San Diego, CA
New audit breaks down the City of San Diego’s response on homeless encampment clean-ups
SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A new report from the City of San Diego Auditor details how the City has addressed the clearing of homeless encampments since the passage of the Unsafe Camping Ordinance.
The audit looked to address five main questions:
- Did the unsheltered population decrease in the City of San Diego since the implementation of the Unsafe Camping Ordinance?
- Did the unsheltered population move from downtown to other areas of the City of San Diego after the implementation of the Unsafe Camping Ordinance?
- Did the number of citations, arrests, and prosecutions for encampments increase after the Unsafe Camping Ordinance?
- Did City departments work and coordinate in their response to encampments after the implementation of the Ordinance, in accordance with the goals in the preamble of the Ordinance?
- Does the City equitably store personal items from abatements?
It also showed that the overall unsheltered population in the City hasn’t declined by much since the ordinance went into effect, even though it appears that fewer people are living on the streets.
“What we did see was at the same time that this ordinance went through, that our safe sleeping went online, and that was an opportunity to get hundreds of people into our safe sleeping,” Franklin Coopersmith, Deputy Dir. of Environmental Services Department, City of San Diego, said.
Coopersmith’s department is tasked with clearing homeless encampments.
ABC 10News spoke with him about the audit and the five questions that it aimed to answer.
Coopersmith and the audit explain that those safe sleeping sites are still technically considered unsheltered, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“Our safe sleeping is not considered an official shelter, so it is still considered unsheltered,” Coopersmith said. “Though when the public looks, they don’t see as many people on the street is because they’re in these places where we designate that they can go in. We have shelter there. We have resources, we have beds for them.”
When it comes to the movement out of Downtown San Diego, the audit said there’s not enough data to show that reports of encampments in other areas, but are not ruling it out. The report found that arrests and citations increased.
The report also found that Get It Done request times for encampments from both the San Diego Police Department and Environmental Services went down since the ordinance.
“With this ordinance, we work closely with the neighborhood policing, which has the HOT team, the homeless outreach team,” Coopersmith said. “I mean, that was a great tool in addition to homeless outreach workers, you have this hot team that’s out there that’s able to make contact and get people into shelter just as easily as an outreach worker is.”
The audit says the city could do a better job at storing personal items found in encampments. Coopersmith’s department agrees with and plans to make things more accessible and review how other cities store those items.
“I think we did a really good job pointing out that homelessness is extremely complicated. There are many needs out there and a single ordinance is not what’s going to solve it,” Coopersmith said.
Homelessness service provider People Assistance The Homeless, also known as PATH San Diego, sent ABC 10News the following statement after the release of the audit:
“PATH participated in the City’s audit of the Unsafe Camping Ordinance with the goal of improving outreach outcomes and supporting healthy, safe public spaces. We maintain strong working relationships with partners across the region, including the City of San Diego, and we look forward to continuing this collaboration.
No one should be living unsheltered or in encampments. That is why PATH focuses on providing outreach and street-based case management to help our unhoused neighbors move indoors and onto a path toward stable housing. Effective outreach requires time, trust, and coordination. We have consistently advocated for outreach to serve as the first step when clearing and addressing encampments in public spaces.
Our experience shows that providing at least 72 hours’ notice, ideally up to one week, leads to better outcomes. This timeframe allows outreach teams to build connections and link individuals to appropriate services and shelter. When dedicated shelter beds are available for a specific encampment and immediate placement is offered, acceptance rates increase significantly. When adequate notice and time are not provided prior to sweeps, significant setbacks occur in our efforts, as individuals often lose critical documents and service connections necessary for securing housing.
We hope our additional feedback will be taken into consideration as we continue working to support unsheltered San Diegans in transitioning off the streets and into stable housing. “
The report also states that as shelter referrals increased, including safe sleeping, with the ordinance going into effect, space was limited, so most of those requests couldn’t be met.
Paul Armstrong from the San Diego Rescue Mission said that more beds would be more helpful.
“But also, I think we need to look at the relationship between outreach and the shelter system. And as our shelter system turns into long-term housing, how much turnover is happening in our shelter system?” Armstrong said. Because that’s part of it is we need a high-functioning shelter system that’s integrated with outreach.”
San Diego County will be the center of NASCAR nation this weekend, with fans flocking to Naval Base Coronado for three days of events.
This is the first-ever Cup race held in San Diego County and the NASCAR community is also presenting it as its way of celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy.
Tickets are completely sold out, but locals can still get in on the fun at various event and activities taking place across the region.
Here’s what to know about this one-of-a-kind weekend in San Diego. Full coverage of NASCAR San Diego Weekend can be found at sandiegouniontribune.com/tag/nascar.
What is NASCAR San Diego Weekend?
The three-day event begins with Friday’s Craftsman Truck Series race, continues with an O’Reilly Auto Parts series race on Saturday and wraps Sunday with the Anduril 250.
Grandstands with a capacity for 40,000 fans have been erected, with another 10,000 spectators expected to occupy standing areas around the grounds.
Here’s a turn-by-turn look at Naval Base Coronado’s race circuit
When is it taking place?
Parking lots, which are on base, open each day at 7 a.m. and gates open at 9 a.m.
The Craftsman Truck Series takes place Friday at 4 p.m. The O’Reilly Auto Parts series race blasts off at 2 p.m. Saturday. The main event, NASCAR Cup Series Race, happens Sunday at 1 p.m.
