Homelessness Reporter

Blake Nelson

Blake Nelson covers homelessness and other issues affecting Southern California. He previously reported on New Jersey's attorney general and prison system for The Star-Ledger and NJ.com and Missouri politics for The Associated Press. Born and raised in San Diego, Blake attended Junipero Serra High School in Tierrasanta and Point Loma Nazarene University. He later earned a master's in journalism from the University of Missouri.

Construction crews begin work, after a press conference, on a new Bridge Shelter that will be able to serve up to 150 unsheltered individuals in the Midway District on Tuesday, May 31, 2022 in San Diego, CA. (Eduardo Contreras / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Nueve refugios para personas sin hogar de San Diego dejaron de aceptar nuevas personas en medio de una disputa por financiación

June 1, 2025 at 9:25 a.m.

Los déficits y una próxima demolición amenazan con cerrar las instalaciones de Rosecrans que ofrecen servicios de salud mental.

Jacinda and Enrique prefer to avoid encampments with multiple tents and have been living in their tent in the Point Loma area for the past few months now. Jacinda became homeless 3 years ago after leaving her home because of a domestic violence situation, which led to her losing her job. Enrique recently became homeless after losing his job as well. At one point, the two lived in the city’s Safe Sleeping program near Balboa Park. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Homelessness counts can be confusing. Here’s how 5 work.

June 1, 2025 at 10:19 a.m.

Each approach has pros and cons when it comes to quantifying a diverse population.

A small encampment in El Cajon near the offramp off State Route 67. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Homelessness went down in most cities. So what’s up with El Cajon?

May 31, 2025 at 5:01 a.m.

The count for East County's largest city has left local leaders frustrated and some service providers confused.

People walk outside an Alpha Project tent shelter in downtown San Diego by 16th Street and Newton Avenue on May 8, 2024. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

ICE acaba de capturar a otro hombre que había estado en un refugio para personas sin hogar en San Diego

May 30, 2025 at 5:22 p.m.

Los registros públicos ofrecen algunos detalles nuevos sobre un incidente anterior en la misma instalación.

ICE detains another man who had been in a San Diego homeless shelter

May 30, 2025 at 12:40 p.m.

Public records offer a few new details about a previous incident at the same facility.

On Tuesday, May 31, 2022, construction crews begin work on a new Bridge Shelter that will be able to serve up to 150 unsheltered individuals in the Midway District. (Eduardo Contreras / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

9 San Diego homeless shelters stop taking new people amid funding dispute

May 26, 2025 at 8:00 p.m.

Deficits and a coming demolition threaten to shutter the Rosecrans facility that offers mental health services.

San Diego Roman Catholic Bishop-elect Michael Pham holds a press conference at the diocese’s headquarters on May 22, 2025. (Howard Lipin / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

San Diego’s new Catholic leader is the U.S.’s first Vietnamese American bishop

May 23, 2025 at 5:53 a.m.

Michael Pham has deep roots in San Diego County.

A homeless encampment off the I-5 in downtown San Diego, California. (Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

La falta de vivienda en el condado de San Diego finalmente disminuyó. ¿Se mantendrá esta disminución?

May 21, 2025 at 1:14 p.m.

El recuento puntual ofrece la última instantánea de la región antes de que entren en vigor nuevos aranceles radicales.

Spike Gibson, 69, a retired construction worker, looks through his personal belongings in a shopping cart near the parking lot off Jamacha Blvd. in Spring Valley, CA. Gibson says he is living on the streets in the nearby area however, in the past he has slept in the empty parking lot. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

El condado de San Diego da la aprobación final a la prohibición de acampar para personas sin hogar

May 21, 2025 at 9:01 a.m.

La ordenanza se centra en el riesgo de incendio en áreas no incorporadas

City workers clear a massive homeless encampment beneath the Interstate 5 over by the San Diego River on Nov. 7, 2024. (Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

‘Don’t change course:’ San Diego County leaders celebrate a drop in homelessness

May 21, 2025 at 8:23 a.m.

This year's point-in-time count did raise questions, including why numbers are up in East County's largest city.

San Diego County gives final approval to homeless camping ban

May 21, 2025 at 8:11 a.m.

The ordinance focuses on the risk of fire in unincorporated areas

Homelessness in San Diego County finally dropped. Can the decrease hold?

May 21, 2025 at 4:24 p.m.

