SAN DIEGO — The City of San Diego expects to meet all state building code requirements by Dec. 28 to keep the homeless tent site at 20th and B open.
As first reported by CBS 8, San Diego's first Safe Sleeping Site located at a city-owned operation yard in Golden Hill was operating on a temporary fire permit that was issued on July 1, 2023. That temporary permit is set to expire on Dec. 28, meaning the approximately 180 people staying at the tent site would have to leave camp.
However, a city spokesperson tells CBS 8 that crews are performing the upgrades necessary to keep the tent site open for the foreseeable future.
Those requirements include basic amenities such as bathrooms and showers, thermometers in the tents to ensure the inside temperature does not fall below 50 degrees, raised platforms underneath tents, and 24-hour security among other items.
The city spokesperson said all of the requirements will be in place before the Dec. 28 deadline.
"Modifications are currently underway at the 20th & B Safe Sleeping site, including the replacement of the original tents and the installation of platforms. The new tents are the same as the ones currently in place at the O Lot which are insulated to withstand temperature changes. Additionally, platforms are being added under the tents to help with protection against moisture and weather conditions," reads the statement from the spokesperson.
As for the site staying open, the spokesperson added, "These modifications will ensure that the site meets the requirements under Appendix P of the California Building Code and will be completed by Dec. 28, 2023, and therefore, a new fire permit will not be needed."
That means the nearly 180 people who are staying in the nearly 150 tents can remain at the 20th and B site.
The tent site, which opened on June 29, 2023, is now one of two Safe Sleeping Sites in the city.
A non-profit operates the 20th and B tent site at a taxpayer cost of $2.82 million, with a little over $2.1 million going to staffing for the program.
The tent sites have been promoted by Mayor Todd Gloria as a first step in finding more permanent solutions for the thousands of people living on city streets, parks, and canyons throughout the city and region.
The sites are also touted as providing additional shelter beds, something that the city, according to those interviews by CBS 8 is in desperate need of.
According to the newly-appointed president of the San Diego Housing Commission, Lisa Jones, on average four out of five people in need of shelter are turned away daily.
The site at 20th and B has space enough for 150 tents while the newly-opened 'O-Lot' site near Balboa Park has the capacity for 400 tents.
The city is also currently exploring another tent site called H Barracks which is proposed for the old barracks buildings on North Harbor Drive. The buildings are slated for demolition in the coming months. Remediation of asbestos and lead paint, according to a mayoral spokesperson, must also be completed before moving anyone on the site. There is no definitive timeline for the project.
If passed, the site could shelter up to 700 people.
