San Diego Homeless Advocates Work To Provide Year-Round Shelter

THIS IS KPBS MIDDAY EDITION. I'M MAUREEN CAVANAUGH. THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO'S OUTREACH TO THE HOMELESS DOWNTOWN IS IN TRANSITION. LAST MONTH THE TEMPORARY WINTER HOMELESS TENSE WITH THE CITIES AND THE CITY -- AND THE VETERANS TENSE] CITY'S NEW PLAN IS TO END THE TEMPORARY SHELTER PROGRAM AND PROVIDE A PERMANENT SHELTER AT ST. VINCENT DEPAUL'S VILLAGE. THERE IS SOME DOWNTIME BETWEEN THE CLOSING OF THE OLD AND THE OPENING OF THE NEW AND THE RESULT IS THAT THERE ARE A LOT MORE HOMELESS PEOPLE ON THE STREETS OF SAN DIEGO RIGHT NOW. JOINING ME ARE BOB McELROY WITH THE PROJECT WORK IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU. THEY COULD. IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK. RUTH BERLIN IS HERE, SHE IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ST. VINCENT DE PAUL VILLAGE. WELCOME. THANK YOU. BOB, ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE LEFT WITH NOWHERE TO GO WHEN THE WINTER TENSE CLOSED? THERE WERE A COUPLE OF HUNDRED. THERE WERE 350 TOTAL. WE HAD 200 AT THE SINGLE ADULT AND THE VETS HAD 150. ST. VINCENT TOOK ABOUT 100. A COUPLE HUNDRED FOLKS WERE OUT THERE AND WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP TRACK OF THEM AND KEEP THEM SAFE. AND NURTURE. THAT IS WHAT I WANTED TO ASK YOU. IS THERE ANY AGENCY THAT IS TRYING TO KEEP TRACK OF WHERE THESE PEOPLE ARE WHO DIDN'T GO OVER TO ST. VINCENT'S? WE HAVE TREMENDOUS OUTREACH TEAM, -- WE ALSO DO FOR THE PORT OF SAN DIEGO SO WE HAVE FOLKS ALL OF THE PLACE. THAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW, TO TRY TO KEEP TRACK OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE MOVING WAY UP ON -- MOVING THEIR WAY UPON THE INDEX. THAT IS REALLY THE CATALYST BY WHICH WE PUT PEOPLE INTO LONG-TERM SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. SO IT IS TRYING TO MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH THESE FOLKS WHICH IS HARD TO DO WHEN THEY ARE OUT IN THE STREET. WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS OF NOT KEEP TRACK? WELL, WE CAN'T, WE'RE USING THE VULNERABILITY INDEX AND THE SPEED THAT SYSTEM AND THE CAP SYSTEM. THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE. AND SO THOSE PEOPLE ARE PRIORITIZED TO BE THE FIRST CANDIDATE IN THE PERMIT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING SCREEN. AND WE CAN'T, WE DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO MISS AN OPPORTUNITY, THERE ARE 3000 PEOPLE ON THIS LIST. SO LIKE I SAID THE CHALLENGE IS TRYING TO FIND THESE PEOPLE. WE HAVE BEEN PLACING PEOPLE IN ST. VINCENT DE PAUL AND TRYING TO KEEP TRACK OF FOLKS BECAUSE WHEN THAT TO GET COMES UP THEY WANT TO BE THERE. THEY DON'T WANT TO BE THE BACK OF THE LIST. IT HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE. KNOW WHAT BOB IS ALLUDING TO IS THIS NEW SYSTEM EVALUATING PEOPLE AT MOST RISK. AND GETTING THE PEOPLE WHO ARE AT MOST RISK INTO A SHELTER OR A SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNIT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IS THE RIGHT? CORRECT. HOW WILL YOU BE ABLE TO ASSESS THE PEOPLE AT HIGHEST RISK IF INDEED PEOPLE ARE NOT ABLE TO KEEP