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“The geographic shifts in populations of people experiencing homelessness to East and South County communities demonstrates the effect of the City of San Diego camping ban.”—Paul Downey, CEO, Serving Seniors
By Miriam Raftery
May 24, 2024 (San Diego’s East County)—The 2024 Point-in-Time Homeless Count reveals some significant changes for East County. East County’s total homeless population dropped by 28% overall from January 2023 to January 2024, from 1,703 to 1,232. That’s in sharp contrast to the county overall, which had the number of homeless people increase by 3% to a total of 10,605,
However, some East County communities had sharp rises, notably in communities closest to San Diego, which recently enacted a ban on encampments:
- La Mesa’s total homelessness rose 86%, with a 47.2% rise in unsheltered;
- Lemon Grove’s unsheltered homeless numbers rose 85%
The sharp spikes in La Mesa and Lemon Grove may be due to the city of San Diego’s ban on homeless encampments, suggests Paul Downey, Chief Executive Officer of Serving Seniors, a nonprofit helping low-income adults age 60 and up.
“The geographic shifts in populations of people experiencing homelessness to East and South County communities demonstrates the effect of the City of San Diego camping ban,” Downey says, noting that the ban puts people farther away from services downtown. “The camping ban has merely redistributed the population of people who are homeless. Spreading out the problem is not humane or cost effective.”
Another troubling trend is the skyrocketing number of senior citizens who are homeless. Those 55 and older now account for 30% of all local homeless, up 25% from two years ago—and nearly half are disabled, according to Downey. The County also found a 15% in seniors living in vehicles, who account for one in five of homeless seniors. Growing senior homelessness is due largely to economic factors such as insufficient retirement income and unaffordable housing.
Supervisors have recently approved pilot programs to offer shallow rent subsidies in a short-term effort to prevent seniors from becoming homeless due to an unexpected circumstance such as a medical emergency, eviction due to job loss, or death of a spouse. But long term, building more affordable housing is the solution needed, experts agree.
East County has 11.6% of the county’s total homeless population, with 64% in the city of San Diego, 8.3% in North County inland,8.1% in North County coastal, and 8% in South County.
Some East County communities did show improvements.
Lakeside’s total homeless number fell from 78 in 2023 to 52 in the 2024 count. Alpinie had 4 homeless people in 2023 and none this year.
Two East County cities raise concerns due to having zero housing for the homeless. In Santee, all 73 homeless persons counted were unsheltered .
Similarly, all 111 homeless people in Lemon Grove were without shelter. In unincorporated county areas, all 129 Spring Valley homeless are unsheltered, as are all 52 in Lakeside, Alpine’s 4 homeless people, and the 13 homeless in Ramona.
El Cajon, which has its own camping ban, also has significant resources to help the homeless. The city of El Cajon had a 55% drop in the number of sheltered homeless, but a 39.4% rise in unsheltered homeless persons. Most (517) of El Cajon’s homeless people are in some type of shelter, while 283 are not.
Unsheltered includes persons living in vehicles, as well as those living on the streets. The County recently opened a safe parking area for those living in vehicles in the unincorporated area of El Cajon. The County has also announced plans to build 150 sleeping cabins in Spring Valley as well as a safe parking area for RVs in Lakeside, both to accommodate people experiencing homelessness.
Regional Task Force on Homelessness CEO Tamera Kohler says, “We’re seeing a significant increase in people living in their cars. This year’s numbers suggest we have a continuing need for more sheltering options and support for the efforts many cities are now taking to combat this crisis. We must focus on populations like seniors, veterans, and people living in cars, where proven housing strategies can make a difference in the months and years ahead.”
Still, local experts on homelessness take heart in the fact that homelessness countywide rose only 3%.
“I hope this is the high watermark,” says Pastor Rolland Slade, chair of the Continuum of Care advisory board and pastor of First Meridian Baptist Church in El Cajon, which built sleeping cabins for homeless women on its church property. “Our board is proud of the work that communities, nonprofits, religious groups and others are embracing.” He concludes, “There’s a lot more work to do, but this is good progress.”
Kohler praised communities across the county including La Mesa in East County for “leaning into game-changer solutions. If we can keep people housed, quickly end homelessness for those sleeping in their cars, and continue to target vulnerable populations, San Diego has a fighting chance to see real change moving forward.”
2024 totals for East County communities counted:
City/community Sheltered Unsheltered
Alpine/Crest/Dehesa 0 0
El Cajon 517 284
Lakeside 0 52
La Mesa 14 53
Lemon Grove 0 111
Santee 0 73
Spring Valley 0 129
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