CHULA VISTA, Calif. — A motel could be turned into permanent supportive housing for the homeless if given the green light by the city council Tuesday night.
City staff have proposed buying the 31-room Palomar Motel, which is in an industrial area with homes across the street.
“The motel is gonna help people get off the street for a minute,” said Steven Brown, who turned 62 on Tuesday.
Brown sleeps in a tent outside with his dog and shares what it’s like being homeless in Chula Vista.
"You have to pack everything you have. You have to move it over here; you move it over there. You feel like a cow in the field. You know, one day, you eat all the grass over here, and the grass is ate up, then you go to the other side."
Brown said he recently visited San Diego's new safe camping site for the homeless but wasn't a fan.
"You can't bring your own tent. So, they give you a tent. You can't stand up. You're gonna always be kneeled down on your knees."
Chula Vista Mayor John McCann expressed optimism his council would approve the purchase of the motel to help people experiencing homelessness.
“We need to make sure that we give them the opportunity to also get better and to get back to into the workforce and get permanent housing.”
He said 10 years ago; there wasn’t a homeless problem in his city.
“But you look at Chula Vista, the county, the state, it's become an epidemic and we need to provide solutions," McCann said.
Chula Vista city staff estimate it will cost about $13 million to buy and renovate the motel. The plan would also see a safe parking lot created next door where homeless people could sleep in their cars.
Brown said he is working on getting a job and hopes he won’t be on the streets for his next birthday.
“I never thought in my life I would ever be homeless."