The point-in-time count offers the last snapshot of the region before sweeping new tariffs take effect.

San Diego police officers speak with Dominic Dillard, 37, in Presidio Park on May 1. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Un hombre que vivía en las orillas de un río estaba furioso con la Policía de San Diego. Luego les pidió ayuda

May 19, 2025 at 11:32 a.m.

La policía se reunió recientemente en un parque local en medio de un cambio en la forma en que el departamento aborda la falta de vivienda.

A man living in a riverbed was angry at San Diego police. Then he asked them for help.

May 19, 2025 at 9:58 a.m.

Cops recently converged on a local park amid a shift in how the department addresses homelessness

Tents line a freeway over on J Street in downtown San Diego in 2023, the year the City Council ed its ban on encampments. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Newsom quiere prohibir acampar en todas las ciudades pero el condado de San Diego ya lo había hecho

May 13, 2025 at 12:45 p.m.

Las 18 ciudades de la región tienen prohibiciones de vivir en tiendas de campaña o vehículos.

Newsom wants camping bans in every city. San Diego County already has them.

May 12, 2025 at 7:37 p.m.

All 18 cities in the region have prohibitions against living in tents or vehicles.

A man sits along some tents on the 800 block of 7th Ave in downtown San Diego on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Hundreds of San Diegans could soon be homeless without continued federal aid, officials say

May 13, 2025 at 10:03 a.m.

Local leaders don't even have a clear picture of when various pots of money might run dry.

Two men living in an encampment under the 163 freeway in Mission Valley are interviewed during the annual point-in-time homelessness count on Jan. 30, 2025. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

San Diego County approves a narrow homeless camping ban tied to fire risk

May 8, 2025 at 8:32 a.m.

The new rules against sleeping outside do not go nearly as far as they could.

A 61-year-old homeless man, who says his name is Martin C and that he’s a disabled Marine veteran, sits next to his tent at a homeless encampment on Sports Arena Boulevard in San Diego on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

San Diego County looks for ways to get more homeless veterans into housing

May 6, 2025 at 4:27 p.m.

Proposed cuts to the VA, however, could complicate those efforts.

The soon-to-open H Barracks safe parking lot next to the airport will have 190 spots for homeless residents. Officials celebrated the project during a press conference on May 2, 2025. (Howard Lipin / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

With a new lot for homeless residents on the way, police prepare to clear more streets

May 2, 2025 at 4:51 p.m.

The H Barracks parking project next to the airport should open later this month.

Neighborhoods in Santee on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Santee’s former city manager gets a $131K severance amid a vague ‘dispute’

May 2, 2025 at 8:57 a.m.

Public records offer a few clues as to what might have caused Marlene Best's surprise departure.

Rubble from the old H Barracks is pictured on the planned site of a parking lot for homeless people. (Kristian Carreon)

Judge OKs San Diego’s newest safe parking lot for homeless residents — for now

April 30, 2025 at 7:46 p.m.

Wednesday's decision could still change next year when the case goes to trial.

A pond with two turtles bubbles in the courtyard of Genesis Recovery’s new rehab facility in Dulzura, deep in East County. (Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

More detox beds are opening in East County amid a regionwide shortage

April 26, 2025 at 6:12 p.m.

Homelessness often intersects with drug and alcohol abuse, although many people have a hard time finding treatment.

The site of the former H Barracks (pictured in July) is planned for a “safe parking” lot for homeless people. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

A controversial safe parking lot for homeless residents gets final green light

April 22, 2025 at 9:25 p.m.

The City Council vote for the H Barracks site could still be derailed by a lawsuit working its way through the courts.

Mike Gantz pays his respects to Pope Francis in the chapel at Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá on Monday, April 21, 2025. Pope Francis died earlier in the day. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

“¿Cómo mantenemos vivo su ejemplo?” Los habitantes de San Diego lamentan la pérdida del Papa Francisco

April 22, 2025 at 8:28 a.m.

El pontífice tuvo un impacto significativo en el sur de California.

‘How do we keep his example alive?’ San Diegans mourn the loss of Pope Francis

April 21, 2025 at 7:34 p.m.

The pontiff had a significant impact on Southern California.

A model bedroom inside the new Rachel’s Promise Center for Women and Children in downtown San Diego on April 17, 2025. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Las mujeres pronto podrán mudarse al nuevo albergue para personas sin hogar de San Diego

April 19, 2025 at 8:18 a.m.

