Residents, advocates press council for emergency action on homelessness and hepatitis A

During the allotted non‑agenda public comment period on Sept. 12, more than a dozen speakers urged immediate and sustained action on homelessness and a hepatitis A outbreak that they said had sickened hundreds and caused multiple deaths.

Speakers described personal and professional experience working with unhoused residents and persons with disabilities. Anne Monash of Disability Rights California said the city’s approach criminalizing homelessness is discriminatory and can endanger people with disabilities; Joan Raymond of Ocean Beach said she has visited East Village and reported restrooms closed at sites where the developer had a maintenance agreement, and cited news reports of 15 deaths and more than 260 illnesses tied to the outbreak.

Advocates called for more accessible restrooms and hand‑washing stations, restoration of promised public‑restroom maintenance, expanded shelter capacity and a transparent, community‑centered police‑chief search process. Think Dignity and Alliance San Diego representatives urged a community‑centered approach to selecting the city’s next police chief because policing decisions affect vulnerable people experiencing homelessness.

City staff and council members did not take immediate policy votes during public comment, but councilmembers acknowledged the gravity of testimony and the need for coordination across departments and partners to address public health and homelessness.

Speakers requested specific operational responses — more public restrooms, reopening of closed facilities, and rapid deployment of shelter and sanitation — and urged the council to consider declaring an emergency to unlock additional resources.