Urban Camping

Pop-up homeless shelters are increasingly common sights around San Diego, spurred by devastating rents (e.g., many people can’t afford them) and, on Sept. 30, 2022, the end of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)/COVID-19-era eviction moratoriums. Many encampments are hidden away—or, when not, part of a larger grouping; the idea being safety in numbers protects against law enforcement or outraged, eh, housed residents.

So I was surprised, on October 15, to find this publicly placed standalone habitat at Georgia and Howard in University Heights. Climb the brick wall to the right and you will come out in the Sprouts market parking lot. Public library is on the same block.

The, ah, unhoused resident(s) is somebody surely relaxed about belongings. The bicycle would attract thieves, which ironically likely would be one of the local homeless gangs known to steal two-wheelers. The skate board is easy pickings. Probably no one would touch the bucket, if it is used for what I suspect (solution to no public bathrooms).

The Featured Image, from Leica Q2, is the single shot taken after I put down the gallon of milk purchased at Sprouts. Vitals, aperture manually set: f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/500 sec, 28mm; 12:21 p.m. PDT.

Given what we see here, I say let’s call this urban camping rather than homelessness. I hope the person(s) finds a better place to be.