California has spent billions to fight homelessness. The problem has gotten worse https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/11/us/california-homeless-spending California has spent a stunning $17.5 billion trying to combat homelessness over just four years. But, in the same time frame, from 2018 to 2022, the state’s homeless population actually grew. Half of all Americans living outside on the streets, federal data shows, live in California. Across the country, homelessness is on the rise. But California is adding more homeless people every year than any other state. More than 170,000 unhoused people now live here. “The problem would be so much worse, absent these interventions,” Jason Elliott, senior adviser on homelessness to Gov. Gavin Newsom, told CNN. “And that’s not what people want to hear. I get it, we get it.” But with $17.5 billion, the state could, theoretically, have just paid the rent for every unhoused person in California for those four years, even at the state’s high home costs. “That is reductive … Perhaps that would work for me, because I don’t have significant behavioral health challenges.” said Elliott. “If two thirds of people on the streets right now are experiencing mental health symptoms, we can’t just pay their rent.” Cristina Smith recently moved into one of the new affordable units in Los Angeles. After five years without a home she had, like many, given up hope. “I thought it was fake,” she told CNN affiliate KCBS. “Until they gave me the keys and then I was like this is real. You don’t believe it after a while.” A further $2 billion from the huge pot went toward tax credits for developers to build affordable housing, which has seen 481 new units completed so far, with thousands more anticipated. Another $2 billion went to kick-start affordable housing projects, stalled by funding shortfalls. And nearly $2 billion was spent on emergency rental assistance. California has, in recent years, suffered devastating wildfire seasons and, of course, the Covid pandemic. Both put extra pressure on housing. “It’s frustrating, it’s frustrating … It’s frustrating for us,” said Elliott. “At the end of the day if we want to truly solve homelessness in America. We need to build more housing.” Dr. Margot Kushel, who worked with Elliott to formulate a pandemic plan for the state’s homeless population, just published a hefty report, the results of a survey of nearly 3,200 unhoused people across California she hails as “the largest representative study of homelessness since the mid-1990s.” Kushel, who is director of the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations, was commissioned by the state to find out who is homeless in California and why, in the hope her data might help fine-tune the state’s response to what Newsom has called “a disgrace.” Politicians, and many voters, want solutions. Newsom devoted his entire State of the State speech in 2020 to the issue. In a recent poll, 84% of Californians said they think homelessness is a “very serious problem.” In Los Angeles, the issue dominated last year’s mayoral race with the winner, Karen Bass, declaring a state of emergency on homelessness on her very first day in office. Kushel’s report dispelled some myths. Number one, that many people on the street don’t want a home. Not true, says Kushel. “Participants overwhelmingly wanted permanent housing,” she concludes in the report. Number two, that many people on the streets of California are not from California. There’s a widely held belief that many people become homeless elsewhere, and come to California for the weather and the more liberal approach to homelessness. And therefore, California does not owe them anything. Not true, says Kushel. “Nine out of 10 people lost their stable housing here. These are Californians,” she said. “We have to create the housing for all Californians.” Myth number 3: that mental illness is the driving force behind homelessness. Yes, 66% of respondents did report, “symptoms of mental health conditions currently,” which is the statistic quoted by Elliott, the governor’s adviser, to argue a solution is more complicated than just writing rent checks. But Kushel questioned if mental health problems led to homelessness, or the other way round. “Most of that, half of people, had severe depression or severe anxiety – not surprising if you were experiencing homelessness,” she said. Still, tackling mental health issues among the unhoused is a major plank in the Newsom administration’s effort. “We’re taking a new approach,” he said last spring when unveiling his mental health plan, “Rather than reforming in the margins a system that is foundationally and fundamentally broken.” Part of the new approach is, controversially, to effectively force some people into mental health help – allowing relatives, social services or medical personnel to refer people to be considered for a court-ordered treatment program. “Just tackling the mental health side can’t solve the problem,” says Kushel. “Not when the median rent is $2,200 for a two-bedroom apartment.” Which brings us back to the need for 2.5 million more homes. The state does have a plan to build them all by 2030. But here in California, like elsewhere, housing and zoning decisions are down to local governments. “We’ve got communities in this state that are refusing to build low-income housing,” Elliott, the governor’s adviser, told CNN. “Because they say it’s all just rapists and child molesters. So that’s, that’s, that’s the dynamic that we’re facing, right?” The state is suing a number of wealthier cities for thwarting the construction of affordable housing within their borders. There aren’t enough affordable houses in California, therefore rents are too high. “The primary problem for homelessness is economics,” said Kushel. “People just don’t have the money … to pay the rent.” So, how much money would people need to make up the shortfall and stay in their homes? “One of the surprising things was how optimistic people were that relatively small amounts of money would have prevented their homelessness,” Kushel said of the people surveyed. “For a lot of them, that $300 or $500 a month would do the trick.” The Newsom administration is spending more to combat homelessness than this state ever has before. Prior to 2018 there was no coherent statewide plan or funding structure. But, they say, the state needs help. “The federal government needs to get in the game and do what it used to do, which is provide housing as a guarantee,” said Elliott. He says for every four Americans in need of a housing voucher, there is just one voucher available. “Food stamps are a guarantee. Health care is a guarantee. Public education is a guarantee,” he said. “Housing? 