Opinion: While there is progress, there is still much to do about homelessness

The fresh numbers from the Point-in-Time Count PIT Regional Task Force on Homelessness RTFH record exhibited a decrease in San Diego County homelessness for compared to a year ago The records was gathered during the annual event of supporters outreach workers and county staff hitting the streets to talk with the homeless According to the overview the City of San Diego saw a reduction in homelessness for compared to last year While the drop is encouraging there is still much to do to get more people off the streets out of their vehicles and living safer and more enjoyable lives Still too several people living unsheltered On the occasions that I am downtown I still see tents sleeping bags people without any protection curled up on a sidewalk etc Given the homelessness issue did not happen overnight it won t be solved overnight With that in mind here are selected avenues to more progress on this all-important issue More affordable housing We often hear of affordable housing being built for San Diego Defining what is considered affordable can be the tricky part According to apartments com the average rent for an apartment in San Diego is about a month Meantime the national average is approximately When people say that more affordable housing is coming how affordable is it to rent Better paying jobs Depending on your line of work you might be making good money or living paycheck to paycheck If the latter making your monthly rent alone can be a struggle More jobs with livable wages would likely make a dent in the homeless population When you add up your rent or mortgage soundness insurance auto costs if you drive credit cards food and more bi-weekly or monthly pay can go fast Tackling underlying problems How often do you see people living on the streets and wonder if they have alcohol drug or mental wellbeing issues like depression or anxiety Such issues can prove a roadblock to getting off the streets It is essential to provide even more assistance in this day and age That is numerous programs in place to help the less fortunate are being cut or eliminated That glimmer of hope to reverse subject and change one s lifestyle can make all the difference Accepting specific people do not want better living conditions Certainly accept that chosen people like life on the streets While that may seem strange to several chosen individuals want and like the freedom of living unsheltered Trying to force someone into a living situation will oftentimes backfire As long as the individual is not a society nuisance you have to accept that they do not want to pay rent on a property they do not own and play by the rules if you will While there is no simple fix to San Diego s homelessness issue things may completely be going in a direction where more people will ultimately have a place to call home Want to submit a letter to the editor guest column or opinion piece Find our guidelines and submission form here