Declaration Allows Shelters to Take More Homeless

Concerned about near-freezing temperatures, authorities in San Diego Tuesday declared a Level 2 emergency and gave permission for the city’s shelters to take in double the number of homeless people they normally do.

Under city rules regulating shelters for the homeless, a Level 2 emergency is announced whenever downtown temperatures fall between 35 and 40 degrees, with no rain forecast, or 40 to 45 degrees with half an inch of rain forecast.

The city issued the emergency declaration Tuesday afternoon as the National Weather Service forecast an overnight low of 34 to 45 degrees, with a 30% chance of rain.

Shelter operators immediately began making plans to accommodate the extra homeless people.

John Anderson, a chaplain at the San Diego Life Ministries at 1150 J St., said his shelter normally houses 265 homeless people.

But, with the expanded limitations, he was expecting 550 street people Tuesday night at his heated building.

“We’ll remove all the chairs from the chapel area and put out bedding and blankets on the chapel floor,” he said.

“And then we’ll have breakfast for everyone who spends the night with us.”