Due to the ever-inflating real estate value, San Diego aka “America’s Finest City” is struggling with a homelessness crisis. With around 3,200 people now living on the streets, the situation has turned into a public health crisis as well.
Homeless people’s feces have led to one of the most severe hepatitis A epidemics in the last couple of decades. Authorities noted that people are dying on the streets due to the liver-damaging disease in what was once one of the nation’s most desirable cities.
The city of San Diego is seeking solutions to the issue, but the efforts just seem not enough. In 2015, the mayor shut down a tent shelter that hosted homeless people in winter for nearly three decades. Authorities promised to build a permanent facility in return.
San Diego’s Growing Homelessness Problem
However, two years later, scores of Californians are still living on the streets and spreading dangerous diseases. If the issue is not addressed the city’s tourism industry will be greatly impacted.
Meanwhile, authorities decided that tents are still the best solution. Yet, most of the campgrounds with tents are temporary. By the end of the month, authorities pledged to open three tents with a capacity of 700 people.
The municipality also plans to offer affordable housing, but for now, tents are faster. The three massive tents will cost the city $6.5 million to operate. The money was taken from the fund designed to build housing.
One expert noted that San Francisco has abandoned the fight against homelessness and you can see the result on the streets. San Diego’s underlying problem is lack of housing. In 2016, the homelessness rate in the city rose 18%, which led to the appearance of hundreds of makeshift shelters.
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