San Diego, the only major city in California that saw homelessness decrease in 2019, has truly been a pioneer in our state’s fight against homelessness. Recent statistics show the fruits of our year of labor—the number of people living on San Diego’s streets dropped by 12 percent in 2019, according to the Regional Task Force on the Homeless (RTFH).
Mayor Kevin Faulconer has been working tirelessly to help those in need. He’s been taking innovative actions to fix this ever-evolving problem, and it has clearly paid off. The January 23 count conducted by RTFH found that approximately 2,283 San Diegans were unsheltered, a significant improvement compared to the 2,600 people counted last year.
In total, 4,887 individuals were experiencing some form of homelessness in the City of San Diego, a four percent reduction when compared to the 5,082 individuals counted the previous year. We’ve seen a five percent increase in the number of people using shelters and transitional housing, showing that Faulconer’s supportive services are working to end the cycle of homelessness.
Even the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped San Diego’s efforts to prevent homelessness. Local officials enacted a temporary eviction moratorium, and provided shelter in the San Diego Convention Center for hundreds of additional individuals living outdoors. Both of these initiatives were bipartisan, showing the consensus in San Diego regarding the need to continue acting on the homelessness issue.
Faulconer has certainly left his mark on San Diego through his work to help the homeless. He’s proven that through strong leadership and hard work, we can solve our city’s problems together.
