The number of people sleeping outdoors dropped to under 3,000 in January, the lowest the city has recorded in a decade, according to a federal count.

And that figure has likely dropped even lower since Mayor London Breed — a Democrat in a difficult reelection fight this November — started ramping up enforcement of anti-camping laws in August following a U.S. Supreme Court decision.

Homelessness in no way has gone away, and in fact grew 7%, to 8,300 in January, according to the same federal count.

But the problem is now notably out of the public eye, raising the question of where people have gone and whether the change marks a turning point in a crisis long associated with San Francisco.

  • norimee@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    This is so sick. Instead of doing something about the rising homelessness problem, they just shoo them away so rich people don’t have to see them anymore. Making life even harder for those who already have it rough.

    Way to kick the one laying on the ground.

    • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
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      3 months ago

      In a podcast docu-series, a woman qualified for free housing and was afraid to take it. She had mobility issues and someone in her unhoused community fetched her prescriptions. She was afraid of not being able to get medication. Now imagine how that feels losing your support system and still sleeping outside.

    • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      SF has been trying to solve the problem your way for 20 years and it’s only gotten worse.

    • Dkarma@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Eh. Using public well used spaces as your own personal living space is selfish and disrespectful of everyone else. You got a tent, go out and live in the woods.

      There is no reason to be in the city if you’re homeless other than access to drugs.

      • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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        3 months ago

        Or doctors. Or jobs. Or grocery stores.

        You’d be surprised how many homeless or car bound are employed.

      • ShepherdPie@midwest.social
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        3 months ago

        There is no reason to be in the city if you’re homeless other than access to drugs.

        And access to literally everything else, which is why most people live in cities. Drugs are also very common in rural areas because young people have nothing better to do and there’s lots of open space to manufacture them.

        I’m certainly not a fan of people pitching tents on sidewalks, but let’s at least stick to legitimate arguments.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        There is no reason to be in the city if you’re homeless other than access to drugs.

        Unless you are homeless and unemployed. Which is a thing. Especially in cities with ridiculously high rent like SF.

        You can’t really think that all the homeless people in cities are drug addicts.

      • catloaf@lemm.ee
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        3 months ago

        I hope you never become homeless.

        Or maybe I hope you do, just enough so that you can understand what those people are going through.

      • norimee@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Aren’t you a peach. I hope your username stands for Dick-karma and I hope that karma of being a dick comes back to you tenfold.