Anarchy, Chaos, and Misery
TAKE BACK SAN DIEGO is a “compassion-centered”, non-partisan, non-political, all-volunteer grassroots coalition of native (and long-time) San Diegans who, in unison, are saying NO MORE to the homeless status quo of suffering.
The Regional Task Force on Homelessness recently counted 10,264 homeless residents in the San Diego region with 5,171 of them living outdoors. These numbers represent a 22% increase from the previous year, and a mind-numbing 26% rise of those living outdoors. This is by far the largest percentage increase of all the big cities in America.
We also recognize that these point-in-time counts are significantly understated. Those in the know estimate our real homeless numbers to be more than 20,000 in the City of San Diego, and 45,000 countywide.
We are all desperate for a viable answer to this unrelenting humanitarian catastrophe; with its accompanying devastation to every aspect of our lives, and culture.
Many of us can no longer walk or bicycle our streets, sidewalks, bike paths, and public parks without facing an obstacle course of tents, bodies, human excrement, needles, trash, and a slew of walking-zombies who are impossible to distinguish between those just down on their luck and others who are out-of-control substance abusers about to attack us.
Anarchy, chaos, and misery now define San Diego.
We are in the midst of the greatest humanitarian crisis we have ever faced.
We are also devolving into the economic self-destruction of our all important and inter-related hospitality and tourism industries.
In 2019, the number of homeless deaths in San Diego reached 165 persons.
In 2023, homeless deaths jumped to 624 persons. This is an astonishing 280% increase in just a few years…and, yet, those who can do something about all of this — won’t.
To humanize this 624 number, think about the NFL Super Bowl with its one-hundred-yard long football field.
If we stand one person on every yard-line in a row down the field, we would have over six rows of 100 persons to represent how many homeless people died in just 2023.
Visualize these seven lines of humanity stretched down the field.
These 624 persons are NOT just statistical numbers…they are individuals…our brothers and sisters…our sons and daughters…our mothers and fathers…our friends…our fellow citizens.
Something has gone terribly wrong in San Diego. We are here to TAKE BACK SAN DIEGO from the catastrophe of homelessness and fix it.