TRACK OF THE HOMELESS WHO ARE NOT IN THOSE TENSE ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY ARE CLOSED? IT IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE CITY INVESTED IN THE PMC, THE PALMER ALL THE CENTER THE WAY THEY DID FOR THESE INTERIM THAT'S BECAUSE IT IS VERY CHALLENGING. ONCE YOU LOSE VISUAL SITE OF SOMEONE IT IS VERY CHALLENGING TO FIND THEM PARTICULARLY WHEN BACK OLD AND TAKE IT COMES, WITH A PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS IS FOUND AND THERE IS A VOUCHER THAT IS. WITH IT YOU REALLY NEED TO BE MOVING FAIRLY QUICKLY ON THAT TO MAKE GOOD USE OF IT. AND THEN THE BED OPENS UP. ANOTHER PERSON CAN COME IN AND START THAT PROCESS SO IT IS VERY CHALLENGING. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ON THE STREETS IN SAN DIEGO SO IT DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY BETTER. IN FACT, IT MAKES IT WORSE THAT MORE RETURN TO THE STREETS FROM SHELTER. SAN DIEGO IS A VERY, VERY CHALLENGING PLACE WITH ITS HOMELESS POPULATION NOW. WITH 350 PEOPLE IN THE CITY SHELTER AND THE VETERANS SHELTER AND ST. VINCENT DE PAUL IN THEORY HAVING THE ABILITY TO HOUSE 350 PEOPLE WHY WAS THE DECISION MADE TO CLOSE THE TENSE BEFORE YOU ARE READY TO HOUSE ALL THE PEOPLE AND NOT MAYBE MAKE A TRANSITION FROM THE TENTS TO THE NEW FACILITY? WE WOULD HAVE BEEN PUTTING PEOPLE ON THE STREET WHO HAD NOT YET COMPLETED THE PROCESS. THE PALMER AWFULLY CENTER BEDS PRIOR TO US RECEIVING THE RFP FROM THE CITY WAS UTILIZED FIRST AS TRANSITIONAL HOUSING BUT THEN 25 CITIES , THE PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN WORKING OUT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS TO REALLY IDENTIFY THE MOST VULNERABLE AND GETTING THEM INTO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, THEY HAVE BEST TO SET SOME EXERCISE -- ASIDE TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THAT PROJECT. WE DID THAT. OVER A YEAR AGO SO WE HAVE BEEN SEGUEING THOSE BEDS AND IT REALLY LED TO OUR BELIEF THAT IS THE BEST USE FOR THE PALMER AWFULLY CENTER. TO BE THAT PLACE WERE HOUSING NAVIGATORS CAN KNOW THEIR CLIENTS ARE THERE. WE CAN SUPPORT THE CLIENTS WHILE THERE AT THE CENTER SO THEY CAN BE WORKING ON THOSE THINGS THAT WILL HELP THEM GET TO THEIR PERMANENT HOUSING AND WE CAN KEEP THAT VISUAL. BUT IT IS 350 BEDS. AND THERE ARE 4000 AT ANY GIVEN TIME, 4000 HOMELESS PEOPLE ON THE STREETS. IT IS BAD MATH. LET ME QUICKLY PUT THE SAME QUESTION TO YOU CAN'T BOB. WAS A LARGELY A FINANCIAL ISSUE CLOSING THE TENSE BEFORE ALL THE BEDS WERE READY OVER AT ST. VINCENT'S? I DON'T MAKE THE DECISION. I WISH IT WOULD HAVE KEPT IT OPEN. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EASIER TRANSITION. BUT I'M NOT THE BUDGET ANALYST FOR THE CITY. IN AN ARTICLE IN THE UT SEVERAL HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE QUOTED AS NOT WANTING TO GO TO ST. VINCENT'S BECAUSE THE QUOTE IS IT IS A NIGHTMARE DOWN THERE. NOTHING BUT DRUGS AND VIOLENCE OVER THERE. IS THAT SOMETHING YOU HAVE HEARD FROM HOMELESS PEOPLE? NOT PEOPLE WHO ARE STAYING WITH US. NOT THAT WE HAVE A PERFECTLY CALM CAMPUS ALL OF THE TIME. WHEN YOU HAVE THAT MANY PEOPLE, WE HAVE THOUSANDS COMING UNDER OUR CAMPUS ON ANY GIVEN DAY, AIR INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE HOWEVER A LIMITED. WE TRACK THAT VERY CAREFULLY SO WE CAN ADJUST OUR PRACTICES. IT IS A SIGNIFICANT PHILOSOPHY OF HOURS TO KEEP OUR CAMPUS CALM. WE ASK PEOPLE TO DO A LOT WHEN THEY ARE STAYING WITH US. DO YOU KNOW WHY HOMELESS PEOPLE, SOME HOPELESS -- SOME HOMELESS PEOPLE MIGHT FEEL THAT WAY? I KNOW WHY SOME PEOPLE ARE ANGRY WITH THE VILLAGE RIGHT NOW. IT IS EASY I THINK TO IDENTIFY US AS THE VILLAIN WITHIN THE COLD WEATHER TENSE CLOSING. I GET THAT. AND SO IS IT EASY TO HEAR SOME OF THE THINGS BEING SAID ABOUT US? NO. IT IS NOT EASY AND WE WORKED VERY HARD EVERY DAY. IN FACT, TO HAVE A CAMPUS BE THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING BUT THEY ARE MAD. THEY ARE SCARED. BEING ON THE STREETS IS NOT AN EASY DEAL SO WE GET THAT. IT IS JUST 1 FOOT IN FRONT OF THE NEXT AND TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE COME BACK TO US. ALL OF THOSE 350 BEDS ARE SUPPOSED BE AVAILABLE BY JULY 1. CORRECT. BOB, ALPHA PROJECT HAS BEEN A SUPPORTIVE HOUSING DEVELOPED OPENING SALE. A MAN. TELL US ABOUT IT. 200 THROUGH UNITS GOD WILLING THE LAST WEEK OF AUGUST. THE BUILDING DESIGN IS ACTUALLY THE MODEL FOR THIS 25 CITIES. IT IS ALL PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. ALL OF THE CASE MANAGEMENT CLINICS. EVERYTHING IN THE BUILDING. IT IS ALSO AN INTERACTIVE BUILDING. WE WILL HAVE A MICRO-ENTERPRISE BUSINESSES FOR FOLKS IN THE BUILDING. THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO WORK ECHO WORKING THE BUSINESSES THERE TO GENERATE MONEY FOR THE FACILITY. IT IS JUST A BEAUTIFUL PLACE. INTO KEY PEOPLE SAFE AND HAVE ACCESS TO ALL OF THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED. YOU HAVE A CELEBRATION COMING. AMEN SISTER. A PARTY ON FRIDAY. WE ARE PUTTING THE LAST BEAM ON TOP OF THE BUILDING. THERE IS A 45 DAY MAXIMUM STAY AT ST. VINCENT'S. IS THAT TIME ENOUGH CAN'T BOB, IN YOUR EXPERIENCE FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE THE TRANSITION OF THE STREETS? THE HOUSING COMMISSION HAS BEEN GREAT AND I KNOW THEY WILL DO THE SAME THING WITH ST. VINCENT'S ABOUT EXTENDING THE. PEOPLE ARE INDIVIDUALS. VAST MAJORITY OF THE FOLKS THAT WE DO WITH OUR TRAPPED IN SOME FORM OF MENTAL ILLNESS. AND WE SELF MEDICATE WITH THINGS ARE MORE FROM THE PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS. I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT DON'T WANT TO GO TO ALPHA PROJECT EITHER. ONE SIZE ENOUGH IT ALL. ALL THIS WORKING TOGETHER WE HAVE A REALLY VAST RESOURCE FOR FOLKS ON THE STREET TO MAKE CHOICE WHAT PROGRAMS THEY WANT TO GO TO. MANY OF THE FOLKS WE ARE DEALING WITH HAVE BEEN THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS MULTIPLE TIMES. EVENTUALLY IT IS GOING TO WORK EVERYBODY. I THINK AT SOME POINT IN TIME, IN FACT I KNOW, THIS 25 CITIES, THIS IS GOING TO WORK EVERYBODY. IS THAT RAMP-UP PERIOD. WE ARE STILL ONLY ABOUT A YEAR AND HAVE FULL DOING THIS. ST. VINCENT DePAUL HAS JUST BEEN THROWN INTO THIS ALL OF THE SUDDEN. WE ARE GOING TO MAKE IT WORK. ALL RIGHT. I HAVE BEEN SPEAKING WITH BOB McELROY WITH ALPHA PROJECT AND RUTH BRULAND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL BENSON. YOU'RE LISTENING TO KPBS MIDDAY EDITION.