San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo here: happy Friday!

Welcome to this week's Raul Roundup, your go-to source for the latest news, updates, and insights from our community and City Hall. Here’s what’s been going on this week:

The Faster, Cheaper Way Homeless People Are Getting Housed (Voice of San Diego)

For the first time in nearly three years, more people in San Diego exited homelessness than became homeless — and advocates credit a growing strategy called “diversion.” As Voice of San Diego reports, diversion connects people to housing quickly by helping them identify their own solutions, often with a small, one-time financial boost. It’s faster, less expensive, and highly effective: in 2024, 93% of participants found permanent housing, and most remained housed a year later.

As I wrote last week in reference to the new safe parking lot in Grantville, it’s important that leaders examine their assumptions when it comes to homelessness and focus on the strategies that really work. Safe parking lots are one – diversion is another, and even better than either of those is prevention so that we can stop homelessness before it starts.

Those are the strategies that I am most in favor of and will continue to press for.

Patrick Henry High School Principal Looks to Partner with Community for a Great Year Ahead (Mission Times-Courier)

School is back in session as of this past Monday for Patrick Henry High School, and Principal Sandra White says students can expect an energized staff, new opportunities like a performing arts dance class, and a school year full of engaged learning. In a recent interview with Dave Thomas of the Mission Times Courier, White also offered words of reassurance for parents sending their kids to Patrick Henry for the first time: “Welcome to the Henry Family… we promise to do our best to ensure they are well taken care of.” Here’s to a great year ahead for all our Patriots!

New Crosswalk Outside Wegeforth Elementary in Serra Mesa

Speaking of going back to school, Ehiwhar Avenue, which runs along Wegeforth Elementary School in Serra Mesa, was recently resurfaced. City crews painted ladder-style crosswalks and "slow" speed warnings, pictured below. It's a win-win for drivers who enjoy smooth roads and families walking to and from school who will undoubtedly benefit from the added safety measures.

I've said it before--infrastructure is one of our core priorities and responsibilities here at the City. It's always great to see a job well done.

Moment of Kindness: ‘The Power of Kindness’ (Psychology Today)

Research shows that even the smallest acts of kindness—whether giving or receiving—can spark ripple effects far beyond what we imagine. Author Evelyn Skye calls this the “ripple effect” in her new novel The Incredible Kindness of Paper, where a single paper rose sets off a chain of connection across an entire community. Kindness, she notes, isn’t weakness—it’s a quiet form of courage, a daily choice to resist cynicism and remind others they’re seen and valued. And the beauty is, we don’t have to know the full impact of our actions for them to change lives—sometimes including our own.

What You’re Saying…

Thanks for the update. Glad to see the safe parking area setup. I've heard rumors that the city is planning to close more public restrooms and remove portable toilets. This seems short sighted.

- Mike

Totally with you there Mike – we shouldn’t be closing public restrooms. As the great Marni von Wilpert (my City Council colleague) once put it: if you close all the public restrooms, the entire city becomes a public restroom. We don’t want that.

I advocated for us to save the public restrooms during the budget process, and luckily in the end we were able to restore almost all of the City’s restrooms that had previously been on the chopping block. That’s a win for public health, cleanliness, and accessibility for all, including seniors and children.