SAN DIEGO — In San Diego during the month of September, a total of 1,930 people experiencing homelessness requested a shelter bed for the night, and all but 393 were turned away.
The new numbers, presented by the San Diego Housing Commission, during its October 13 board meeting, underscore the difficulties those living on city streets and sidewalks as well as those entering homelessness face each and every day.
In fact, according to San Diego Housing Commission numbers, the number of newly homeless in San Diego continues to outpace those exiting shelters. During September a total of 655 people exited homeless shelters - with 70% either not reporting where they went or having returned to the streets - while 890 households reported becoming homeless.
In recent months, CBS 8 chronicled the obstacles so many newly homeless individuals experience trying to find a safe place to sleep at night.
As was the case of Mark and Jennifer, whom CBS 8 met as they waited in line for a shelter bed at the San Diego Homelessness Response Center, they were among the dozens of people who were turned away because there were not any shelter beds available.
During the San Diego Housing Commission's board meeting, Executive Vice President Lisa Jones said the housing commission and the shelters it supports are at 98% capacity.
Jones said that the vast majority of people seeking shelter, approximately 80%, are turned away at the door.
"Of those people that don't get shelter, 85 percent of them don't get shelter because there was no bed available to meet their needs," Jones told Housing Commissioners.
Newly obtained numbers from the San Diego Housing Commission confirm the limited number of shelter beds available for those in need.
From August 25 through October 4, the Housing Commission reported an average of 18 total beds available for men and women, including top and bottom bunks. Press play on the graph below to show the daily figures for bed availability.
