Opinion: One-room unit operator says city is not on his side

Regarding “Single-Room Housing, a Smart, Inexpensive Way to Address the Housing Shortage and Homelessness” (April 29): Thank you for printing this letter. We operate a century-old hotel in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, considered the laughing stock of city and business circles. It’s not “poor quality”. We are proud to say that we welcome low-wage earners, seniors living on very tight budgets, and visitors and convention attendees who cannot afford fancy, upscale hotels .

But we operate at less than 50% occupancy because the city of San Diego treats us like a stepchild in the Gaslamp Quarter, where revenue-generating restaurants, bars and nightclubs are king.

One of the root causes of homelessness is the demolition of historic properties providing single-room housing. The owners of these properties were paid less than a penny on the dollar by governments using eminent domain.

— Mohan Bhakta, Gaslamp Quarter