Am I the only one who thinks....there are less homeless people in SF now!? (San Francisco: neighborhoods, living in)

[destroycreate]

I might sound crazy, but I've been visiting SF my whole life, and in the early 2000's and late 90's, I remember SF being filled with thousands of homeless people, EVERYWHERE. There was no escape from the pandering and relentless soliciting, whether you were in Cow Hollow or Union Square. But the last two times I've been in the city this year I've been amazed by the absence of what used to be a homeless mecca. Sure, there are still some bums here and there and especially in the TL, but for the most part I found the city streets (in particular within the FiDi) much cleaner, less freak-infested, and safer feeling. Perhaps they've all begun to congregate in a different location, but I specifically remember there being hoardes hanging around outside posh stores on Union Square, it was a bit of a deterrent. Now the city looks better than ever, despite this recession, in my opinion!

Anyone else feel the same? Has the city created new ordinances or laws about the homeless epedemic?

[rah]

I'd have to disagree somewhat. I wouldn't be surprised if the homeless population was a little bit lower, but mostly I think it's down to the fact that the cops have been cracking down lately, especially around Downtown and Golden Gate Park, and other tourist areas. I remember in 2007 they sweeped all of the homeless people out of the park. Where did they go? Just a couple blocks away, into the surrounding neighborhoods.

[bayarea-girl]

When I first moved to the bay area I couldn't get over just how many homeless people there were here. Tent City was in SF. Newsom inacted care not cash programs. So the free money the homeless people use to get and go spend it on drugs was no longer available. They use to have people from other states come to SF for the drugs and the free money. Now that it has stopped they have gone to other places. So yes, I have seen a significant decrease in the homeless people in SF. The city has become too expensive for them. Some have moved on and others have stayed. There are still homeless people in the city but not like it use to be.

[bluebeard]

They have been shoved out, economically and by the city directly.

[City Boy]

The majority of the homeless in SF are mentally ill who need to be in state hospitals, they were released onto the streets. It's not like most of them chose to be there on the streets of SF, they were put there. They need to be round up , taken off the streets and placed in a health care facility. Too many misconceptions about them doing drugs when in reality they are mentally gone which can give them impression of a drug addict.

[bayarea-girl]

Yes some are mentally ill but not the majority of them. Do you think all of the people that were on the streets are now in hospitals. Nope. When Care not Cash was inacted it cleared a lot of the homeless problem. Many homeless people do use drugs and this is not a misconception but what do I know since I use to help get them off the streets.

[City Boy]

Originally Posted by bayarea-girl

Yes some are mentally ill but not the majority of them. Do you think all of the people that were on the streets are now in hospitals. Nope. When Care not Cash was inacted it cleared a lot of the homeless problem. Many homeless people do use drugs and this is not a misconception but what do I know since I use to help get them off the streets.

Yeah and what do I know since I work in Mental Health and my father is a Psychiatrist who worked in SF General and talks about when the homeless population got bad. Take the mentally ill back off the streets and watch what happens.

[FresnoFacts]

The homeless census conducted by the San Francisco Human Services Agency back in January said the number of homeless was UP 2% since 2007. But it is down from earlier in the decade.
2009 - 6,514
2007 - 6,377
2002 - 8,640
S.F. homeless census finds slight increase

[bayarea-girl]

CItyboy, I supported homeless agencies and they offered mental health services didn't mean that the majority of clients were mental health cases. In SF actually around the state mental health service funding has declined as people don't see the benefit.

"Take the mentally ill back off the streets and watch what happens." Not sure what you mean by this?

But again, I have noticed an obvious decline in homelessness in SF from the 90's to now. People are no longer living in tents downtown, they still reside under the freeway but it is still down.

[City Boy]

Originally Posted by bayarea-girl

CItyboy, I supported homeless agencies and they offered mental health services didn't mean that the majority of clients were mental health cases. In SF actually around the state mental health service funding has declined as people don't see the benefit.

"Take the mentally ill back off the streets and watch what happens." Not sure what you mean by this?

But again, I have noticed an obvious decline in homelessness in SF from the 90's to now. People are no longer living in tents downtown, they still reside under the freeway but it is still down.

Offering services for those who need counseling etc Vs. Confirmed, documented Mental Cases are two different things. Many of the homeless at one point or another have been diagnosed with some form of a mental disability, hundreds if not thousands of schizophrenics are walking around as well.


At some point SF closed several Mental Hospitals in the City, even SF general shut down a huge portion of their Psychiatric ward down sending people in and out over and over again with no place to go but the street.

When I said take the mentally Ill people off the street you would find SF's homeless population no larger than any other city of it's size.

I see no decline in homeless population. I see more, just because you don't see tent cities doesn't take away the reality of the situation.