Eight individuals living in San Diego’s homeless camps have recently sued the city over what they claim are “inhumane conditions.”
The plaintiffs claim the homeless camps “are anything but safe for [their] residents,” according to the Aug. 25 lawsuit obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune. The filing was made in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
The plaintiffs also claim the camps do not provide any accommodations for individuals with “disability-related needs,” making the situation “untenable.” They allege that the camps are “seriously threatening and aggravating mental and physical health.” Residents have faced issues with mold, including on personal property, according to the lawsuit.
The non-profit agencies Dreams For Change and Downtown Partnership were contracted by the City of San Diego to help with two homeless camps, namely the 20th and B and O Lot, according to the lawsuit. The 20th and B site opened a little over two years ago while the O Lot site opened in late 2023, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. One area has been plagued by heavy rain, causing evacuations, while another faced widespread illness, the outlet reported. Residents have complained about rats and the temperature.
Residents accuse San Diego ‘Safe Sleeping Program’ of being dangerous and intolerable for homeless individuals amid inhumane conditions and neglect. https://t.co/1Z1HEERdak
— CBS 8 San Diego (@CBS8) August 27, 2025
Tim Allen, who lived at one of the sites for almost two years, discussed the homeless camps’ rat problem with CBS8 San Diego.
“When they brought in the new tents they pulled up my plan and there was about 20 rats [that] ran out there was a big [old] tent that was under my tent, under my floor,” Allen, who’s lived inside the camp for two years, told the outlet.
Laura Zaleta, a disabled O Lot camper, claimed there was also a mice problem. “I have a phobia of mice so it’s bad enough[,] it’s just you can hear them scratching you just[,] you can hear them,” Zaleta explained to CBS 8.
Zaleta, 60, also spoke with the San Diego Union-Tribune. “The conditions there are deplorable for anybody with a disability,” Zaleta, who uses a walker, said. “At times, I felt I was safer sleeping on the streets than I am here.” (RELATED: Major American City Spends Seven Years Developing $1.1 Million Ugly Logo)
The lawsuit lists Timothy Allen and Laura Zaleta as plaintiffs. The homeless camps operate under the city’s “Safe Sleeping Program.”
Proponents of the homeless camps said they have been successful at helping individuals who are chronically homeless, meaning they have not had housing for at least a year, the San Diego-Union Tribune reported. Out of 1,787 individuals who lived in the camps over last fiscal year, over half were chronically homeless, city spokesperson Matt Hoffman said.