Los líderes esperan tener eventualmente más de 200 camas, incluidas muchas para niños, en un sitio del centro de la ciudad.

Women can soon move into San Diego’s newest homeless shelter. Other projects are more uncertain.

April 17, 2025 at 2:42 p.m.

Leaders hope to eventually have more than 200 beds, including many for children, at one downtown site.

Part of an office building in downtown San Diego has been converted into a homeless shelter for young adults. Local leaders celebrated the Safe STAY Wellness Center, which is partially focused on LGBTQ+ residents, during a press conference on April 11, 2025. (Ariana Drehsler / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

San Diego is about to get more shelter beds for homeless young adults

April 15, 2025 at 1:48 p.m.

The facility uses what had been empty offices for a program that will help LGBTQ+ residents especially

Alpha Project outreach worker Anthony Aquiningoc loads breakfast meals into a van on April 30, 2020.

A ‘shocking situation:’ San Diego may stop funding homeless shelter with mental health services

April 18, 2025 at 2:27 p.m.

Mayor Todd Gloria is considering backing out of the Rosecrans shelter in the Midway District. County officials aren't happy.

Debris on the H Barracks site in San Diego on June 6, 2024. (Kristian Carreon / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

San Diego elige quién istrará un nuevo estacionamiento seguro incluso ante una demanda inminente

April 14, 2025 at 8:51 a.m.

Un desarrollador está demandando para detener el proyecto propuesto H Barracks para personas sin hogar.

Gentry Jeffries, a member of The Salvation Army, credited a church program with rescuing him from homelessness. He helped give a tour of the organization’s downtown facility on April 8, 2025. (Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

With federal aid for homelessness in question, can philanthropy fill the gap?

April 13, 2025 at 7:27 a.m.

Several San Diego projects that rely heavily on private donors remain on track

San Diego chooses who will run a new safe parking lot even as a lawsuit looms

April 11, 2025 at 8:40 a.m.

A developer is suing to stop the proposed H Barracks project for homeless people.

t. Aureilo Machado of the San Diego Fire Department oversees the spraying of a fire inhibitor at a vacant encampment in Encanto in January. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

A tenth of East County fires may have involved homeless encampments, data show

April 7, 2025 at 6:13 a.m.

Records from El Cajon, La Mesa and Lemon Grove help clarify how often homelessness is tied to dangerous blazes.

A person walks next to tents along the entrance to Interstate 5 in downtown San Diego. (Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

SAN DIEGO: $44 millones para combatir la falta de vivienda están en el limbo mientras Trump ataca a los inmigrantes indocumentados

April 1, 2025 at 4:33 p.m.

Las organizaciones de servicios locales recibieron un nuevo contrato para firmar.

A pile of charred wood sits near a homeless encampment overlooking Interstate 5 on March 26, 2025 (Blake Nelson / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Newsom quería campamentos fuera de terrenos estatales. Los incendios en las carreteras de San Diego demuestran que aún queda mucho camino por recorrer

April 1, 2025 at 8:50 a.m.

El Departamento de Transporte de California está bajo presión para aumentar las redadas

$44M to fight San Diego homelessness in limbo as Trump targets undocumented immigrants

March 31, 2025 at 7:57 p.m.

Local service organizations got a new contract to sign. What, exactly, it asks for is open to interpretation.

Newsom wanted encampments off state land. Fires by San Diego highways show there’s a long way to go.

March 31, 2025 at 5:03 a.m.

The California Department of Transportation is under pressure to boost sweeps even as budgets threaten to shrink, shelters fill up and homelessness continues to grow.

ICE visita un albergue para personas sin hogar en San Diego y detiene a una persona

March 24, 2025 at 9:17 a.m.

La ciudad de San Diego distribuyó recientemente pautas sobre cuándo los refugios deben cooperar con los oficiales de inmigración.

ICE just visited a San Diego homeless shelter. New rules say how that’s supposed to go.

March 23, 2025 at 5:39 a.m.

The city of San Diego recently distributed guidelines for when shelters should cooperate with immigration officers

Terri Sickels interviewed David during the annual point-in-time count for those living unsheltered. David has been homeless for the past 5 years and is currently living at an encampment under the 163 freeway in Mission Valley near the San Diego Riverbed on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in San Diego, CA. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

El condado de San Diego se acerca a una ofensiva contra las fogatas y los campamentos de personas sin hogar

March 17, 2025 at 4:03 p.m.

