GMIA HEARS DETAILS ON PROPOSED SITE TO HELP HOMELESS

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson 

(Photo courtesy of the County of San Diego)

Jan. 24, 2022 (La Mesa) – The Grossmont Mt. Helix Improvement Association (GMIA) took a proactive look at where potential homeless sites would be located in La Mesa, while trying to balance compassionate solutions with community safety. 

One proposed site is at the Park and Ride near the Rancho San Diego Village Shopping Center at Avocado Blvd. and State Route 94 in unincorporated La Mesa; GMIA asked the county to host an online webinar, which was held January 18.  

Due to technical difficulties that knocked some participants offline, a second Zoom meeting has been set for Wed., Jan. 26, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.  The link for the Jan. 26th session is:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89774215131 . The next session should provide an opportunity for the attendees to further explore potential sites in La Mesa for the homeless. 

“We happened to hear about this issue, in early January, because our past president, Kathleen Hedberg, was at an East County Chamber meeting where it was brought up,” explained GMIA’s current president, Anne Krueger via email. “Some of us attended the webinars that were being held for the Spring Valley area, and I asked Mr. Passons if he would hold a webinar for the Mt. Helix area and focus on the proposed site at the Park and Ride. He readily agreed.” 

Omar Passons is the director of the County’s Office of Homeless Solutions and Equitable Communities.

After the County scheduled the January 18 webinar, Krueger says GMIA alerted community members and businesses by distributing flyers, as well as posting on GMIA's Facebook page and the NextDoor community online forum. The County of San Diego additionally has reached out to the community continually to engage and inform the appropriate area of the potential sites for homeless housing sites.

“I think the businesses that would be affected the most would be the ones in the nearby shopping center. The homes that are near the Park and Ride would also be affected,” Krueger told ECM. “It was unfortunate that we had the technical difficulties with the Zoom meeting, and I wish it had been clarified sooner that the meeting would be on Zoom. I think the county was making a good-faith effort to allow more people to be involved, but it didn’t turn out that way,” she added.

Originally the closed Park and Ride location near the Rancho San Diego Village Shopping Center, at Avocado Boulevard and State Route 41, in unincorporated La Mesa, was a potential site where small living quarters would be offered for the homeless.  According to Passons that particular site is off the table for shelter, but still under consideration as a safe parking site for those living in their vehicles.

Passons noted the goal of the County is to achieve Functional Zero status. Functional Zero on homeless is achieved when a community has measurably ended either chronic or veteran homelessness.

Passons, in a Power Point presentation, outlined what options for any given site they are looking at. These include: 

1)      Sleeping cabins: individual /couple units with bed, desk, a/c, and a lockable door.

2)      Safe parking: safe, legal location to sleep in one’s vehicle or RV (depending on the site).

3)      Congregate shelter: a group site similiar to a dormitory with shared living spaces and no private bedrooms.

4)      Safe storage/services: a place to safely store belongings and access services/support that does not include housing on site.

The question-and-answer session was cut off, due to the technical difficulties, after the Power Point presentation and after one question.

The backstory from a previous session included questions regarding:

-How will law enforcement and government agencies deal with crime and sanitation issues that would occur at this site? 

-What funds will be set aside to build utilities and infrastructure for this site?

-How familiar is the County Agency Proposing this site with the Mt. Helix area?

-Who will operate the site?

Passons also added steps the County is setting in place:  1) ID locations, 2) Finalize the plan, and 3) Implement the plan.

GMIA’s  past president offered a possible alternative. “As far as possible solutions and locations, why don’t we look at all the current homeless facility locations and see if we can designate an area nearby, or parking sites for the safe parking and perhaps, we can even put in some small houses there?” Kathleen Hedberg suggested in an email to ECM. ‘We can even have women safe parking spaces at the women's lot areas, or family lots at family shelters. These locations probably already have security and also, they have the access to services. Seems like a win-win to me.”

La Mesa currently has no homeless facility locations, however; the nearest facilities are in El Cajon, whom have long been asking the county and neighboring cities to do their fair share to help the homeless in their communities. 

To view the online session from Jan. 18 visit:  

Park & Ride @Avocado & SD 94 discussion 

 For more information about GMIA, visit: https://gmia.net/  Note: contact GMIA regarding zoom meetings are open to.

 For information on the history of the County’s new department, Office of Home Solutions and Equitable Communities, established in 2021, visit:  

https://www.supervisornathanfletcher.com/content/d4/en/newsroom/newsfeed/news_040521.html

Additional information on Live Well is available at: https://www.livewellsd.org/content/livewell/home/community/homeless-solu...