Shelter bed shortage

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Tuesday, April 25th.

What it takes to secure a shelter bed and how it can be a lifeline.More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….

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Some MTS Minibus routes and MTS Access service could be stopped as soon as today, because of contract negotiations.

First Transit operates the impacted services for MTS and are in negotiations with their employees.

M-T-S officials say passengers should make alternate transportation arrangements starting today.

To see if your route is or could be impacted, visit sd-mts dot com.

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The Supreme Court will decide if public officials can block critics from commenting on their social media accounts.

The issue is at the heart of a case involving the Poway Unified School District board of trustees.

Two board members used Facebook and Twitter accounts to communicate with the public.

Some of the posts were met with critical replies from parents, who were then blocked.

An appeals court said in doing so, the board members violated the parents' free speech rights.

The supreme court will hear the case this fall.

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The remaining Bed Bath and Beyond and Buy Buy Baby stores in the county will be closing.

This comes after the company filed for bankruptcy on Sunday.

The stores will continue operating during the bankruptcy process, and store closing sales will start tomorrow.

There are four locations left in the county… the Pacific Coast Plaza Bed Bath & Beyond in Oceanside, the Mission Valley Center Bed Bath & Beyond, Buy Buy Baby in Encinitas and Buy Buy Baby in Chula Vista.

It’s unknown when the locations will shut their doors for good.

In the meantime, some things to know – the blue coupons won’t be accepted anymore and all sales will be final once closing sales start.

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From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now. Stay with me for more of the local news you need.

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San Diego’s strategy to solve homelessness relies on shelter beds.

The problem is, the city doesn’t have nearly enough.

Dozens of unhoused San Diegans are turned away from shelter every day as a result.

Inewsource reporter Cody Dulaney has this story about what it takes to secure a shelter bed and how it can be a lifeline.

Craig Thomas and Ali Herrera are trying to fill about two dozen shelter beds citywide. They’re outreach workers with the Alpha Project, and on this rainy Tuesday morning, calls are flowing in. “Alpha Project outreach.” Every few minutes. Someone is calling for help. CALLER: “Yeah, do you have a bed available?” THOMAS: “I won’t know that until I take down your information, sir. What is your first name?” Thomas logs the caller’s information. Date of birth. Criminal background. Medical history. From there, it becomes a waiting game. THOMAS: “I’m going to go ahead and submit your information right now, Mike. It’s probably going to take them about a half an hour to respond to me. If you could call me back in like 30 minutes, that would be great.” Intake coordinators gather that information and find a shelter that best suits the person’s needs. But that can take hours. Herrara said sometimes they don’t even hear back. HERRERA: “That’s what makes it more difficult, when you have a client that you’re working with for months and they keep telling you, ‘No, no, no,’ and you finally have them at that moment where they’re saying ‘Yeah,’ you need to get them there like that, because you give them an hour, you give them two hours, they’re going to change their mind.” It comes down to availability. Mayor Todd Gloria has touted his efforts to expand shelter capacity, totaling 18-hundred shelter beds citywide. But last week, they were 97-percent full. Meanwhile, 25-hundred San Diegans bed down every night in the streets, riverbeds and canyons. Even those who really want shelter have to wait for it. Sometimes several days. That’s what happened to Kenneth Garcia. He spent a week living outside City Hall in downtown, calling and waiting for a bed. This morning, he got lucky. Thomas and Herrera picked him up and took him to a shelter. Garcia said it’s been a rough few days. GARCIA: “I just got into a state of depression and I kind of walked around in a daze, not even eating. And now I feel like there’s something to look forward to again. Now I’ve got hopes again.”He most looks forward to getting cleaned up for a fresh start. GARCIA: “This is not me and I just feel icky. As soon as I can get on clean clothes, shave, take a shower and all that good stuff, I can get back to making something happen.” A shelter bed is more than just a roof and a place to sleep. Moses Miramontes has been living at an Alpha Project shelter downtown for the past six months. For him, it’s a second chance. MIRAMONTES: “I’m going to give it everything I’ve got. I take this one as Rocky 3, when Rocky’s fighting Mr. T. Or when he goes against Apollo — ‘Eye of the Tiger.’ This time we’re going to actually fulfill these promises.” With a shelter bed, he’s had time to get back on his feet. Focus on sobriety. Secure income and housing. Now, his family has come back into his life. MIRAMONTES: “I’ve never had my family behind me, you know? And my sister said, as long as you continue to be sober, I will get you anything you want. She goes, ‘You’re my little brother and it’s going to stay that way.’” Shelter availability is crucial — and not just for the people with nowhere else to go. City officials are considering a proposal to ban camping in public. They’ll need open beds to enforce it. The plan could come up for a vote as early as next month. For KPBS, I’m inewsource investigative reporter Cody Dulaney.

