The storms and near-freezing temperatures that hit San Diego have caused a spike in the number of homeless people becoming ill. The lack of sufficient shelters and permanent housing for the thousands of people living in San Diego streets make this a more urgent crisis.
This past Wednesday, January 25, the City of San Diego hosted its 11th Homeless Connect event, which provides homeless people everything from basic services such as haircuts and warm clothing to specialized medical care and eyeglasses.
“This is the first time eye exams are provided, as well as DMV services for people to get a California ID, Social Security application forms, medical and dental care, and vaccines. Last year we helped over 1,200 homeless people, and we are hoping to help more than 2,000 this year,” said San Diego Housing Commission member Silvia de la Mora.
Experts, however, feel that this help is merely a respite that does little to resolve the housing crisis in Southern California and the rest of the U.S.
“We are a long way away here in San Diego, because what happens is that we only have 2 percent of affordable housing; I mean, someone with a good income still struggles and has a hard time finding a home. That’s the truth, so someone who only makes $800-$900 a month cannot survive. We need to find a way to build more housing,” shared Yvonne Araujo of the Alpha Project, which helps the homeless.
Alpha Project members in San Diego are also worried about the lack of emergency shelters in the city. They estimate that, on average, there are barely three operating at any one time, plus one for women only and a fifth for both men and women. There are approximately 30 beds per shelter, so they can do little to solve the crisis facing our region.
Dorothy Sontag is one of the few San Diego women who has been able to go back to having a home after years of living in the streets. She shared that living in such dire straits led to her losing her left leg and watching her husband die. The winter season is the toughest for the homeless, she said, adding that she still dreams of winning the lottery so she can help others who are going through what she went through.
“I would love to help other people because I have no children to leave my belongings to. I wish I could do much more, because I also see that the City is not doing what it should. If you go online, you can see how other places in the U.S. are doing things to get homeless people off the streets: they give them housing and medical insurance… we hear stories from throughout the U.S., but not much is happening here in San Diego,” said Dorothy.
According to the City of San Diego and advocacy groups, addictions and not being able to afford a home are the main reasons people end up in the streets, barely surviving without a roof over their heads and at the mercy of the weather.