SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Being unhoused is a journey for many people.
“Very tough. It’s been a learning curve, I would say. At first, I was very naïve about the whole experience and then I quickly learned it’s not fun,” said an unhoused man who didn’t want to be identified.
The man told ABC 10News he’s been on the streets for three-and-half years.
“I have … wear a brace, a back brace, 24/7. It’s called slipping rib syndrome. It causes paraspinal muscle spasms along the right side of my spine. So, I lost several jobs,” he said.
He said his case worker mentioned the City of San Diego’s Safe Sleeping site as an option for him.
“I said, ‘Sure, I would try it.’ I’m willing to try anything,” the man said.
This man’s been at the site for about two and half weeks. He told ABC 10News he feels that it’s safer than sleeping on the streets.
“On the street, I tend to just sleep in the parks by myself where no one would ever kind of go at night or be because l don’t like to surround myself with other people. But then also being completely isolated, you’re more at risk if someone does come up to you who is dangerous or wants to criminalize you or vandalize you; then there’s nobody around,” he said. “So, it’s kind of like you have to weigh: Do you want to be around others you don’t trust or do you want to be completely by yourself and open yourself up that way.”
But there are some challenges at the site he’d like the city to find solutions for.
“I think the main thing would be they should’ve had storage lockers for items. I mean, we’re homeless. We can’t replace our items when they’re stolen,” the man said.
This man staying at the Safe Sleeping site said he thinks it will attract more people with the Unsafe Camping Ordinance now being enforced in San Diego.
“I mean, I would rather be there than if I lived on the sidewalk. I never personally had a tent on the sidewalk. But if I did, I’d much rather be there,” he said.
ABC 10News reached out to the city on Monday after hours regarding some of the man’s concerns, which were access in and out of the tent for the elderly and those who are living with physical disabilities and rising temperatures inside the tents at the site.
The city did not respond as of the publication of this story.