La ordenanza final debería estar lista para su consideración dentro de dos meses.

A man sits along some tents on the 800 block of 7th Ave in Downtown on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Most stays at San Diego County homeless shelters were brief. Some persisted for a year or more.

March 17, 2025 at 5:01 a.m.

A new study gives a detailed look at the region’s overtaxed shelter system.

U.S. Rep. Mike Levin speaks at a press conference on Feb. 28, 2025. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

This congressional district is purple, but the crowd at one town hall was overwhelmingly anti-Trump

March 16, 2025 at 7:21 p.m.

Many people told U.S. Rep. Mike Levin that the Democratic Party needed to fight harder.

San Diego County moves closer to a crackdown on camp fires and homeless encampments

March 12, 2025 at 8:54 a.m.

A final ordinance should be ready for consideration within two months.

Firefighters work to contain a fire close to apartments on Friars Road on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025 in San Diego, CA. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Bomberos: el 20% de los incendios en San Diego “probablemente” comenzaron en campamentos de personas sin hogar

March 11, 2025 at 8:42 a.m.

El departamento de bomberos respondió a más de 29.600 incendios de todo tipo durante los últimos cinco años.

Nearly 20% of San Diego fires ‘likely’ began by homeless encampments, data shows

March 10, 2025 at 6:04 a.m.

Fire department records going back years detail how many blazes might have been started by people living outside.

One of several homeless encampments along North Avenue parallel to state Route 94 in Lemon Grove in 2021. (Karen Pearlman / UT file)

Lemon Grove gets millions of dollars for homeless outreach as other state funding remains up in the air

March 4, 2025 at 6:08 p.m.

A county plan to build 70 small cabins for homeless residents also remains on track despite pushback from neighbors.

Agentes del Sheriff de San Diego encuentran materiales explosivos mientras responden a una posible sobredosis

March 3, 2025 at 8:47 a.m.

Se encontraron 'materiales explosivos' dentro de una casa rodante en Lakeside, se llamó a los equipos de materiales peligrosos para ayudar

Deputies find explosive materials while responding to possible overdose

March 2, 2025 at 7:21 p.m.

The "explosive materials" were found inside an RV in Lakeside on Saturday. Hazmat teams were called in to help.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a package of bills addressing homelessness and housing on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024 (Courtesy of the Office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom)

California otorga a San Diego 25 millones de dólares para servicios a personas sin hogar, una disminución respecto a años anteriores

March 2, 2025 at 1:44 p.m.

La financiación estatal ha estado en el aire en medio de altos déficits.

Cardinal Robert McElroy speaks during a prayer vigil called “The Church Stands with Immigrants” in St. Joseph Cathedral on Feb. 9, 2025. (Ana Ramirez / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Historic or heretical? San Diego’s cardinal is one of the U.S.’s most consequential Catholic leaders.

March 2, 2025 at 5:03 p.m.

Robert McElroy heads to Washington, D.C., at a pivotal moment for the church and the nation.

Escondido city crews remove debris from a homeless encampment in the Escondido Creek near Citracado Parkway in Escondido on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

San Diego County will explore clearing more homeless encampments when fire risk is high

February 28, 2025 at 11:20 a.m.

A number of recent blazes have ignited near where people were sleeping outside

California gives San Diego $25M for homelessness services, a decrease from previous years

February 25, 2025 at 4:37 p.m.

State funding has been up in the air amid high deficits

A person standing outside a tent next to the 5 Freeway in Downtown on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

After a 2-month reprieve, homelessness in San Diego County starts growing again

February 20, 2025 at 7:19 p.m.

One new bill would make it easier for cities to clear encampments on state land.

The San Diego Housing Commission voted to turn a building on Eighth Avenue in downtown San Diego into a shelter for homeless women and children on Feb. 14, 2025. (Ana Ramirez / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

San Diego approves a new 210-bed shelter for homeless women and children

February 14, 2025 at 4:50 p.m.

The City Council must still set aside millions of dollars to keep the program running long term.

