How Comic-Con and a City Problem Are Connected

With Comic-Con underway in San Diego, also underway is a lot of talk about the city’s homeless problem.

In recent years past, there have been some comments posted by the Union Tribune about some concerns from some visitors to San Diego about the people who are sleeping or camping out on city streets and along freeways and some panhandlers who pandle in the Gaslamp Quarter.

That’s why the announcement this week about the city’s new agreement with Caltrans to clear out homeless encampments near downtown freeways made big news. The crews were already out there on Wednesday, on the eve of the first full day of San Diego’s largest annual convention, with reports that they had removed five tons of trash and debris.

The other news about the homelessness problem this Comic-Con week, was word that the Rosecrans Bridge homeless shelter in the Midway District was closing down Friday, apparently a little earlier than some first thought.

This week is obviously a big week for tourism and for the local economy when tens of thousands of visitors are in San Diego where there is plenty to see and do.

But it also serves as a talking point about what the city and the community can do to solve one of San Diego’s most challenging problems.

(Photo reporting partner 10News)