I thought I had a great idea for housing for the homeless in San Diego; The buildings that formerly housed recruits at the Naval Training Center. They could be two to a room with a bathroom, pay a portion of their Social Security income for board. It would have a central cafeteria where various churches could provide food and volunteers to help serve. Those that were able could also work there for a small income to help pay for their board. There would be a used clothing store so those applying for jobs could have an outfit to wear for an interview. The area would provide an address needed for those who were looking for work. A health center would be available to evaluate each prospective tenant to see what their needs were. It seemed like a great idea until I found out there was a severe asbestos problem, and the age of the buildings would require too much work and money to make them livable. Maybe if they had been utilized in the beginning when the Navy moved out, the asbestos problem could have been addressed and the buildings utilized. Ah well, perhaps one day the powers that be will come up with a viable solution for the homeless. A friend who has a business in the beach area has had major problems with people defecating in front of her shop, even with customers at the tables! They are sleeping there at night, and many times have refused to move when it is time to open the shop. The police do a “sweep” every so often, but they come right back. There has to be a solution, but at the moment, no one seems to have come up with one that really works! In the meantime, the number increases, due to our good weather.
Photo by Ben Kerckx from Pixabay
