Chula Vista Mayor John McCann said Tuesday that the city is in talks with the California Department of Transportation to expedite the process to resolve homeless encampments on the transportation agency’s property, following San Diego’s example.
Only Caltrans staff were previously permitted to clean up encampments on freeway ramps in the South Bay city, but the city has started to work toward allowing the Chula Vista Homeless Outreach Team to do so.
With NBC 7, you can watch San Diego News for free, anywhere, at any time.
“Homeless encampments along our freeways are eyesores, unsanitary, and invite criminal activity,” McCann stated. “City staff started working on an agreement with Caltrans to allow and streamline the process to get approval to address encampments on state-owned property.”
According to McCann, he met with Ann Fox, the director of Caltrans District 11, to talk about how to strengthen the partnership between the state agency and the city.
With our News Headlines email, you can receive the best local San Diego stories every morning.
In order to clear “unsafe and unsanitary homeless encampments,” city crews and law enforcement will be able to enter Caltrans land along a five-mile stretch of state freeways that pass through Little Italy, downtown, Sherman Heights, East Village, and Barrio Logan. This is part of a one-year pilot program that San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria signed with Caltrans last month, according to a city statement.
“In addition to being ugly, the homeless camps beside our roadways are dangerous. “I am thrilled to see this creative collaboration come to fruition after months of negotiations,” Gloria stated. “This agreement will allow the city to have access to Caltrans property in and around downtown to clean up encampments and assist those living there get into a better situation.”
Gloria stated in his 2025 State of the City address that it was time for the city to have equitable treatment from organizations like Caltrans and the county in regards to homelessness. He claimed that the weight of homeless people who struggle with substance addiction and/or mental health concerns has been placed on the city for far too long.
Local
PHOTOS: San Diego pets you can adopt during NBC 7’s Clear the Shelters campaign
Sugarfish, LA’s popular sushi restaurant, destined for San Diego
“As San Diegans, we can agree that we want people to be safe, housed and not living along state highways,” Fox stated. “Caltrans’s daily efforts to address encampments along state highways have been greatly aided by the city of San Diego and other jurisdictions in San Diego County. Caltrans works together with communities to dismantle encampments and assist local partners in providing shelter and aid, as seen by this agreement.
The San Diego agreement, which was announced in July, permits the city to remove garbage and waste from encampments and permits city outreach workers to enter state property to provide shelter and housing resources to individuals there.
“By cutting red tape and letting local cities use their processes, we can speed up our response to homeless encampments and more quickly move unsheltered people to safer places where they can get the support they need,” said Senator Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas “Roadside encampments are hazardous and damaging; they pose a risk of fire, litter, and frequently cause damage to traffic infrastructure, making them unsafe for both residents and drivers.
“This agreement is an important step as we work to create more urgency, and greater inter-government coordination, to address the unsheltered street homelessness crisis.”
