Coronavirus Hits San Francisco: How Poor and Homeless People are Surviving

by Quiver Watts

Project Homeless Connect planned to host their regular homelessness services fair that centralizes services for unhoused people to access on March 4th. But two days before the date, the group sent out an email alerting participants and providers that the fair was cancelled, on the recommendation of the Department of Public Health (DPH). Health officials were gearing up for Coronavirus to hit the city, and bringing together thousands of providers and volunteers and unhoused people could pose a risk to the health of all in attendance.

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Save our SROs, Save our Homes!

by Curtis Bradford, Long-time Community Organizer and Affordable Housing Advocate from the Tenderloin Community.

     San Francisco is facing a serious housing affordability crisis.  We can all agree to that fact and I’m sure it doesn’t come as a surprise to hear.  With homelessness increasing by 15-30% last year depending on who you talk to, and the cost of rental housing at an all-time high, everyone in San Francisco is feeling the effects of the crisis.  So why, given the level of suffering we see on our streets every day,

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NEWSFLASH:

by Quiver Watts

DPW Director Mohammed Nuru Removed from Post

by TJ Johnston

On January 26th the U.S. Department of Justice arrested Mohammed Nuru, director of the San Francisco Department of Public Works, on charges of honest services wire fraud in an alleged bribery scheme involving a member of the City’s Airport Commission. He had also arrested five days earlier for disclosing the investigation and then lying about it to the FBI.

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Safe Parking Site opens: Community Raises Questions About Implementation

by Quiver Watts

By Ben Baczkowski

On December 11, 2019, San Francisco city officials officially announced the opening of the Vehicle Triage Center (VTC) located on San Jose Avenue near Balboa Park BART station. The yearlong pilot program will provide a secure parking location and targeted services for folks living in their vehicles, and is the first safe parking facility of its kind in San Francisco’s history. The site includes up to 30 parking spaces with mobile blackwater pumping services,

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Our Wheels, Our Homes

by Quiver Watts

By Mirjam Washuus

As of April 2019, over 1,800 San Franciscans  were living in their vehicles. This is an increase of almost 600 people (49 %) since 2017 and simultaneously an undercount according to the point-in-time count itself. That is nearly 2,000 people sleeping, eating, fighting illnesses, helping neighbors, raising children, going to work and school from inside a tin box with very limited, if any, access to water and electricity. So, they are dependent on its community (both City and neighbors) to provide support as in any other community.

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Mayor and Board Reach Deal on Mental Health SF

by Quiver Watts

by Jennifer Friedenbach

In a compromise, two competing measures on mental health will not go to the ballot; instead, Mental Health SF will go through the legislative process.  The very contentious process ended in awkward hugs as the city family shared the stage on the steps of city hall in a press conference announcing the deal on November 12, 2019. 

     Supervisors Hillary Ronen and Matt Haney proposed going to the ballot with Mental Health SF,

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Stolen Belonging: “My Dad’s Ashes …”

by Quiver Watts

Thief: The City of SF – DPW, SFPD and Caltrans

Interview with Crystal by the Stolen Belonging team, January 31, 2019, Bayview District, San Francisco.

Crystal: My name is Crystal and I’ve been here since 2002, but I grew up in the North Bay. I’ve been in every district and neighborhood in the city at one point or another.

The sweeps really suck. It’s happened a few times in the last month or two.

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45 Empty Beds

by Quiver Watts

by Darnell Boyd

Why did S.F. officials intentionally leave 45 beds meant for people with mental health issues empty? How dare they leave our most vulnerable population on the streets? They had 45 beds, yet they complained about homeless people screaming in Union Square, Market Street and Sixth Street. These officials went home to their comfortable beds every night for months knowing that there are 45 warm beds that is sitting empty and staff lied about those beds.

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TRANSIT SYSTEM’S DETERRENT TO PANHANDLERS A BAD SIGN

by Quiver Watts
BART advertisement reads “Say no to panhandling. There’s a better way to give.” with a hand forming a heart around words reading “Have a HEART but GIVE SMART”

By TJ Johnston

July 25, 2019

As this paper goes to print the president of BART’s Board of Directors, Bevan Dufty, wrote on Twitter that BART will be removing the anti-panhandling signs and that the campaign “happened w/out considering broader messaging”. 

Here we go again: another anti-panhandling campaign.

To be specific, another plea for housed people to avoid giving money to usually unhoused or unsheltered people.

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NEW COUNT FOR THE HOMELESS

by Quiver Watts
A red house contains the words "Point In Time Count" with a family silhouetted within the letter "O"

By Darnell Boyd

The homeless population has grown to 9,800 people — how did this happen?

I’ll tell you how: Our elected officials feel as though the homelessness problem is too great for them. My answer to them is, if so, then you should resign and let someone else who can fix it have your job. Quit catering to the special interest groups, pull up your sleeves and get to work.

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