A friend just visited San Francisco and the main thing that left a lasting impression was...yeah, you guessed it... (Martinez: low income, new home)

[Shooting Stars]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

Really? And who is going to pay the property taxes? When something breaks, who is going to fix it? Who is going to mow the lawn?

Give these people a "home" and it will be trashed and in ruins within a year's time. You can't instill a sense of pride and self respect into people. There are so many programs out there to help people who want to make something of themselves. But you can't force people to be decent, caring, upstanding citizens who contribute to society.

You did not read the article.

Many of these people are physically ill and/or mentally ill. Asking them to "make something of themselves" isn't an answer.

San Francisco has many people living in it who are up to their eyeballs in money. They can build office buildings and luxury housing, but not basic housing for poor people in desperate need of shelter?

Your city is already trashed by them sleeping outside and urinating and defecating on the streets.

[Shooting Stars]

Originally Posted by skygazer1

Look, I don't lie, I just tell it like it is. Well, if you are going to be so blunt; Yes, the rights and views and contributions of the people who know the city well, who live, own property, pay taxes in SF, trumps those of transient visitors who come to a convention! I mean, we the people of SF should do what we can to be good hosts, but don't expect to stay in a hotel a few nights and think you can tell San Franciscans what to do, duh.

Maybe you should learn a little more about the WHOLE city. Don't just sit in your Union Sq hotel, walking around the block accosted by homeless. Visit the wharfs, the North beach, the museums in Golden gate park, the Presidio, the bridges, the ocean beach, the cliff house, twin peaks, Coit tower, Alcatraz, etc. You will quickly appreciate the incomparable natural beauty of the city, its friendly people, not accosted by any homeless in these areas. Then, your assessment would carry some weight.

From the article the OP posted:

"You may ask, “Who cares what some dad from a flyover state or some businessman from another country thinks of us?” But consider this: The tourism industry in San Francisco supports 80,000 jobs, many of them filled by the diverse, working-class people we profess to want to keep here.

Tourism brings an eye-popping $9 BILLION into the city every year, $725 million of which comes in the form of local taxes going straight to City Hall.

That’s the money helping to fund our police officers, parks, libraries — and, yes, homeless services."

[Huckleberry3911948]

When tolerance meets the empty cash register something has got to give

[skygazer1]

Originally Posted by Shooting Stars

You did not read the article.

Many of these people are physically ill and/or mentally ill. Asking them to "make something of themselves" isn't an answer.

San Francisco has many people living in it who are up to their eyeballs in money. They can build office buildings and luxury housing, but not basic housing for poor people in desperate need of shelter?

Your city is already trashed by them sleeping outside and urinating and defecating on the streets.

You see this is exactly what I'm talking about - fake news. The WHOLE CITY is NOT trashed with urine and poop on the streets. It's limited to very specific small areas, which unfortunately get a lot of tourist traffic, due to where the convention ctr. and hotels are located

[Matadora]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

Really? And who is going to pay the property taxes? When something breaks, who is going to fix it? Who is going to mow the lawn? give these people a "home" and it will be trashed and in ruins within a year's time.

You're being too generous with the time frame...it will be trashed and in ruins within months.

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

You can't instill a sense of pride and self respect into people. There are so many programs out there to help people who want to make something of themselves. But you can't force people to be decent, caring, upstanding citizens who contribute to society.

Spot on!

[Matadora]

Originally Posted by Shooting Stars

San Francisco has many people living in it who are up to their eyeballs in money. They can build office buildings and luxury housing, but not basic housing for poor people in desperate need of shelter?

It's not individual people living in society who are responsible for saving the homeless. This is why government, non-profit and for profit shelters exist.

San Francisco Homeless Shelters & Services For The Needy

Originally Posted by Shooting Stars

Your city is already trashed by them sleeping outside and urinating and defecating on the streets.

Now why do you think this is the case when there are shelters available? Because most homeless folks either can't abide by the rules to remain in a shelter or have no desire to live in a shelter.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by HappyinCali

Don't waster your effort. i have fought this battle before. You won't convince anyone. their mind is already made-up

Agreed, it's a lost cause..

[likealady]

Originally Posted by skygazer1

You probably mean Nob Hill, as it borders the tenderloin area, and you go one block and find tons of homeless. Another example of extreme wealth juxtaposed besides extreme poverty There's very few other areas of SF that have large numbers of aggressive homeless. I think its just gentrification that has created this mess, building all these fancy condos and hi tech businesses in what used to be an old industrial area of the city, bordering what used to be a very rough neighborhood, born of the original gold rush-era "Barbary Coast". You reap what you sow.

What really irks me about this forum topic, is the impression what these posts create that the whole city has a major homeless problem, not that it just exists in very, very limited areas. Every big city has bad neighborhoods, why pick on SF?

Actually, I think they mean Russian Hill. I used to have a friend who lived in RH until recently and would complain about the homeless people in the area. I also lived in the city for many years (now residing in the inner EB after buying a house), and no, it's not exaggerated.

Look at a neighborhood map of SF. Drawn a vertical line where Castro/Haight are, now draw a horizontal line where Mission/Potrero end. That whole area from the Wharf down-Castro to Embarcadero have homeless. You may not see them every day but they are there. Add in GG park and Richmond (yes, there are homeless out there too). Now look at your map, that's nearly 50% of SF. Some areas have more aggressive or more visible homeless. Please stop suggesting that only Union Sq or the Tenderloin experiences this issue. Regardless, enough is enough. I shouldn't have to clean human waste off my shoe outside the SF MoMA!!

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Matadora

It's not individual people living in society who are responsible for saving the homeless. This is why government, non-profit and for profit shelters exist.
San Francisco Homeless Shelters & Services For The Needy
Now why do you think this is the case when there are shelters available? Because most homeless folks either can't abide by the rules to remain in a shelter or have no desire to live in a shelter.

What are you even talking about? There are fewer shelter beds in San Francisco now than there were in 2004. There are 1203 shelter beds and 686 navigation center beds for approximately 7,500 homeless. And there are a number of homeless who refuse to sleep in shelters, not because they can't abide by the rules, although some can't, but because some of them fear assault or theft of their personal belongings. Most shelters only allow the homeless to bring a few personal effect with them, since they can't count on having a bed the next night (except for the navigation beds which are assigned for a month or two) they usually aren't willing to discard their tent or sleeping bag in order to get a shelter bed for one night not knowing when they will get one again. It's far more complex than you try to make it out to be.

[Vanderbiltgrad]

SF did not seem to care much for its homeless. It is sad it truly is.