial land is located off North Harbor Drive between the airport and a channel of the San Diego Bay, across from Liberty Station.
Many opponents of the plan pointed out that nine schools are in the general vicinity.
"Many of these campuses have open campuses," said Point Loma resident Derek Falconer. "Interactions between the unhoused and students will happen on a daily basis. That is unfair to children!"
Others fear the shelter would force nearby businesses to vacate.
"Your favorite restaurants, your favorite stores, your favorite shops. they're going to go" said one local business owner. "We will go the way of San Francisco if we allow things like this to happen."
Thursday night's meeting focused on the board's sending a letter to the city to voice the community's opposition and ask the city abandon this current plan.
"If you guys are not going to sign this letter, you're just basically saying you do not care about the next generation of our residents and about everyone else who is here tonight!" said one speaker.
In the end, that letter was approved unanimously. But not before one resident voiced her concerns about its real intent.
"You sprinkled in some 'We want to help the community' and 'We're worried about the homeless', but I really read it for what it was," she said, "and it really was a "Not in My Backyard" letter!"
At this point, it has not yet been decided how the property would be used to house the homeless. Alternatives under consideration are a safe sleeping site, safe parking site or possibly a large tent shelter.
Currently, work is under way to rid the property of any asbestos and lead poisoning. The buildings on the site will be demolished in January. None of the structures currently on the site will be occupied, according to the city.
In a statement, the city of San Diego' Director of Communications Rachel Laing, told CBS 8:
"Homelessness is a crisis, and we need to provide safe places for people to get out of street encampments and connected with services that will help them end their homelessness. We've created several facilities across our city with great success – and in partnership with the communities hosting them.
"As noted in our comprehensive shelter strategy, H Barracks is the most viable site for a facility with both shelter and onsite resources. We have about a year's worth of site prep to do, and during that time we'll be engaging with the community on how we can work together to address our city's biggest challenge."
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