San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
EL CAJON CONSIDERS SAFE PARKING LOTS
Council will meet over homeless issues Jan. 20
The new year could mean more homeless services in East County, including a safe parking lot in El Cajon for people who live in their vehicles.
The El Cajon City Council is expected to discuss the proposal for a safe parking program at its Jan. 20 goalsetting meeting. The council also will hear details about how other East County cities may work together on homeless solutions and will discuss proposed changes to laws about people sleeping in recreational vehicles.
While no decision has been made about whether El Cajon will have a safe parking program, council members heard a proposal for where to put it and who could run it at their Dec. 14 meeting.
Council members Steve Goble and Michelle Metschel proposed the council direct its staff to return in 90 days with possible partners and locations for a safe parking program. Before other members began discussing the idea, a representative of the Good Shepherd Ministry Center proposed putting the lot on the faith organization’s property at 772 S. Johnson Ave., which would not be visible from the street.
The lot would operate seven nights a week from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., accommodate up to 16 vehicles and would have showers and bathrooms for clients and office space for social workers, the council was told.
Dreams for Change CEO Teresa Smith also spoke at the meeting and said her nonprofit, which already operates safe parking lots in
San Diego, could oversee the El Cajon site.
Smith said there was no need to wait for 90 days or to look for another site because the Good Shepherd Center was ideal. She asked the council to allow the site to operate for 90 days without city funding and then consider whether to continue it.
“We can’t wait,” she said. “The need and urgency is now, not 90 days from now.”
Goble said the city should move forward with the proposal because it had a willing host for the site and an experienced provider.
City Manager Graham
Mitchell, however, said picking a site and a provider at the meeting would be premature. The parking lot would require a conditional use permit, which could take about 90 days, and other sites and partners would have to be considered. Mitchell also said it still was unclear what role the city would play.
Councilmember Phil Ortiz, who said he empathized with people living without shelter because he had experienced homelessness while in school, agreed it would be prudent to wait.
“I don’t want to get into the situation where it’s ready, fire, aim,” he said.
Ortiz said he would like the city to discuss its objectives in all homeless services and to hear what other cities are committing to at the goal-setting workshop.
“I think we do need buyin from other cities,” he said. “We can’t be the only jurisdiction in East County that provides homeless services.”
Also during the December meeting, Mitchell presented an update on the city’s efforts to help homeless people in El Cajon during the past year.
Mitchell said 766 homeless people in El Cajon were sheltered in 2021, either through programs supported by the city, a motel voucher program, housing navigators or other programs. The city also helped 201 people find permanent housing, he said.
Looking ahead, Mitchell said city staff is close to bringing the City Council a draft of a memorandum of understanding with Lemon Grove, La Mesa, Santee and unincorporated areas in San Diego County’s District 2. The MOU will lead to partners sharing resources and possibly shelter space, he said.
gary.warth @sduniontribune.com