Laura's Law and the 'black-robe effect'

Advocates for the mentally ill question whether new county program will compel folks into treatment

In San Diego, the county’s Mental Health Board, which advises the county Board of Supervisors on policy matters, voted earlier this year in favor of Laura’s Law’s implementation, the county’s Health and Human Services Agency remains opposed to it.

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Wednesday, October 19,2011
News

New owner for San Diego Square

After 32 years and recent trouble, nonprofit opts to sell building

Earlier today, residents of San Diego Square, a housing complex for low-income seniors located Downtown at 10th Street and Broadway, got a letter under their doors informing them that Housing Developm

Wednesday, September 28,2011
News

Much-needed public restrooms get caught up in the battle over the future of redevelopment

Portland Loo seemed like a simple solution, but getting them to San Diego has become surprisingly complicated

By Kelly Davis

To Girls Think Tank, a nonprofit focused on homelessness, the Loo was a simple solution to Downtown’s public-restroom shortage; in June 2010, the City Council agreed.

Wednesday, September 14,2011
News

Mavourneen O’Connor has friends in high places

Even then-Gov. Pete Wilson helped put seniors at risk by shutting them out of housing complex parking lot

By Kelly Davis

The closed parking lot has been an issue since at least October 1993, when the city’s Neighborhood Code Compliance Department, in response to a complaint from a tenant, issued a citation to San Diego Square for not allowing residents to use the lot.

Wednesday, September 7,2011
News

Pension reform: us vs. them

Will ballot measure save San Diego money or just worsen acrimony?

By Kelly Davis

As the Comprehensive Pension Reform (CPR) ballot measure’s proponents make their final push to gather signatures from 94,346 registered San Diego voters by Oct. 14, there’s the looming specter of an expensive campaign, acrimony and potential lawsuits that Zucchet says the MEA is ready to file if and when the measure qualifies.

Wednesday, August 31,2011
News

Housing Commission gets ownership of residential hotel

Empty for seven years, Hotel Churchill will provide needed affordable housing

By Kelly Davis

It’s been a long, strange trip for the Hotel Churchill. The seven-story, 100-year-old building with the Excalibur theme -- a castle on the side, a faux drawbridge entrance -- has been vacant since late 2005.

Wednesday, August 24,2011
News

Nonprofit started by Mavourneen O’Connor runs afoul of rules

Residents of senior housing complex operated by former mayor’s sister have a list of complaints

San Diego Square sits on city-owned land that’s leased to Kind Corp. for $1 a year. The lease says the site must include “assistance and services for seniors, including but not limited to counseling, recreation, legal, medical and other services.” Those services aren’t being provided, residents told CityBeat.

Wednesday, July 27,2011
News

The mystery of Marvin

What kept a homeless man on the street until his death?

By Kelly Davis

Marvin Bradshaw’s death on May 8 wasn’t too out of the ordinary. According to the county Medical Examiner, he was one of more than 30 homeless men and women who’ve died in San Diego County so far this year. At 52, he was roughly the average age of homeless decedents in the county over the last 18 months (49) and his cause of death (heart disease) is that group’s most common killer.

Wednesday, July 27,2011
News

(In)visible people

Art project wants you to think differently about the homeless

By Kelly Davis

In 2007, CityBeat kicked off a yearlong effort to put names, stories and faces to the city’s homeless population and find out the reasons people end up—and too often stay—on the street. We tried to sum it all up in our July 16, 2008, issue.

Wednesday, July 20,2011
News

Skinning the cat (tax)

There's more to the feline fee than DeMaio claimed

By Kelly Davis

Coined by San Diego City Councilmember Carl DeMaio in a July 11 press release, “cat tax” was a catchphrase destined to go viral. Even the U.K.’s Daily Mail wrote about what DeMaio described as a “revenue grab” by the city.