Posted on 12/22/2008 8:07:09 AM PST by SmithL
City officials are finally admitting what others have been saying for years: San Francisco is attracting huge numbers of homeless people from all over. Thousands of transient people, arriving from other counties, states and even countries, are overwhelming the city's homeless system.
Facing a crippling budget shortfall, officials at San Francisco's homeless agencies are proposing a radical idea - take care of the city's own first, and require newcomers to show proof of residency for aid.
"If a homeless family living in San Francisco doesn't get shelter, and somebody just off the bus does, it doesn't seem fair," said Trent Rhorer, director of the Department of Human Services.
San Francisco has a long, proud history of reaching out to those who are homeless. This idea is bound to generate vociferous political debate and heated objections from homeless advocacy groups.
"It's scapegoating," said Paul Boden, director of the Western Regional Advocacy Project. "We have a crisis, so let's batten down the hatches and close the door."
But Dariush Kayhan, the mayor's homeless policy director, makes the case that San Francisco has led the nation in innovative, and expensive, homeless solutions.
"Since January of 2004 (when Gavin Newsom took office), we have housed 5,186 homeless people," Kayhan said. "We have built close to 3,500 homeless units, with another 445 to be built next year. And we know that 90 percent of those we have put in housing stay housed."
By any measure, say Kayhan and Rhorer, the $190 million San Francisco spends annually helping the homeless is the highest per capita outlay of any U.S. city.
In addition, the city's Homeward Bound program - which provides free bus fare for homeless who want to leave the city - has been a success since it was adopted in 2005. This year, through November, more than 800 were...
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Birdseed = birds.
That’s what happens when you make it attractive with shelters, soup kitchens, etc. Just like a turdpile, atttracting flies.
Funny. San Francisco is a sanctuary city for illegals but is now going to ask for proof of residency from homeless people, even if they are legal citizens.
Yeah, I remember my last trip. We slept in the park by city hall and took a dump on the sidewalk.
Subsidize something, you get more of it, so don’t complain, San Fran.
How can they show proof of residency if they are homeless?
Hahahahahahahahaaaa
“Birdseed = birds.”
LOL
They are obviously not spending enough money.
The Homeless budget should be expanded greatly.
Laconic.
Everyone knows (or should know) Economics 101 - that is the Law of Supply and Demand. There is a corollary that applies whenever the government stick its political whorish head into economics: That which is subsidized tends to grow exponentially.
Haha - thanks SF for taking care of our homeless. I think I will buy some more bus tickets for them tomorrow...
People have always swarmed to California from other states. It’s always been a problem.
Nancy Pelosi, Barbabra Boxer, both from the east coast.
Charlie Manson? From Ohio...
Too bad all these freaks won’t stay home.
Blame, blame and blame.
Never solve, never solve, never solve.
They should implement similar policies for voting.
San Francisco panders to homeless, therefore it gets more of it.
I know if I were homeless it would likely be my destination. Relatively mild climate, and over the top social services.
When you fund/reward something, you wind up with more of it, period.
LOL! Somebody wrote an article about that stupid hippy ode about “going to SF” and meeting “gentle people there.” The gost of the article is violent crime in SF was incredibly high. I think it was the Blender web site which is for music and young people. They quoted crime statistics and based on population etc - SF was reall freaking dangerous.
This was especially true compared to unelightened non gentle Red “racist” redneck towns & cities where crime per captia is fairly low.
I thought SF was a “sanctuary” city? How dare they turn people away - RACISTS!
Send the illegals home and Mexi-Porn-ia would no longer be bankrupt. Crime would also drop.
Last week, when it started to get really cold here in Portland Oregon, a reporter interviewed a homeless man and woman. They were bemoaning the fact that the shelter they were standing in front of only accepted men, no women. So they spent the night on the sidewalk in the cold. They said they came to Portland 5 weeks ago from Waco, Texas. They had an apartment there, but gave it up because they read on the internet that Portland was going to put an end to homelessness. What idiots. Gave up an apartment to come here and live on the street. They deserve to be homeless.
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