TAG: inewsource is an independently funded, nonprofit partner of KPBS.

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In efforts to address the housing shortage in San Diego, the City Council yesterday declared FIVE blocks surrounding the Civic Center Plaza surplus lands.

Reporter Alexander Nguyen has more on the city’s efforts..

The five blocks of the Civic Core … include the City Administration Building, Civic Theatre, Golden Hall, the Parkade and the 101 Ash Building. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria says it’s part of the city's effort to update outdated facilities. Todd Gloria San Diego Mayor “Objective two is the creation of a substantial amount of new housing, and specifically housing that's affordable to low middle income San Diego. We believe that the six blocks that we control, these contiguous blocks, are a tremendous opportunity to achieve both of those objectives: a new city building that can reduce taxpayer costs and more housing that people can actually afford.” By declaring the 5 blocks surrounding the Civic Center Plaza surplus lands … the city is required to approve proposals that prioritize affordable housing. Advocates say it won’t solve the city’s homeless issue, but it’s a start. AN/KPBS.

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The San Diego County Sheriff's Department released its annual report of its use of military equipment, earlier this month.

Military reporter Andrew Dyer has more.

(Reporter) In September 2021 California Governor Gavin Newsom signed several police reform bills into law, including Assembly Bill 481. The bill regulates the use and acquisition of military equipment by law enforcement and state agencies. (Reporter) Among the requirements of the law police departments must release yearly reports of all military equipment on-hand and a list of any they intend to acquire. (Reporter) According to its recently-released annual report, the San Diego county Sheriff’s Department has 44 aerial drones, 24 robots and 4 armored vehicles. It plans on purchasing more, including a tracked armored personnel carrier. SOQ.

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Coming up.... We hear about Asian representation in film and in Hollywood. We’ll have that story and more, just after the break.

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Pac-Arts' Spring Showcase is in full swing.

The festival highlights films made by Asian filmmakers from around the globe.

The diverse selection presents complex representations of Asians, but Hollywood has not always shared that point of view.

Arts reporter Beth Accomando had her interest in Asian films sparked at a young age, when her Chinese grandfather got her a subscription to a Chinese film magazine.

She spoke with Pac-Arts artistic director Brian Hu, about Asian representation in Hollywood, and the independent films that have challenged those views.

TAG: That was Brian Hu, speaking with Beth Accomando.

Pac-Arts Spring Showcase continues through Thursday, at the UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley.

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The San Diego Music Awards ceremony is tonight at Humphreys Concerts by the bay.

The awards recognize the accomplishments of local musicians.

This year, 150 artists have been nominated for awards in a couple dozen categories.

We’ll bring you the music of some of the award winners, in tomorrow’s podcast.

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Cuteness alert!

A six-month-old English bulldog is now the active duty mascot for the Marine Corps recruit depot.

Private Bruno, dressed in his blues, was given his oath in a ceremony on Friday.

Corporal Johnny "Manny" Manuelito, also an English bulldog, retired and turned over his duties to Private Bruno.

Those duties include public outreach and boosting recruitment numbers.

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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Join us tomorrow for more local news, plus, we’ll hear about Chicano Park’s history and what’s in store for its future. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great day.