SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – It’s no secret homelessness in San Diego County is a region-wide issue.
That’s why the San Diego Rescue Mission gathered mayors from different cities in the county to commit to addressing the region-wide problem.
“My hope is that between this meeting this year and next year, what we can point to is tangible progress and standing up the kinds of things that we know ends homelessness, which is shelter and permanent supportive housing,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria.
Bill Wells, the mayor of El Cajon, said, “You’re never going to solve this problem unless you address the real root problem, which is mental health and drug addiction issues. So, I’ve really focused on that and I don’t think that’s controversial."
The San Diego Rescue Mission asked the mayors to sign a declaration committing to finding ways to solve this crisis.
“But they said, in principle, we agree that we need to stop thinking locally and we need to start thinking regionally about this issue because if you’re homeless, that has no ZIP code,” said Donnie Dee, president and CEO of San Diego Rescue Mission.
Mayors from different ZIP codes signing the declaration to think regionally was one goal of this meeting. Another goal was getting some of those mayors to be a part of a task force to create those regional solutions.
“The commitment is there. Now we need to sit down with a smaller group of mayors so we can begin to work through the different political approaches and the different things that the cities are doing to try to find the common ground so that the person living on the streets can be helped,” Dee said.
But there’s optimism that these talks of how to help won’t just be talks but action.
“I can tell you every mayor in there today was saying, ‘This is my number one priority. Homelessness may not be the only thing I’m working on this week, may not be the only thing on my agenda, this season, this summer, this fall, but I can tell you it is my number one priority. And we are going to work to find solutions that get people off of the streets,'" Dee said.
Dee told ABC 10News the mayors of Vista, National City, Lemon Grove, El Cajon, Coronado and the deputy mayor of Oceanside are on the Mission’s task force.
