A dramatic display outside the San Diego County Administration building highlighted World Homeless Day.
Tents spelling out “Housing not handcuffs“ were used to help humanize the homeless, and 1,000 candles snaked across the grass memorialized the hundreds of homeless people who’ve died on the streets in San Diego County over the years.
More than 490 homeless people died in San Diego County in 2021, according to the County of San Diego's most recent statistics. That number could increase because the Medical Examiner is still investigating some cases.
Levi Giafaglione attended the memorial event and shared his memory of 1 of the 12 homeless people he knows who’ve died.
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“He used to bring all the ladies who were in wheelchairs to our center and try and get them help. And he'd always tell people where resources were when they didn’t know. So to have him pass away, he was a bright face on our streets and unfortunately not here anymore," Giafaglione said.
After six years of being homeless himself here in San Diego, Giafaglione is celebrating 10 years of being housed and helping the unsheltered find homes. He knows the difficulties the city's crackdown on people living in cars and camps presents.
Just last week, city leaders revived a previous policy forcing homeless people to take down their tents during daylight hours or face possible ticketing or arrests.
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Giafaglione says enforcement and ticketing is a double-edged sword that he understands the need for, but says it could send someone into a financial spiral for years.
“I was getting ticket after ticket after ticket. Eventually, that turned into a warrant. They towed my car. I couldn't afford to get my car out, then I was on the streets homeless."
Vanessa Graziano was homeless with her three children before opening Oceanside Homeless Resource Shelter. She says part of the solution are shelters like hers, which she says has no restrictions.
“There are rules and restrictions and you need to meet people right where they're at. I was blown away with someone who said 'I can't get into I shelter because I have epilepsy,'" explained Graziano.
Homelessness is up 10% in San Diego over the past two years.
Council President Sean Elo-Rivera says that’s why the City of San Diego is focused on providing funds to help fight the problem.
“We've put out $218 million in rental relief to keep people in their homes. We’re working to pass a tenant protection ordinance to keep people from falling into homelessness. And we’re working hard to increase shelter capacity," Elo-Rivera said.
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors recently voted to make homelessness a public health crisis.
That declaration means the county will work with the city governments and Regional Task Force on Homelessness to find new ways to approach the issue.
