SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – It’s been 90 days since Cal Trans and the City of San Diego agreed to a deal to allow city crews to clear homeless encampments along downtown freeways.

“I’m happy to report some very, I think, encouraging data from those first 90 days,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloira said. “So far, 184 encampments have been addressed. 151 tons of garbage and debris have been removed. 43 people have been connected to shelter, and 37 have accepted other forms of assistance.”

Gloria stated on Tuesday that the goal of the year-long pilot program is to get rid of such trash and debris to help those living in the encampments and the surrounding communities and to get those in the encampments who are unhoused connected to shelters and other services to get them off the streets.

The person who oversaw that assistance and outreach is Ketra Carter.

“I think what you’ve seen over the last couple of years is someone was not able to stay on one side of the street, so they went on to the right of way where our outreach teams could not engage with them,” Ketra Carter, Program Manager for Homelessness Strategies & Solutions Department for the City of San Diego, said.

Carter told ABC 10News this is a game-changer because they’re able to go beyond the physical boundary of the fencing around the land along highways. They’re also able to break down another boundary: the jurisdiction of state property.
She said city outreach workers couldn’t help those on state property. So now they’re able to meet and connect with people each day to consistently try to get them into help and out of these encampments that the City’s trying to clear.

“If we weren’t able to stay connected to help make sure that they had their ID, their Social Security card, any of the documents that are required to sign a lease for those permanent supportive housing options, they would have lost that match,” Carter said. They would have lost that opportunity, and then they would have remained on the streets and probably lost yet more trust in how the system can help.”

The initial agreement was for a five-mile area of downtown along Interstate 5, State Routes 94 and 163.

“We’ll be here daily to make it clear that this is not an OK place to stay and that we have somewhere better for you to go. When we do that, you get sustained clearance like what we have here,” Gloria said.

ABC 10News asked Gloria if there is a plan to address more of these encampments on more land along San Diego’s highways. He said the goal is to keep the program going and is willing to expand its reach.

“So whether it’s through a continuation of the pilot that we’ve been operating for the last 90 days or a statewide solution, either will allow us to continue and hopefully expand this work,” Gloria said.

Some Fleet Week San Diego events have been canceled due to the U.S. government shutdown, organizers announced Monday.

That includes all events that were set to take place at Broadway Pier from Nov. 5 through Nov. 9, according to the San Diego Fleet Week Foundation.

Canceled Fleet Week San Diego events:

• Nov. 5: Community Breakfast aboard USS Midway Museum
• Nov. 5-7: Student STEM Days
• Nov. 7-9: Public Visiting
• Nov. 8: Veterans & Military Boat Parade

Fleet Week said the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard will not be able to provide the Navy Ship, Coast Guard Cutter and the Marine Corps equipment needed for those events, citing “the continued lapse in appropriations from the ongoing federal government shutdown.”

The Fleet Week Football Classic is still on track for Nov. 1 at Snapdragon Stadium, the foundation said. Military Family Day will take place at a different venue on Nov. 9, and the Enlisted Recognition Luncheon at the San Diego Zoo will be rescheduled.

Organizers said it’s not yet clear what will happen to the following events until the shutdown ends: Veterans and Military Concert planned for Nov. 2 at Spreckels Organ Pavillion at Balboa Park; the 250th Navy & Marine Corps Birthday Celebration on Nov. 6; and the 5K Run and Family Walk on Nov. 9.

San Diego FC defeated the Portland Timbers 2-1 in Game 1 of their best-of-three first-round Major League Soccer playoff series Sunday night in front of a sold-out Snapdragon Stadium.

Originally Published: October 26, 2025 at 10:44 PM PDT