….On Thursday, April 4, 2024, in San Diego, CA, Mayor Todd Gloria, if approved by the San. Diego City Council, plans on converting a vacant commercial building in the Middletown neighborhood into the City of San Diego’s largest-ever shelter for people experiencing homelessness. The new shelter on Kettner Blvd. would have approximately 1007 beds and office space in the two vacant buildings, on two floors, with a combined 60,000 sq. ft. of space. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

San Diego considera utilizar otro edificio en el centro de la ciudad como refugio para personas sin hogar

February 11, 2025 at 8:15 a.m.

Los líderes rechazaron dos opciones propiedad de la ciudad que podrían haber costado decenas de millones de dólares.

A vacant commercial building in the Middletown neighborhood will no longer be a shelter for people experiencing homelessness. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

San Diego considers using another downtown building as a homeless shelter after a warehouse plan collapsed

February 10, 2025 at 8:20 p.m.

Leaders rejected two city-owned options that could have cost tens of millions of dollars.

People protesting President Donald Trump and Elon Musk gather at the San Diego County istration Center on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

‘It’s terrifying, the direction we’re heading in’: San Diegans protest against Musk, Trump

February 10, 2025 at 9:01 p.m.

San Diegans marched Sunday in of many causes and in a t protest against one: what they see as the rising tide of fascism in the federal government.

Josh Bohannan, Father Joe's Villages' chief strategy officer, points toward the Paul Mirabile Center before a tour of the downtown facility on Jan. 31, 2025. The nonprofit's president and CEO, Deacon Jim Vargas, front right, stands further back near San Diego council Stephen Whitburn and Raul Campillo. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

San Diego is getting new detox beds for homeless residents as California eyes loosening Housing First rules

February 9, 2025 at 5:02 a.m.

Increasing access to treatment may be one area of compromise between Democratic lawmakers and President Donald Trump.

An empty warehouse in the Middletown neighborhood could become a 1,000-bed homeless shelter. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

The plan to turn an empty warehouse into one of the nation’s largest shelters is dead

February 7, 2025 at 4:01 p.m.

Mayor Todd Gloria said other potential shelters would be presented later this month.

Brea Kirklen, a firefighter paramedic with the San Diego Fire Department, sprays a fire inhibitor on the brush and trees in an encampment not far from the Valencia Business Park on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in San Diego, CA. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

San Diego prueba un enfoque diferente para la prevención de incendios: un nuevo rociado en la maleza seca

February 7, 2025 at 6:37 a.m.

La ciudad parece ser la primera en la nación en adoptar ampliamente la sustancia a base de cítricos.

San Diego tries a different approach to fire prevention: A new spray on dry brush

February 4, 2025 at 9:28 a.m.

The city appears to be the first in the nation to widely adopt the citrus-based substance

Cientos de voluntarios salieron a buscar a miles de personas sin hogar. Esto fue lo que encontraron.

January 31, 2025 at 1:52 p.m.

El conteo en un punto específico llega en un momento particularmente inestable para aquellos que duermen en la calle.

Hundreds of volunteers went looking for thousands of homeless people. Here’s what they found.

January 31, 2025 at 9:04 a.m.

The point-in-time count comes at a particularly unstable moment for those sleeping outside.

Rachel Downing spoke with Jason Bottomley, who lives in one of the encampments at the San Diego River. Downing, with the San Diego River Park Foundation, was taking part as one of the volunteers working along the San Diego River for the annual point-in-time count in San Diego County on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, in Santee, CA. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

El Condado de San Diego se prepara para su censo anual de personas sin hogar

January 29, 2025 at 11:22 a.m.

Las autoridades aún buscan alrededor de 100 voluntarios más para realizar el censo de un solo día.

Signs of a recent fire at an encampment off Ocean View Blvd along the south ramp to Int 15. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Los incendios en los campamentos de personas sin hogar son un punto crítico; San Diego lucha por evitar que se descontrolen

January 28, 2025 at 8:03 p.m.

Las noches han estado recientemente muy frías para los miles de personas que viven al aire libre

San Diego County is preparing for its annual homelessness census with federal aid at stake

February 17, 2025 at 12:26 p.m.

Officials are still looking for about 100 more volunteers to conduct the one-day census.

Fires at homeless encampments are under the spotlight as San Diego fights to keep blazes at bay

January 27, 2025 at 5:50 a.m.

Yet frigid nights can also kill, and many people sleeping outside have few options for shelter.

