San Diego's Band-Aid for the homeless
SAN DIEGO -- California grows big ideas. And the latest one comes at a hefty price: $80 million.
That's what San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and the city's housing commission intend to spend to fight the growing problem of homelessness in America's Finest City.
Not content to merely do what officials in other U.S. cities have done for the last three decades, and increase support for homeless shelters or efforts to place people in transitional structures, San Diego officials want to go so far as to actually provide permanent housing to those who have none.
Recent figures show that more than 9,100 homeless individuals live in San Diego County. And the problem is getting worse. The number of people sleeping on the street has reportedly increased by nearly 30 percent over the past year.
According to those who provide services to this population, there is a large number of homeless people who did not arrive here in this condition. The city helped make them homeless.
What the brochure for America's Finest City doesn't tell you is that it's also one of America's least affordable cities. Million-dollar homes are common. A one-bedroom apartment can run $1,800 per month, while a two-bedroom unit can set you back around $2,300.
Homelessness is a heartbreaking problem, wherever you find it. It particularly churns your stomach to learn that much of the city's homeless population is made up of families.
The city's anti-homeless initiative -- which has been dubbed "Housing First-San Diego" and has a half-dozen elements -- is slated to be rolled out over the next three years.
Yet it takes only three seconds to see how this well-intentioned idea could go off the rails and make the problem worse.
The program includes giving incentives to landlords to rent to homeless people and assisting up to 700 families that become homeless because of a sudden change like a job loss.
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