SAN DIEGO — Two mothers and their children had to sleep overnight at Mariner’s Point Park when temperatures were in the 50's, sometimes dipping into the 40s; leaving them wet, damp, and cold.
The single mothers, Lisa and June, have been living in their cars with their two little boys. They said they have been on a long waitlist trying to access affordable housing.
San Diego Police towed their cars on Friday evening, leaving them nowhere else to go but outside in the cold.
The City of San Diego sent CBS 8 this statement:
"The two vehicles that were towed both had expired registrations, one for more than two years and the other since February 2022. One of the vehicles was also displaying a false registration tab (a tab belonging to another vehicle’s registration), which is a misdemeanor offense and requires confiscation of the plates and towing of the vehicle.
The registered owners of the vehicles have previously received warnings and citations, as well as, information for the City’s Safe Parking Program. The officers also contacted SDPD’s Homeless Outreach Team, who responded to offer additional services to the owners.
In recent months, San Diego Police Department’s Northern Division has received numerous complaints regarding vehicles in the beach and bay communities for parking violations.
SDPD is tasked with enforcing vehicle code violations, regardless of housing status, for expired registrations, outstanding parking tickets, oversized vehicles, recreational vehicles, attached/unattached trailers, registration-related violations or parking during unauthorized hours, among others."
YouTuber “Glorious Life on Wheels” posted this video after speaking with the two families, which has garnered thousands of views and helped share their stories.
"So your registration is expired? Because you don’t have funds to pay for it?" asked YouTuber Carol. "Yes, mam," Lisa replies.
"They said, 'how many more chances are we supposed to give you?' Oh my goodness, they never gave us chances, to begin with! All of our belongings got wet. We were cold and freezing," adds Lisa.
June's son, 12-year-old Mason, slept outside the night before his birthday.
"It made me sad that I didn’t do nothing on my birthday. It was cold and wet and very wet, and it was just kind of miserable," said Mason.
Thanks to a former neighbor and the housing commission, the two families have a place to sleep at a local hotel for the next week.
"We would have spent nights in the cold, not knowing what to do. We were sleep deprived. It's heartless and dehumanizing," said Lisa and June.
They still need money to get their cars out of impound, registration, and other fees that will mount up.
Anyone can help the two families by donating to this GoFundMe page.
The children just have one hope for their mothers. "I hope that she can be happy," said Mason.
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