A race-by-race look at NASCAR’s San Diego Weekend
Each day will also feature entertainment, driver Q&As and other activities.
Where is it?
Naval Base Coronado will host the weekend’s activities. All fans in attendance must carry a valid government-issued photo ID at all times.
Going to this weekend’s NASCAR races in Coronado? Here’s what you need to know
All event parking will be located on Naval Base Coronado. There is no event parking available within the city of Coronado.
Who is racing?
Shane Van Gisbergen, Tyler Reddick, Mike McDowell, Chase Elliott and Ty Gibbs are just a few of the names to expect this weekend. A full lineup can be found at nascarsandiego.com/nascar-san-diego-mission-lineup.
These 13 Cup racers could all win Sunday’s Anduril 250 in Coronado
How to watch on TV:
Craftsman Trucks Series race: 4 p.m. Friday on Fox Sports 1
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race: 2 p.m. Saturday on The CW
NASCAR Cup race: Sunday at 1 p.m. on Prime Video
Local events:
San Diegans have a range of options for getting in on the fun of NASCAR weekend in Coronado, including meet and greets with drivers, watch parties and fan zones.
Your guide to fan events during NASCAR San Diego Weekend
More coverage:
CORONADO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Final preparations are underway for NASCAR’s historic race weekend at Naval Base Coronado, where stock cars will compete on an active military installation for the first time in the sport’s history.
Crews, race teams, military personnel, first responders and event staff spent Thursday putting the finishing touches on the temporary road course as thousands of fans prepare to descend on the base for the inaugural event.
“The countdown is on,” as organizers work to transform portions of the installation into a race venue unlike any NASCAR has hosted before.
“It’s a very proud moment for NASCAR and myself and my company for being part of it,” said Jordan Litchko, a NASCAR production partner with ignition production. “It’s the America 250, so what a year to celebrate and be here on the naval base.”
Officials say the event marks the first time a NASCAR national series race has been held on a military base, bringing one of America’s most recognizable motorsports directly onto a working military installation.
Unlike traditional oval tracks, competitors will tackle a temporary road course built specifically for the event.
“It’s a road course race, which adds way more excitement, so it’s going to be ultra challenging,” Litchko said.
Thursday’s preparations included long lines of team members, vendors, staff and emergency personnel picking up credentials and completing security and base access requirements ahead of race weekend.
Meanwhile, drivers and crews got their first close look at the unique layout, which winds through portions of the base and presents a challenge far different from a conventional speedway.
With large crowds expected throughout the weekend, organizers are encouraging fans to plan ahead and allow extra travel time. Traffic delays are anticipated around Naval Base Coronado and nearby access points as spectators arrive for the event.
After months of planning and construction, the wait is nearly over.
On Friday, engines will roar to life aboard Naval Base Coronado, marking a milestone moment for NASCAR and creating a new chapter in the sport’s history. By the weekend’s end, fans will witness a race unlike any ever held before — stock cars competing on a military base in the heart of San Diego.
SAN DIEGO (CNS) – The City of San Diego is beginning to install 286 metered parking spaces this week in downtown San Ysidro in an effort to increase parking turnover, it was announced Thursday.
To develop the plan, city leaders worked with the San Ysidro business community. Revenue collected from the meters is reserved for transportation, parking and safety improvements in San Ysidro.
“Feeding parking meters feeds neighborhood repairs, and we can’t wait to get to work for the San Ysidro community,” said Naomi Chavez, interim director of the city’s Transportation Department. “This new parking zone will bring long overdue change that will help support local business activity and generate revenue that will be reinvested directly into improving neighborhood quality of life in San Ysidro.”
Crews began preparing the bases for the meters last week and installation work is expected to last through June. According to the city, these will be multi-space meter kiosks and drivers should be aware that they will need to go to the nearest kiosk to pay for parking since there won’t be a meter at each space.
Metered parking goes into effect on July 1 and will be enforced 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays. The parking rate is $2.50 an hour, with a maximum time limit of four hours.
City-led parking studies determined vehicles were parking on the streets of the neighborhood for hours or days at a time, making street parking for the area’s businesses scarce.
Drivers who customarily use free street parking when traveling across the border to Mexico are encouraged to use “one of the many paid off-street parking lots in the area,” a city statement read.
“The findings [of the parking study] clearly demonstrate the need for action. High parking occupancy on unregulated segments, along with data showing that 37% of vehicles exceed the existing two-hour limit and an average parking duration of over five hours, indicate that current conditions reduce turnover and limit access for local businesses and visitors,” wrote Alfredo Ripa, president of the San Ysidro Community Economic Development Corporation. “The proposed introduction of approximately 286 metered spaces, along with better signage, clearer designations and continued enforcement, represents a thoughtful and data-driven approach to improving parking availability and supporting economic activity in the community.”
Areas where the meter kiosks will be installed include:
— East San Ysidro Boulevard between Border Village Road to Camino De La Plaza (both sides);
— Border Village Road between East San Ysidro Boulevard (north) to East San Ysidro Boulevard (south), (both sides);
— Front Street between Border Village Road to end of cul-de-sac (south side);
— Bolton Hall Road between East San Ysidro Boulevard to Border Village Road (south side);
— Louisiana Avenue between East San Ysidro Boulevard to end of cul-de- sac (south side);
— Virginia Avenue between East San Ysidro Boulevard to Border Village Road (both sides); and
— East San Ysidro Boulevard between Willow Road and East Park Avenue (south side).
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