ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) - It’s been a tough trek for Rae Smith since October last year.
“I was a victim of a strong-armed robbery, and everything was taken from me. My house, my…any equity I had built up,” Smith said.
Smith told ABC 10News that's when she became unhoused.
“I was in Ramona, and the homeless outreach team brought us to Escondido to give us a chance at receiving Section 8 housing choice vouchers,” Smith said. "The numbers just keep rising. More and more people just keep hitting the street."
Businesses on Grand Avenue in Escondido say they’ve seen that firsthand.
"There was a guy there just lying down. I feel sorry for him, and then there's another one right at the empty place over there. There are all over,” Lucia Capuano, the owner of Doart Shoe Repair, said.
"With all the funds, and how much for being taxed, I feel like there should definitely be more support for our American citizens here on the street,” Stacie Sundin, the manager and CEO Assistant of Filippi's Pizza Grotto-Escondido
Interfaith Community Services - an Escondido-based non-profit helping the unhoused- and their CEO, Greg Angela, said they understand many are fed up with the amount of people on the street.
He says more investment into pathways out of homelessness is needed to help them get people off North County and Escondido's Streets.
"Those are shelter programs. Those are treatment programs. Those are places for people to go. And so for anyone who's fed up with the situation, we hear you,” Angela said. “And we invite you to work with us and work with our local government and our local leaders to demand places for people to go so that we can reduce homelessness in our communities."
Those out on the street like Smith hope there can be more resources to help her and others like those on Grand.
“We don’t want to be like this. We don’t want to impose on businesses. We want to help our community. We want to become a part of the community. We don’t want to be the outliers,” Smith said.
ABC 10News reached out to the City of Escondido regarding what’s being done to address the homelessness issue on Grand Avenue and with the rest of the city, among other issues related to the crisis.
While they couldn't answer all of our questions, a city spokesperson told ABC 10News that an ad hoc subcommittee focused on homelessness issues will bring proposals to the City Council in the coming months.
