PERMANENT HOUSING IS THE BETTER ANSWER

In an interview discussing her support for the new homeless encampment ban, San Diego Councilmember Marni von Wilpert aptly stated, “We are all suffering here, and the status quo is not helping.”

My San Diego-based, housingfocused nonprofit, Townspeople, wholeheartedly agrees. The status quo is failing us on multiple fronts. It falls short of creating more housing, ending racial injustices, eliminating income inequality, expanding access to critical services, and bridging the divisions within our community. Essentially, the status quo isn’t helping anyone, whether housed or unhoused. Yet Mayor Todd Gloria and the five City Council members who approved his encampment ban over the objections of four of their colleagues would have us believe it represents a new, compassionate path toward ending homelessness. However, it is merely a familiar road that San Diego has traveled before.

If we genuinely desire to end homelessness, the first step is to confront the facts. While everyone wishes for homelessness to disappear overnight, it is a complex issue that we cannot solve instantaneously. It requires an unwavering commitment to permanent housing as the ultimate solution, spanning multiple administrations going forward. This level of honesty allows us to acknowledge the magnitude of the challenge and sets the stage for realistic and effective strategies over time.

Actions like encampment bans fail to address the underlying causes of homelessness. Homelessness is a symptom of a broader housing crisis characterized by a scarcity of affordable and accessible housing. We must recognize that housing is not a luxury but a fundamental human right. We need to shift our perspective from viewing housing as a mere commodity to understanding its indispensability for all individuals. This shift in mindset lays the groundwork for policies and investments that prioritize permanent housing solutions as the backbone of our response to homelessness.

To make significant progress, we must address the systemic issues fueling homelessness and invest in long-term strategies that directly confront these root causes. There are no quick fixes or one-time efforts that can end homelessness. It is an ongoing journey that demands continuous dedication and unwavering political will. Genuine commitment means investing in affordable housing, expanding comprehensive support services, and forging partnerships with community organizations and individuals with lived experi

ences. It requires resilience in the face of setbacks and an unyielding belief in the power of permanent housing as the cornerstone of our approach.

Focusing on long-term strategies like permanent housing can give the impression of inaction in the short term because the visible impact may take time to manifest. However, just like the slow and steady progress we witness in developing cures for diseases like HIV/AIDS, the transformation is real and enduring. Permanent housing provides stability, security and the foundation for individuals to rebuild their lives.

It may come as a surprise, but providing permanent housing solutions is also cost-effective. Studies consistently demonstrate that the costs associated with emergency services, health care utilization and involvement in the criminal justice system significantly decrease when individuals have stable housing. In fact, initiatives like Project 25 in San Diego have yielded remarkable benefits, resulting in a staggering 67 percent reduction in the cost of public service utilization by people experiencing chronic homelessness. We must acknowledge the financial advantages of investing in sustainable solutions.

Regret often stems from choices that impede progress and hinder our ability to build a better future. San Diego’s new ban on homeless encampments represents one such roadblock, obstructing our efforts to address the systemic issues contributing to homelessness. By recognizing that punitive actions perpetuate the cycle of homelessness, we can redirect our focus toward permanent housing as the catalyst for genuine progress. While the impact of permanent housing may not be immediate or readily visible, Townspeople finds hope for a future where homelessness becomes a thing of the past in the unseen transformations and the unwavering perseverance of individuals. So let us embrace honesty, commit to the long term, eliminate regret and collaborate to construct a San Diego where every person has a place to call home.