La falta de vivienda disminuye por segundo mes consecutivo en el condado de San Diego

January 24, 2025 at 11:49 a.m.

La crisis no había experimentado una contracción tan prolongada desde al menos finales de 2021

An air tanker drops fire retardant next to the Thousand Trails Pio Pico RV Resort & Campground during the Border 2 fire early Friday afternoon on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Nearly 6,300-acre fire expanding east in Otay wilderness as nearly 700 firefighters fight back

January 24, 2025 at 9:08 p.m.

Wind from the ocean pushed the Border 2 fire east Friday and the evacuation area expanded to include Dulzura and other rural spots east of Otay Mountain

Homelessness shrinks for the second straight month in San Diego County

January 23, 2025 at 6:28 a.m.

The crisis has never contracted for this long since at least late 2021

Dreams for Change runs the safe parking program in Encanto. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

SAN DIEGO: 18 programas de atención a personas sin hogar están en riesgo de ser recortados y no es lo más problemático

January 21, 2025 at 4:01 p.m.

Los líderes tienen ideas para abordar un problema de años relacionado con la financiación de los servicios.

Dr. Luke Bergmann, director Behavioral Health Services County of San Diego, gives an update about the suicide numbers for the county on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Ana Ramirez / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Aumentan los suicidios en el condado de San Diego pero 2023 fue mejor a los números antes de la pandemia

January 19, 2025 at 9:26 a.m.

Las niñas y mujeres jóvenes negras recientemente tuvieron las tasas más altas de intentos de suicidio

18 homelessness programs are at risk of being cut. That may not be the biggest problem.

January 20, 2025 at 3:24 p.m.

Leaders have ideas for addressing a longstanding issue with how services are funded

A homeless man was found dead inside a truck in unincorporated El Cajon on May 9, 2024. A neighbor had hired the man to do some landscaping. (Ana Ramirez / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Trenes, coches, drogas, inundaciones: 495 personas sin hogar murieron el año pasado en el condado de San Diego

January 18, 2025 at 9:29 a.m.

Un caso reciente muestra cómo esta tragedia en curso puede desarrollarse silenciosamente en una calle suburbana.

Suicides tick up in San Diego County, but 2023 was still better than before the pandemic

January 13, 2025 at 6:54 p.m.

Officials said Black girls and young women recently had the highest rates of suicide attempts, self-harm and suicidal ideation

Trains, cars, drugs, floods: 495 homeless people died last year in San Diego County

January 12, 2025 at 6:35 a.m.

One recent case shows how the ongoing tragedy can quietly play out on a suburban street

Cardinal Robert McElroy prepares to deliver family Christmas Mass at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in downtown San Diego on Dec. 24, 2024. (Sandy Huffaker / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

El primer cardenal de San Diego pronto liderará la diócesis de Washington, D.C.

January 11, 2025 at 9:51 a.m.

Robert McElroy, probablemente, ha estado preparándose toda su vida para confrontar a alguien como el presidente electo.

San Diego’s first-ever cardinal will soon lead Washington, D.C., diocese as Trump takes office

February 24, 2025 at 7:29 p.m.

Robert McElroy has arguably been preparing his entire life to confront somebody like the president-elect

Amy Denhart, a volunteer and member of Funders Together to End Homelessness, speaks to someone who is unhoused during the annual point-in-time in downtown on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022 in San Diego, California. Denhart used an app on her phone to conduct a survey. About 1,400 volunteers separated into groups across the county to participate in the annual point-in-time count to see how many people in the area are experiencing homelessness…..People met before 4 a.m. to conduct the survey. (Ana Ramirez / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Nadie sabe cuánto cuesta realmente la falta de vivienda en el condado de San Diego. ¿Qué se necesitaría para averiguarlo?

January 5, 2025 at 11:40 a.m.

Mientras los líderes electos del condado de San Diego evalúan cuánto gastar en la falta de vivienda en el próximo año fiscal, sus decisiones deberán tomarse sin una pieza clave...

An encampment in the San Diego River area under Interstate 5. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

La falta de vivienda en el condado de San Diego disminuye por primera vez en años

January 4, 2025 at 8:37 a.m.

Las buenas noticias vienen acompañadas de varias preguntas

Allison F. Blanks sits in her El Cajon apartment on Dec. 20, 2023 after learning that the rental assistance she receives from the county is about to expire. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Officials want to prevent more people from becoming homeless. What would that require?

