San Francisco's Mayor, London Breed, has expressed her frustration over the city's escalating homeless crisis, which has left residents fearing for their safety.
In a recent announcement, she outlined plans to adopt a 'very aggressive' stance to eradicate the tent encampments that have marred the city's streets for the past four years.
According to the Daily Mail, certain areas of the city, including the troubled Tenderloin district, have become notorious for their squalor and despair. The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that local businesses are struggling to hire staff, and residents feel compelled to leave.
The surge in homelessness, currently estimated at around 8,300 individuals, has spawned a host of related issues. The sidewalks are teeming with illegal drug dealers and fentanyl users, and the tent encampments have become hotbeds of violent and intimidating behavior.
"We have had to move from a compassionate city to a city of accountability, and I have been leading the efforts to ensure that we are addressing this issue differently than we have before," Breed declared, signaling a shift in her approach to the crisis. "We are going to be very aggressive and assertive in moving encampments which may even include criminal penalties," she added, with the 'sweeps' set to commence in less than two weeks following staff retraining to adhere to new legal guidelines.
Breed's remarks come on the heels of a Supreme Court ruling three weeks ago that granted cities the authority to evict unhoused individuals from encampments. "The problem is not going to be solved by building more housing," Breed stated. "Thank goodness for the Supreme Court decision."
In December 2022, a federal magistrate judge barred San Francisco from clearing homeless tents, although the city was not prohibited from sweeping encampments. The judge mandated that city officials could not force homeless individuals from public camping sites unless they were offered suitable indoor shelter. Officials were also prohibited from issuing citations or arresting individuals who refused to move.
However, the recent Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling has granted the city more power to assist in clearing the encampments. Officials now plan to offer shelter and support to those affected. This case is the most significant on the issue to come before the high court in decades, as cities nationwide grapple with the politically complex issue of addressing the rising number of people without a permanent place to live and public frustration over related health and safety concerns.
"We will continue to lead with services, but we also can't continue to allow people to do what they want on the streets of San Francisco, especially when we have a place for them to go," Breed asserted.
In San Francisco, homeowners, businesses, and local leaders have grown exasperated with the visible signs of homelessness, which include public streets obstructed by sprawling tents and litter. The crime-infested downtown area has witnessed the closure of numerous shops and restaurants since its drastic decline, despite Breed's attempts to highlight statistics suggesting a decrease in offenses in 2023.
In October 2023, it was reported that seven Starbucks stores were planning to close as the city continues to grapple with crime, drug use, and homelessness. By the end of August 2023, video footage emerged showing San Francisco's newly closed flagship Nordstrom store, which was almost empty after nearly three decades in business.
Homeless individuals congregate downtown, pushing their belongings in shopping carts or sitting on duffle bags, awaiting city services such as referrals for shelter, food or clothing, or mental health and substance abuse treatment.
Breed has expressed her desire to 'clear them all' but has not provided specific details on how she plans to achieve this goal. It is likely that police support will be required.
The city calculates its homeless figures every three months, and at the end of the last count in April 2024, a 41 percent reduction was noted compared to July 2023. There were 360 tents and structures counted in April - down from 610 last summer and 385 during February's count. This is the lowest figure the city has recorded since it began tracking the data in 2018.
Breed attributes the reduction to several factors, including police enforcement of anti-camping laws when homeless individuals have reasonable access to shelter accommodation.
However, a ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in September 2022 found that cities (in general) violate the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment if homeless individuals are punished for sleeping on public property or using blankets and pillows to protect themselves from the elements.
Earlier this month, a 9th Circuit panel ordered the injunction against clearing the encampments to be lifted. City workers will still have to 'bag and tag' any property collected from those who are homeless.
Breed is facing a challenging reelection campaign this November, with three serious challengers claiming her administration has failed to address homelessness, encampments, or the open-air drug market.
With rising rents and a national shortage of affordable housing, more than 100,000 individuals are living on California's streets. Hawaii, Oregon, and Arizona are among other western states where more homeless individuals live outside in cars and tents than indoors in shelters, despite billions spent to curb homelessness, including San Francisco's $672 million annual budget.
The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom in San Francisco is $3,000. Advocates argue that many homeless individuals prefer to stay outdoors rather than in shelters, where they risk encountering abuse or threats of violence. Homeless individuals who have pets, work night shifts, require mental health services, or have substance use disorders often struggle to find a shelter that will accept them.
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