Hundreds of Point Loma residents packed a town hall meeting in Liberty Station on Feb. 26 expressing their unwavering opposition to the proposed conversion of nearby City-owned H Barracks into a temporary, large-scale homelessness services shelter.

City plans are to build a homeless shelter with wrap-around services on the five-acre H Barracks site, on North Harbor Drive next to the end of the San Diego International Airport’s runway, accommodating up to 700 people on a referral-only basis.

The City contracts with various service providers to offer shelter options to people experiencing homelessness. At shelters, people are connected to support services and ultimately put on a path toward permanent housing.

Hosted by nonprofit Point Loma Cares, formerly Protect Point Loma, the town hall was kicked off with a video, https://youtu.be/pgvlPMBfxu8, created by Point Loma Cares followed by a slideshow presentation by Derek Falconer, the nonprofit’s director.

“It’s time to create some unity and protect our community in Point Loma,” said community activist Margaret Virissimo while introducing Falconer.

“I am excited to be around so many people who care about this community, about our children, and care about helping the homeless,” said Falconer noting the City passed an unsafe camping ban in June 2023 to move the homeless from streets to shelters necessitating creation of more new shelter space. “We are not here tonight to vilify homeless folks,” he said. “But, we need to have an adult conversation about some of the struggles – drugs, crime, mental health – that come with homelessness, and what it means to (potentially) add (up to) 1,000 more people in our community.”

Falconer pointed out that, across the street from H Barracks, are two hotels that he contended “are going to be seriously impacted” by a new homeless shelter. He also noted there are nine schools at Liberty Station educating over 3,000 children daily, who use playgrounds that would be near the new shelter.

“This size shelter puts children in the front lines of the homeless crisis,” concluded Falconer, who called upon Jaeden Hicks, a senior and ASB president at the Rock Academy at 2320 Truxtun Road, to give a student perspective on the issue.

“I’m here to speak for students who can’t speak for themselves,” said Hicks adding, “What I see on the bus (to Point Loma) every day is drug addiction and mental illness. And I know that, when students have to worry about their safety, then that takes over their lives. As a student, I’m reaching out not only to parents but the City, to take action. Students should be our No. 1 priority here in San Diego.”

A flyer advertising the H Barracks town hall summarized Point Loma Care’s position posing these questions for the City about the prospective shelter:
– Will the homeless be sleeping and bathing in the new airport terminal now under construction?
– Will they suffer noise damage?

– Can they come and go?
– Is there a better alternative?
– What happens if the homeless community shows up for a bed and the shelter has no space? Where do they go next?
– Will there be mandatory drug testing?
– How long can individuals stay at the site?
– Why haven’t the San Diego Airport Authority, the military, and Liberty Station merchants taken a position on the proposed shelter?

The City has defended its choice of pursuing H Barracks as a temporary homeless shelter site.

“Projects like H Barracks are crucial in expanding the City’s shelter capacity, which then expands the City’s ability to enforce the Unsafe Camping Ordinance,” said the City in a statement. “Locations throughout the Peninsula that are currently experiencing issues with people sleeping in parks and on sidewalks near schools would see the benefit of this stepped-up enforcement. People who live, work, and go to school near the H Barracks site are expressing concern about our plans. However, the City is confident that many of the concerns will be addressed in the setup and operation of the site.”

The City said it is doing its due diligence with the H Barracks site. “Early conversations to discuss security and resources have already occurred with members of the community as well as the airport, the port, nearby retail and hotel owners, and other tourism and economic stakeholders,” the City said. “This engagement and coordination will continue over the next few months. As mentioned, the City is in the early stages of this project. There will be extensive public opportunities to engage on questions, concerns, and project details in the coming months.”

HOMELESS SERVICES AT H BARRACKS

Last year, the City released its Comprehensive Shelter Strategy, which outlines short-, medium-, and long-term solutions to meeting the City’s shelter needs, identifying potential locations throughout San Diego. H Barracks was identified as a medium-term option, and options for activating homeless services on this vacant City-owned site are being explored. Any services at the site will be temporary, as it’s slated to become the permanent home for Pure Water recycling facilities in about five years.

More concrete details such as the type of shelter and site configuration, won’t become available for at least the next few months. What is known is that H Barracks will have the level of services and security that come with any City-provided homeless resource site. Things such as:

· Fencing, for the privacy of clients on-site and the surrounding community;

· Lighting;

· Security stationed on-site and nearby patrols of surrounding areas;

· Transportation to and from the site and to other services;

· Code of conduct for clients, including no violence, weapons, drug, or alcohol use on-site;

· On-site services, such as mental health resources, substance abuse counseling, case management, housing navigation, healthcare and medical care assistance, veterinary care, IDs, assistance with Social Security or disability payments, and the basics, such as meals, restrooms, utilities, laundry, and showers.

This will be an enrolled, referral-based program only, meaning no walk-ups will be accepted. Individuals must be referred through an identified homeless services provider or San Diego Police officers who always offer shelter to people violating the Unsafe Camping Ordinance and/or encroachment laws.