January 3, 2025 at 9:40 a.m.

Three numbers offer a hint as to what the true need might be

Nobody knows how much homelessness actually costs San Diego County. What would it take to find out?

December 30, 2024 at 5:01 a.m.

A landmark study in Northern California offers guidance on calculating a surprisingly elusive number.

San Diego Police Officer Zachary Martinez spoke about his recovery outside the Northern Division headquarters in La Jolla on Dec. 22, 2024. (Blake Nelson / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Después de sobrevivir a un accidente brutal, este oficial de policía de San Diego se siente agradecido y perdonado

December 29, 2024 at 1:31 p.m.

Zachary Martínez regresó a patrullar esta semana después de que su compañero muriera

Colin and Amanda Cutler pose with their four-year-old son Kai by Christmas and Hanukkah decorations in their San Marcos home on Dec. 22, 2024. (Charlie Neuman / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Christmas morning or Hanukkah night? These families do both.

December 31, 2024 at 1:59 p.m.

A rare quirk of the calendar this year invites questions both logistical and theological

San Diego Police Officer Zachary Martinez spoke about his recovery outside the Northern Division headquarters in La Jolla on Sunday. (Blake Nelson / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

After surviving a brutal crash, this San Diego police officer is feeling gratitude and forgiveness

December 23, 2024 at 10:01 a.m.

San Diego police Officer Zachary Martinez returned to patrol this week after his partner was killed in August when a teen ran into their car.

Homelessness in San Diego County shrinks for the first time in years

December 20, 2024 at 6:40 p.m.

The good news comes with a number of questions

Several homeless encampments on the freeway over on J Street in downtown block the walkways on Saturday, July 29, 2023. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

County homelessness programs sometimes don’t track key information, report finds

December 20, 2024 at 2:32 p.m.

The analysis of dozens of contracts further found that money is being left on the table

A homeless encampment lines the side of the Escondido Creek near Citracado Parkway in Escondido on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. Escondido declared a local emergency over impacts from homeless encampments in the area after recent water quality tests showed elevated bacteria levels. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Escondido gastará millones de dólares para sellar un arroyo después de un repentino desalojo de campamentos

December 18, 2024 at 11:24 a.m.

Los del Concejo también aprobaron la reciente declaración de emergencia del gerente de la ciudad.

El enorme refugio en una bodega que propone el alcalde de San Diego será nuevamente debatido a puerta cerrada

December 17, 2024 at 8:26 a.m.

La Oficina del Fiscal Municipal dijo que el acuerdo introducía demasiados riesgos legales y financieros

Escondido will spend millions of dollars to seal off a creek after a sudden encampment sweep

December 17, 2024 at 7:55 a.m.

Council also approved the city manager's recent emergency declaration

Mayor Todd Gloria’s massive warehouse shelter will again be debated, but behind closed doors

December 15, 2024 at 5:01 a.m.

The planned discussion comes as council face a staggering budget deficit

Mayor Todd Gloria, center, gives a tour of O Lot, one of San Diego’s safe sleeping sites by Balboa Park, to San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, left, on Aug. 12, 2024. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Plan de dar poderes de emergencia al alcalde de San Diego para abordar la falta de vivienda supera un obstáculo

December 13, 2024 at 8:39 a.m.

Parece que una lucha de varios meses para compensar el cierre de dos grandes refugios ha dado sus frutos.

Plan to give San Diego’s mayor emergency powers for homelessness clears one hurdle

December 12, 2024 at 2:07 p.m.

It also appears that a months-long scramble to offset the closure of two large shelters has paid off.

Oceanside Police clearing a homeless encampment near Oceanside Boulevard on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 in Oceanside, CA. (Sam Hodgson / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

San Diego County extends county voucher contract ahead of potential change to homelessness program

December 10, 2024 at 5:19 p.m.

Equus Workforce Solutions is being audited over how it aided flood victims

Motivational speaker Daron K. Roberts gave the keynote address at the Regional Task Force on Homelessness conference in downtown San Diego on Dec. 4, 2024. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Fatiga, burocracia, Trump. Los trabajadores de apoyo a personas sin hogar reflexionan sobre cómo abordar la creciente crisis

December 9, 2024 at 12:14 p.m.

Los líderes propusieron una serie de soluciones alternativas en una conferencia en San Diego.

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