SAN DIEGO — Finding the people she wants to help has recently become more difficult for Katie Hildebrand.

"No Camping" signs serve as a reminder of the newer San Diego ordinance that bans people from setting up tents and sleeping near schools and parks, shelters and transit hubs, and even on public sidewalks if shelter beds are available. 

Hildebrand is the program manager and outreach specialist for People Assisting the Homeless. She said the camping ban has made many of the people she’s trying to help unreachable as they move around more and are driven into hidden areas, often losing their belongings during police sweeps.

“Not everybody’s involved in criminal activity," Hildebrand said. "And to punish people for being homeless and not having any other options is crummy and it makes it even harder for them to get back on their feet.”

Along with the ban, the City of San Diego opened two tent campsites where people can sleep legally and safely.  

Terri is a woman currently experiencing homelessness. She’s getting help from PATH to try to get back on her feet but said having to constantly be on the move has left her with more stress and several tickets.

“It just became like impossible to go anywhere," Terri said. "I was just constantly hiding, you know, worried about cops.”

Elementary school principal Fernando Hernandez said the new ordinance has been a game-changer. He said young students walking to Perkins K-8 school would have to walk around tents on sidewalks and step around needles, trash and urine. Since the ban started being enforced in July 2023, the sidewalks are clear and cleaner.

“When they come to school every morning, [the students] can now remain on the sidewalk the entire way," Hernandez said. "Before that was not possible. They would have to walk around cars and on the street in traffic lanes in order to get to school.”

Since the camping ban went into effect, the Downtown San Diego Partnership reports the number of homeless people downtown has been cut in half from March 2023 to March 2024. Hernandez knows it’s not a perfect system, but when it comes to the safety of his students, it’s working.

"The fact that our students can now come to school and remain on the sidewalk the entire way is a huge win,” he said.  

Whatever changes happen in the coming days, Hildebrand hopes they will include more resources and housing options.

“Just more solutions instead of hiding it,” she said.