The safe sleeping area on the O Lot near Balboa Park. (File photo courtesy of cIty of San Diego
Eight people who have been living at San Diego’s safe sleeping camp sites for the homeless allege in a new lawsuit that they face “inaccessible and inhumane conditions” at the sites.
The camps, they say in a complaint filed Monday, lack adequate food, fail to provide proper shelter from the elements and are uninhabitable for people with disabilities.
The complaint in San Diego federal court seeks a court-ordered remedy for the allegedly poor conditions at two safe sleeping lots near Balboa Park.
The lawsuit names the city of San Diego as a defendant, along with Dreams for Change and the Downtown San Diego Partnership, which help operate the lots.
“These camps, operating under the Orwellian name of the `Safe Sleeping Program,’ are anything but safe for its residents,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit alleges the sites are “rodent infested,” pose a fire hazard by having tents placed too close to one another and are located in terrain that is it difficult to navigate for people with mobility issues.
Weather conditions are also an issue, as limited shade on-site provides little refuge from summer heat, while the tents also don’t protect residents from rainfall, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit also alleges that some complaints raised by residents to improve conditions were ignored and, in some cases, met with retaliation from staff members who allegedly threw out residents’ personal property.