A brand new proposal might have folks paying for some public restrooms in San Diego.
SAN DIEGO — The proposal coming from San Diego metropolis leaders might overturn a virtually 50-year-old ban that prohibits cities from charging folks for public restroom entry.
Free entry to public restrooms has been a legislation in California, however quickly San Diegans might discover themselves paying 1 / 4 to make use of some public restrooms and never everyone seems to be completely happy about it.
The town included a proposal of their record of this 12 months’s lobbying priorities in Sacramento, hoping to overturn the ban on pay bogs.
“The dialog began really at MTS, as a board member there–I needed to extend entry to restrooms for our transit riders. We heard repeatedly that that was essential to them. We stored operating into the barrier of operational value,” stated Council President Sean Elo Rivera, who’s pushing for a potential modification.
For him, the objective is to extend entry to public restrooms and the cost would cowl the prices to put in extra restrooms.
“It’s about establishing a community, the necessity is extra established downtown however not completely simply on this space,” stated Elo-Rivera.
Nevertheless, homeless advocates criticize the thought and say it’s inhumane. They add that homeless folks have already been grappling with the problems of not having sufficient public restrooms.
“It’ll enhance the quicker that there’s extra on the market. I am undecided it should enhance entry for people who find themselves homeless who will not be capable to afford to get into the restroom,” stated homeless advocate Michael McConnell.
In Downtown San Diego, there are solely two public restrooms and several other homeless folks inform CBS 8 they’re poorly maintained and stocked.
“I’d pop a squat in that restroom, the place is the cash going?” stated Maria, who’s unsheltered and lives close to the MTS station in downtown.
Elo-Rivera says homeless folks may very well be given particular tokens to allow them to use the restrooms without cost and can proceed to assist these in want.
A brand new session of the state legislature simply started, and as of proper now that is only a proposal.
Laws would nonetheless should be written up after which work its manner by way of a committee system earlier than it could be thought of by the meeting and senate.
WATCH RELATED: San Diego’s homeless neighborhood struggles to seek out shelter from storms (Jan. 2023).
