SF's aggressive encampment sweeps and bans appear to be working
Image by Wikimedia Commons
By taking advantage of the flexibility provided by SCOTUS' Grants Pass decision (which SJ has yet to do), SF's most troubled neighborhoods are experiencing signs of recovery. KQED reports.
San Francisco’s crackdown on encampments is showing on the streets of the Tenderloin, according to one local service provider.
According to Karl Robillard, the chief communications officer for Glide, which provides services to about 500 people in the Tenderloin daily, the ramp-up of encampment sweeps has had a marked effect on the neighborhood.
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“Absolutely, there’s been a noticeable uptick in terms of tent removal,” he said. “You can see it when you’re walking up and down the streets. You can see it happening. There’s far fewer tents on the sidewalk. It’s very visually obvious and it’s a significant change for a neighborhood like the Tenderloin.”
It has been two months since San Francisco began “aggressive” street sweeps announced by Mayor London Breed following a Supreme Court ruling that loosened restrictions on cities’ ability to clear homeless encampments even when there is not ample shelter available.
In that time, the city has held to its word.
The Department of Emergency Management said it has removed 1,245 tents and structures between Aug. 1 and Sept. 15. Police have made 218 arrests since crackdowns began, according to the mayor’s office, though about 80% have been for illegal lodgings, for which individuals are cited and released at the scene. The remaining violations have mostly warranted arrests.
Of the 2,170 engagements the Department of Emergency Management has tallied, 294 people have accepted shelter and 41 are already housed.
Robillard said that there are a number of reasons people do not accept services like housing assistance from the city — including mental health challenges and substance use disorders that can not be adequately addressed in some shelter situations, and not feeling comfortable in a communal environment, which many of the temporary housing offerings are.
Glide has seen more people making use of its services, especially the three meals it serves daily, according to Robillard. He also believes that more people have utilized the nonprofit’s rental assistance program and low-threshold case management, like harm reduction services, which are offered within a 10-block radius.
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