Flood evacuees at Balboa Park shelter cite parking, living concerns

Unhoused residents evacuated after New Year’s storms say a temporary shelter in Balboa Park has brought new challenges, including confusion over paid parking and concerns about living conditions.

“We’re human. We’re just like anybody else,” said Wendy, who asked that her last name not be used.

Wendy said her year got off to a turbulent start after the shelter at 16th Street and Newton Avenue where she had been staying was flooded. She and about 300 other unhoused people were relocated to an evacuation shelter in Balboa Park funded by the city and operated by the Alpha Project.

“It’s terrible. My blood pressure is through the roof,” she said. “We’re a population that I guess a lot of people don’t see. And you know, the sad thing is we’re just people.”

Complicating the situation, Wendy said she was initially told she needed to purchase a parking pass under the city’s new paid parking rules. Wendy has a car she uses to get to work.

“I’m a flood victim. Right now, I literally have nothing. I’m stuck here. And what little money I have, I have to spend it on ridiculous things like a parking pass, you know, because now I’m worried about getting my car towed,” she said.

Wendy said she paid $60 for a parking pass, only to later be told she did not need one and is now trying to get her money back.

“I’ve been paying my taxes like all my life. I work, comes out of every check. Oh yeah, now I’m fighting to get 60 bucks back for my parking pass,” she said.

A city spokesperson said shelter residents will not be charged for parking in Balboa Park and that anyone who was charged was the result of an oversight that will be corrected.

Parking, however, is only part of the concern. The city said the site has previously been used as a Red Cross shelter and includes added bathrooms, laundry and showers. But evacuees Wendy and Jeffrey Callahan said there are gaps in basic needs.

“I’m at my wit’s end,” Callahan said. “I need a refrigerator to put my insulin in like we had at the shelter before. That’s all I need, personally. But there are so many people here that need so much more than me.”

Callahan said the situation is another setback in his effort to secure permanent housing.

“I think there’s a big misconception that people don’t want the housing. Everyone here has a goal of getting housed,” he said.

In a joint statement, the city of San Diego and the Alpha Project said, “Together we will continue to ensure residents’ needs are met, and impacts are as minimal as possible to those seeking assistance. If an Alpha Project client purchased a parking pass, they can receive a full refund.”

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.