25% chance. Spin the wheel.” Asked how state officials have reacted to her report and recommendations, Kushel replied, “I think they’re on board. I hope, I think they’re relatively on board. I don’t agree with everything, but I think they’re trying.” Asked what she doesn’t agree with, Kushel demurred, “Oh, gosh, I don’t know. I mean, as you can hear, I really want to have a single-minded focus on getting people into permanent housing and I think that is the root of how we end homelessness.” She did agree some politicians might be more focused on the window dressing of getting people off the street, into shelters or motels, rather than actually into permanent housing. “I couldn’t disagree more with that characterization,” said Elliott. “We’re facing a tidal wave and we’re doing the best we can – to mix metaphors a little bit – to paddle out from that and to try to tread water and do as best we can while we try to make the fundamental change necessary both in California and at the national level to truly address homelessness.” In Los Angeles, the epicenter of the homelessness crisis in the Golden State, Mayor Bass launched a program called Inside Safe, to clear street encampments. At a roundtable with reporters recently, she was keen to trumpet the success of moving more than 1,300 people off the streets into motels but refused to even estimate how many of those people have been moved into permanent housing. The 2023-2024 city budget includes $250 million for Inside Safe. From the total, $110 million will be used to pay for temporary motels. $21 million will be used for permanent housing. I know one woman in Los Angeles who was moved from a tent into a motel room nearly 200 days ago under Inside Safe. She is still there and says there is still not even a plan to move her into a permanent home. She says she’s frustrated and losing hope. There is no silver bullet. “They’re trying really hard to keep people alive,” said Kushel. “And they’re kind of stuck in this vicious cycle of not having the housing to send people to.”
Housing isn't a right, healthcare is. All those vagrants with substance and/or mental issues should be managed by health authorities. The remaining should be temporarily housed and counseled on how to get work in areas of the state where income to rents are more manageable than the Bay Area or other high rents areas.
Btw, I am now in the Bay Area for a couple of weeks and expect to be in San Francisco a few times. I will have a chance to form my own opinion of the city's downfall. I spent years throughout my life in Oakland and have seen its evolution over the last 45 years. I have to admit that driving through downtown yesterday I found the city in much better shape than I had expected. In fact, it looks better today than when I left the area in 2019.
Yea, No. it’s called putting lipstick on a pig. Oakland police advise residents to reinforce doors as home invasions increase https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/oakland-see-increase-in-home-invasion-robberies-18200712.php
Democrats ruin everything they touch. Nancy Pelosi and her crooked family ruined Baltimore then they went to San Fran and ruined that.
https://sfstandard.com/2023/07/17/san-francisco-car-break-in-epicenter-north-beach-tourists/ Skip to main content NEWS San Francisco Neighborhood With Most Car Break-Ins Has Tourists Taking Steps To Dodge Crime Written by Joel UmanzorPublished Jul. 17, 2023 • 6:00am North Beach, including Fisherman’s Wharf, is the city’s worst affected neighborhood for car break-ins according to police incident reports. | Source:Jeremy Chen/The Standard Shattered glass on the street and broken car windows are not an uncommon sight in San Francisco—the city clocked over 22,000 thefts from vehicles last year, according to police data. The tourism-friendly North Beach neighborhood, which includes Fisherman’s Wharf and is famous for its Italian restaurants, old-school bars and storied cafes, is the worst for car break-ins in San Francisco, according to police incident report data analyzed by The Standard and broken down by neighborhood. There were 190 thefts from vehicles in North Beach in the past 30 days as of July 14, according to police incident reports data. There were 2,432 incidents in the 12 months before July 14, 2023, compared with 1,611 during the same time period ending in July 2019. Citywide, the number of theft from vehicle incidents has dropped since pre-pandemic 2019, from 288 to 269 incidents per 10,000 residents. The five neighborhoods in San Francisco with the highest number of car break-ins per 10,000 residents in the 12 months prior to July 14, 2023, are: North Beach: 2,285. Japantown: 1,835. Presidio: 1,329. Russian Hill: 862. Financial District/South Beach: 790. ‘They Aren’t Going to Come’ Jose Luis, a cashier at Buster’s Cheesesteak, said car break-ins around North Beach have drastically affected the Columbus Avenue business. “It’s clear as day. The tourists see all of the damage the thieves cause, and of course, they aren’t going to come,” Luis said. “In all honesty, this business has gone down because of this.” Staff at Gemme Verdi, a North Beach dispensary, said thieves in the area usually target open-air parking lots and places where tourists often park. “If you go up the Lombard Street hill, that’s where you’ll find a lot of the ‘bipping’ around here,” said one dispensary worker, who declined to be named for fear of being targeted. “Of course, there’s stuff that happens on the regular streets, but there are also those areas that locals know not to park at