Two prominent advocates for homeless residents say rats, heat and other problems threaten the hundreds of people sleeping at San Diego’s designated camping areas as the city prepares to expand both projects. The pair released a petition signed by more than 100 individuals who said staying at O Lot, the larger safe sleeping site by Balboa Park, had left them exposed to rodents that left feces on beds, ate their food and left some people with bite marks. The document demanded the rats be quickly eliminated. “The city calls this a safe lot, but the city has created conditions for this vulnerable population that are unsafe,” Coleen Cusack, an attorney who often defends homeless people in court, said Friday at a press conference. She is running against Stephen Whitburn, a proponent of the sites, for a seat on the San Diego City Council. Several residents spoke out against and displayed photos of the living conditions at O Lot, San Diego’s second safe sleeping site by Balboa Park, on Oct. 4, 2024. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune) Officials acknowledged that some rats had been found near one drinking water station but said the problem had largely been taken care of. “The isolated rodent situation was reported through proper channels,” city spokesperson Matt Hoffman wrote in an email. He added that “there is no evidence of an infestation, according to the pest control company, and the County health department confirmed everything is being handled accordingly.” The lots have proved divisive amid a homelessness crisis that has grown every month for more than two straight years. One site, known as 20th and B, has been repeatedly evacuated amid heavy rains and a mysterious illness at O Lot once sickened dozens. In interviews, some residents have raised concerns about limited food options, mold on the platforms beneath tents and disorganization among staffers. Others have described the projects as lifelines and an improvement over living on local streets. The sites have showers, laundry machines, portable toilets, security and a shuttle. Plus, proponents have said the lots are ideal for people hesitant to enter traditional shelters, sometimes because those facilities, unlike the camping areas, often don’t allow pets or let couples stay together. San Diego leaders have so far been won over by the latter arguments, and the council voted earlier this week to add around 230 tents to both locations, bringing the total number of spots to more than 770. Each tent can hold two cots, and the increase is meant to partially offset the coming loss of 600-plus beds due to the closure of several existing shelters. “In the ideal world, we are not relying on tents to keep people off the streets,” Council President Sean Elo-Rivera said Tuesday from the dais. “We can also recognize, that for the folks who’ve opted into this program, it is better than the alternative.” From left, Karen Porter, Tony Gorizia and Rebecca Yunckes were among the O Lot residents who criticized the safe sleeping site by Balboa Park on Oct. 4, 2024. The gathering was co-organized by attorney Ann Menasche, right. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune) Friday’s press conference in Balboa Park was attended by four people who said they’re currently staying at O Lot and were still dealing with rats. Rebecca Yunckes, 37, described waking up that morning and seeing one hanging from the mesh of her tent. Some added that they’d recently gotten sick and worried it was the result of either rodents or the food. “Nobody wants to live in these conditions,” said 34-year-old Jeffrey Bradley. The petition was co-organized by Ann Menasche, a lawyer who successfully fought San Diego’s now defunct policy of ticketing people living in vehicles. She argued that the city’s camping ban — combined with the fact that traditional shelters are generally full — effectively pushed many homeless residents into the sites. “If any animal shelter treated dogs and cats this way, the entire population would be in an uproar,” Menasche said. Dreams for Change, the nonprofit that helps run both projects, did notify officials earlier in the week that “a small, isolated group of rodents had been found near one drinking water dispenser” in O Lot, according to Hoffman, the city spokesperson. He said that machine was immediately taken offline, new ones were on their way and a pest control company had increased sweeps. San Diego further notified the county’s health and human services agency but had not been directed to make additional changes, Hoffman wrote. He also noted that the sites “are located outdoors and program participants are provided with reminders and tips to keep their living areas clean to avoid the possibility of rodents or pests.” Teresa Smith, Dreams for Change’s CEO, said in a statement that the area’s proximity to canyons meant animals would always be nearby. Yet regular safety checks kept any problems from getting out of hand, she added. “At no time were rats or other vermin found within the water and water tanks.” A spokesperson for the nonprofit, Kelly Spoon, said she couldn’t comment on the experiences of specific residents without their written consent. Sarah Brothers, a representative for the Downtown San Diego Partnership, directed questions to the city. The partnership co-runs O Lot, although it was not specifically named in the petition.