As San Diego Mayor Faulconer has vowed to tackle homeless in 2017 other leaders promised the same. In the meantime, shelters and charities are overwhelmed by the rising number of people in need. Two of those people are mother and daughter are living in peril as they wait for housing. KPBS reporter Susan Murphy has more. When he was desire and I'm seven years old. She is forfeit tall with Brown ponytails. Tran09's homeless. Her childhood is unfolding on the streets of downtown. Will sleep in, -- Cotts. While her days are spent in school her nights are drawn out in an emergency shelter. I wait for the doors to open. In addition to lines, communal bathrooms and meals are part of her routine. Her brown ice watch everything in her East Village community along the outskirts of the soaring skyline. Her neighbors are 1100 other homeless to sleep on the sidewalks. The population has doubled from last year according to accounts by the Downtown San Diego Partnership. I'm always tired when I wake up. With all of her belongings in her backpack, her half-mile walk from the shelter to her school with her past rows of makeshift tents that overflow with soiled clothes and trash. The pavement reeks of union -- urine. Her mother is trying to desperately escape. I don't want my daughter to think, that this is all of what life is. Desire and her mother are not alone. In east County two-story hotel shelter 65 families along with dozens of single adults. Harold Brown is CEO of the transitional living center in El Cajon. We have about 120 people on a waiting list. If a family comes in and they need shelter, we do an intake and we find out what's going on and contact information. Then they are on the list. Dozens of families stay at the San Diego rescue Mission. They lineup for bed at 5:30 PM every night. Tiffany newbie's director. When we reach capacity we have to turn people away and that can be a mother with children. The way to get a room at Saint Vincent De Paul village is months long. Deacon Jim Vargas says 100 people are always on the list. At times, it has gone much higher. To be quite frank, people don't even get on the list after 100. While the organizations are doing everything possible to avoid turning people away. There are not enough beds to go around. Behind the issue lies in it could -- imbalance a surging homeless population is conversing dose converging with the housing shortage. To make matters worse, those with housing vouchers have nowhere to use them. It's pushing more people onto the streets like Charles Noonen, he could not keep up with rent. I have worked my whole life and I pay taxes. I expect to get some help. I haven't. A case manager with Catholic charities said rising numbers of desperate people are coming to the charities doors. He said many are disabled and receive a federal income of $900 per month. Those clients will go on to a hotel for three weeks, that's all they can afford and they spend the last week on the street expect homeless service workers and political leaders are bowing in this new year, to join together to tackle homelessness. We have a serious challenge. Dolores Diaz's director of the regional task force on the homeless. We have actionable steps for our community to increase the stock of permanent supportive housing. Do I feel it's going to get worse before it gets better, it may. Not comforting for those like Randy Hill and her daughter does that -- despite circumstances they remain hopeful. To sleep at night comfortably in her own bed. I want my own box for my toys. Susan Murphy, KPBS news.
At about 4 feet tall with brown curly ponytails, Desire Navas is homeless. Just 7 years old, her childhood is unfolding on the streets of downtown San Diego.
"We sleep in cots, and then there’s a row, like a row of people to sleep," explained Desire, whose round, smooth face shows her young age.
She spends her days in school and her nights in God's Extended Hand emergency shelter, located in an old rundown, two-story building on the corner of Imperial Avenue and 16th Street. Desire and her mom line up at 6 every night, along with dozens of other desperate people, hoping to get a place to sleep when the shelter doors open at 8 p.m.
"I wait for a long time for the doors to open," said Desire. "And I'm always tired when I wake up in the morning."
In addition to long lines, communal bathrooms and meals are part of her regular routine.
"When I have good stuff to eat I always eat it," she said, noting that spaghetti and meatballs are her favorite. But on this morning, the previous night's hotdog wrapped in tinfoil and stored in her backpack would have to suffice.
Desire’s big brown eyes watch everything in her East Village community along the outskirts of the soaring city skyline. Her neighbors are 1,100 other homeless who sleep outside on the sidewalks — a population that has doubled from last year, according to a count by the Downtown San Diego Partnership.
With all her belongings stuffed in her backpack, Desire’s half-mile walk from the shelter to her school leads her past rows of makeshift tents that overflow with soiled clothes and trash. The pavement reeks of urine, feces and pot — a situation her mom, Brandy Hill, is desperately trying to escape.
"I don’t want my daughter to think that this is all life is. Is just live homeless," Hill said. "She’s never been able to keep a friend. It’s always time to go."
Homeless Families Crowd Shelters
Desire and her mom are not alone.
In the East County, a two-story former motel shelters 65 families and 150 children, along with dozens of single adults. Herald Brown is CEO of the Transitional Living Center in El Cajon.
"We have about 100 to 120 people on a waiting list," Brown said. "So if a family comes in and they need shelter, we do an intake with them. We find out what’s going on with them, a contact information so we can get back with them, and we add them to the list."
Dozens of families also stay at the San Diego Rescue Mission located downtown. Moms pushing babies with toddlers in tow, begin lining up for a bed at 5:30 every night.
"When we reach capacity, we have to actually turn people away," said Tiffany Newby, director of the emergency overnight shelter. "And that could be single women or a mother with children."
Across downtown, the wait to get a room at St. Vincent de Paul’s Village: months-long. Deacon Jim Vargas said at least 100 people or families are always on the waiting list.
"And at times it’s gone much higher," Vargas said. "Well, I shouldn’t say it’s gone much higher. To be quite frank, people don’t even get on the list after 100 because they think it’s fruitless."
While the organizations are doing everything possible to avoid turning people away, there are simply not enough beds to go around.
Around 20,000 people across the county have depended at one time or another on homeless services over the last year. The Regional Task Force the Homeless reports more than half of those served, 12,000, were newly homeless.
Housing Crisis Fueling Homelessness
Behind the issue lies an intricate imbalance. A surging homeless population is converging with the county's housing crisis. A severe housing shortage has led to low vacancies and sky-high rents. And to make matters worse, those with housing vouchers have nowhere to use them. It’s pushing more people onto the streets, such as Charles Noonen, 61, who is newly homeless. He just couldn't keep up with rent.
"I've been working my whole life," Noonen said. "I pay taxes and everything, and I expect to get some help. And I haven't gotten it."
Emergency services case manager, Jorge Orozco with Catholic Charities, said rising numbers of desperate people are coming to the charity’s various doors. He said many of those in need of help are disabled and receive a federal disability income of about $900 a month — not nearly enough for a place to live in one of the most expensive regions in the nation.
"What happens is those clients will go into a hotel for three weeks ‘cause that’s what they can afford, and they spend that last week out on the streets."
Homeless service workers and political leaders alike are vowing in this new year to join together to tackle homelessness.
"We have a serious challenge on our hands," said Dolores Diaz, executive director of the Regional Task Force On the Homeless, which is merging with the Regional Continuum of Care Council’s Governance Board.
Diaz said a strategy to alleviate homelessness will be unveiled soon.
"What the plan will include is very specific actionable steps for our community to increase the stock of permanent supportive housing, for example," Diaz said. "Do I feel it’s going to get worse before it gets better? It may."
Not very comforting words for those like Brandy Hill and her daughter Desire who have been waiting a year-and-a-half for permanent housing. Yet despite circumstances, they remain hopeful.
"My hope is to have a regular routine, allowing my daughter to sleep at night comfortably in her own bed, in her own room."
"And my own box to put my toys in," Desire chimed in.