because you will get broken into.” A North Beach corner store owner who also wished to remain anonymous for fear of being targeted told The Standard that he witnessed a person break into a car in the middle of the day in May. “The car pulled next to the parked car, and someone broke the window before stealing everything and driving away,” he said. “It definitely affects the reputation San Francisco has as a place with a lot of thefts from cars.” The city’s reputation for frequent “bipping”—a local term used to describe car break-ins—has prompted Supervisor Dean Preston to call for a special hearing to see what city officials and the police are doing to combat the issue. “Despite many announcements, the city has made no noticeable progress in addressing this persistent issue,” Preston said in a press release, adding that a hearing may come soon during the Board of Supervisor’s Government Audit and Oversight Committee. International tourists and businesses who spoke with The Standard around North Beach last Wednesday had mixed feelings about crime in the area. Some said they took steps to protect themselves while visiting and knew not to leave anything on display in their vehicles. Others were unaware of the rampant theft issue. Canadian tourists Zach and Courtney Banda decided to use public transit or walk around the city during their Union Square stay. They also opted not to wander around San Francisco late at night. “We’re not from here, but it kinda feels like we are with how easy the city has been to navigate,” Zach said. “We haven’t run into any crazy situations but planned ahead of time to hopefully avoid anything like that.” Matthew O’Reilly, who was visiting San Francisco from Florida’s West Palm Beach with his wife and two sons, said he initially had concerns about visiting the city but has tried to combat his uneasiness with careful planning. “My friend, who we are going to visit in Sacramento, gave us a protocol,” he said. “We made sure to park our car in an enclosed parking garage. I feel better that it's in there. I didn’t want to play around; we are only here for a day.” German tourists Samet Kocabay and his wife, Ronja, were also visiting San Francisco for the first time during a trip that included stops in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The couple said they were unaware of the city’s reputation as a hot spot for property crime as they boarded the cable cars near the intersection of Taylor and Bay streets. “It is our first full day here,” Kocabay said. “We haven’t felt uneasy about our safety so far. The only complaint we have is that it’s kind of cold.” The San Francisco Police Department declined to comment for this story when asked about what measures were being taken to address car break-ins in North Beach and citywide. A masked vigilante, who runs a business in North Beach, was recently arrested on suspicion of carrying an imitation firearm around the neighborhood in the hopes of scaring off would-be thieves. “We understand everyone’s frustration. Officers are frustrated in taking the number of police reports regarding auto burglaries occurring throughout the city,” said San Francisco Police Department spokesman Robert Rueca in a TV interview about the vigilante known as “Boots.” Rueca asked members of the public not to intervene when they witness crimes. © The San Francisco Standard. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use|Privacy Policy
Ok, so here's my 2 cents after spending a few hours in San Francisco and driving around various neighborhoods. The areas that have always been iffy until the big tech migration to the City in the early 2000s, like the Tenderloin, parts of Market and a couple of blocks around Valencia and Market are definitely significantly worse. Trash, tents, addicts, drugs, crazies... Extending from 5th and Eddy St all the way to Polk St to Geary Blvd and down Taylor St. That's about a 6x4 blocks area that no one unfamiliar with it should walk through and no one does, except the fools who bought apartments in the zone during the frantic property buying period. On the other hand, I found the rest of the City pretty much like I left it in 2019. Bike paths are now clearly marked in the Mission, South of Market and upper Market street, including numerous streets designated as cycle streets. People walk about, parks are crowded, it doesn't seem like fear has taken over at all. Of course, this is a visual observation of a city I am very familiar with. I posted the article above to clearly show that looks aren't everything. In fact, on a couple occasions I saw guys with backpacks walking past parked cars, looking at what may be inside. Another strange impression was how early restaurants close, even on weekends, most at 9:30 pm, a few at 10:00 pm. But this isn't limited to San Francisco. Oakland or Mill Valley, 2 opposites, also close early. When I asked I got various explanations, from people are afraid to walk at night, to labor laws make it too expensive to pay overtime, to customers are simply not going out as much... All of which may play a part in the early shut down. No fun. Overall, I think conservative media is greatly exaggerating San Francisco's present situation. If you came to live in the city in the last 20 years you may be appalled by its downward spiral, particularly since COVID. But if you were familiar with San Francisco before tech moved in, what you see today is pretty much what was then. The difference is the homes look much cleaner, there are many more apartment buildings in areas that were once semi industrial. Tech kids bought properties at inflated values, remodeled and painted them, and now regret their decisions because the hood returned to what was prior to their move in. I don't know if property values are dropping, but I've seen a few for sale signs up this week, more than during all of 2019 when there were none. Perhaps some are stoking FOMO, hoping to see an exodus and rapidly falling prices so they can swoop in with low-ball offers?
Many SanFran local publications - includings ones you put in this thread - are pointing out the situation as well. Are they all conservative?