Mayor Kevin Faulconer on Wednesday ordered the conversion of a city operations yard near downtown San Diego into a temporary homeless camp for hundreds of people living on the streets.
The 136-space facility will be set up in the operations yard in Golden Hill, just south of the Balboa Park Golf Course.
“While we work to open more shelters, this transitional camp area will provide hundreds of homeless men and women a safe and clean space as an alternative to living on the sidewalk,” Mayor Kevin Faulconer said. “No one should be sleeping in a public place in unsanitary conditions.”
The camping area will be operated by the nonprofit Alpha Project like a typical campground with rules and regulations, and an on-site manager. Each person will register and be assigned a 13- by 13-foot campsite, but each space can accommodate one or more individuals.
Some city operations and personnel have been moved to make room for the camp, which will be temporary until three larger tent shelters open.
Each of the more-permanent shelters, located in the downtown area, Barrio Logan and Midway, will consist of a large, industrial tent with more than 100 beds. Those living in the tents will have access to restrooms, showers, meals and 24-hour security. The shelters are expected to open in December.
Businessmen Peter Seidler and Dan Shea have offered to donate $1.5 million to purchase of the tents.
A lack of shelter space is being blamed in part for an outbreak of hepatitis A in San Diego that has killed 17 people. The City Council on Monday declared an emergency over a lack of shelter space for the homeless, whose numbers have grown dramatically over the past few years.
