Homeless camps force San Diego teachers to accompany students to campus

SAN DIEGO (CUSI). It’s no secret that San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria has failed to prevent and effectively address a homeless crisis that has spiraled out of control. Mayor Gloria insists on giving speeches touting his efforts, but a quick drive through downtown and residents can easily conclude that his efforts have failed.

The number of homeless people in downtown San Diego alone has reached a record high in the past 6 months, reaching 1,939 at last count.

To make matters worse, the rise in homelessness is also leading to an increase in criminal activity and overdose deaths.

Project Alpha has been at the forefront of this battle for 37 years, but local leaders are not turning to them for help finding solutions, as we have heard from other organizations.

Dan Plante of KUSI was live downtown with Alpha Project founder Bob McElroy, who explained how the city of San Diego appears to be refusing to address a humanitarian crisis that continues to escalate by the day. McElroy says our current elected leaders continue to push forward with the Housing First initiative, which basically means they’re fighting for another four years until they leave office.

While Plante was in the city center, he noticed another unusual thing: teachers from nearby schools are now escorting students walking down the street for safety reasons, as homeless camps block the sidewalks.

Just this week, Mayor Todd Gloria was in Sacramento pleading with Gov. Gavin Newsom for more money to help the homeless, but Newsom wants to see a better plan for how it will be used before he commits more public funding.

RELATED STORY: The number of homeless people in downtown San Diego has reached an all-time high of nearly 2,000.

Official partnership in downtown San Diego, January number of homeless:

Partnership in Downtown San Diego January 2023