SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Local attorneys and activists are demanding action as they questioned the City of San Diego and its Safe Sleeping Sites.
The members of a group representing eight homeless folks currently living at sites are hoping things can and will change.
"Our City's failed leadership needs to do better,” Geneviéve Jones-Wright, an attorney representing the group, said during a press conference announcing the lawsuit.
ABC 10News spoke with those staying at the safe sleeping sites about the conditions they say are happening at the sites.
"I mean, the conditions are implorable. There's no place to cool off. There's no place to stay hydrated,” Laura Zaleta who is staying at the B Lot Safe Sleeping Site, said.
"There used to be mold in the tents. They got new tents which are now deteriorating from the sun,” Liam Burton, who is also staying at B Lot Safe Sleeping Site, said.
A lawsuit was filed this week, listing claims of rodents being found at the sites, issues with living conditions, and complaints about security issues, among other concerns.
"The shelter itself is also inadequate. They first gave ice fishing tents to participants, and what that means is there was no flooring in the tents,” Jones-Wright said. “It really could have been something that was helpful, and it is really just turned into a nightmare for a lot of people, including our clients.”
In June, ABC 10News discovered that 12 deaths were reported at the Safe Sleeping Sites since they were opened in 2023. According to the City, that number is now 13.
“I've had a good friend that passed away here,” Zaleta said. “This shouldn't be happening to people. I don't know how society looks at us. We didn't wake up one day, just wanted to, oh, we’re going to be homeless today. I don't want anybody to have to go through what I went through. That’s why I want this.”
A spokesperson for the City of San Diego told ABC 10News that as of mid-July, the County's Vector Control Program found no rodent infestation and that the City and site operators are taking appropriate actions.
The City Attorney's office told me they can't comment on the lawsuit.
However, in previous statements about deaths at the sites, the city has said that the safety and well-being of individuals served through the Safe Sleeping Program has, and always will be, the top priority.
Attorneys say they’re asking for the court to allow for better policies to improve the conditions at the sites they allege are happening, provide more pathways to housing, and monitor the potential changes to see if they’re being implemented.
“So that we can make sure that the City actually does the things that it is supposed to do and that it stops the harms that they're supposed to,” Jones-Wright said.
Safe Sleeping Site Lawsuit by Pat Mueller
