San Diego’s approach to addressing homelessness with sanctioned tent camps has come under legal scrutiny this week, with residents alleging the sites are unfit for human habitation. According to a lawsuit filed in federal court and reported by Calmatters, nearly 800 tents in two city camps have forced people to live in conditions plagued by extreme temperatures, overcrowding, and health hazards such as rat infestations.
The lawsuit on behalf of eight unhoused plaintiffs, including individuals with disabilities, points to a range of issues from the inability to properly manage medical needs – a 49-year-old man unable to plug in his CPAP machine – to inadequate meals that fail to accommodate dietary restrictions. Ann Menasche, the attorney who filed the suit, criticized the camps, stating via Calmatters, “This is an unsafe, unsanitary environment that is actually hurting people’s health and lives. It needs to stop.” Meanwhile, Matt Hoffman, a spokesperson for the city, has assured that “the safety and wellbeing of individuals served through the Safe Sleeping Program has, and always will be, the top priority.”
Further problems in the complaint include inadequate protection from the weather, with the camps offering little shelter from summer heat and winter rain, and the tents being allegedly too close together, creating a potential fire hazard. Residents with mobility issues also reportedly struggle with the camps’ uneven terrain, complicating their access to the limited restrooms and the sole handicap shower, which was reported to be out of order for two months, as NBC San Diego noted in an interview with resident Laura Zaleta…