San Francisco is paying its homeless population to move away as reported on Friday, Aug. 24. The new campaign to address homelessness by Democratic Mayor London Breed reportedly divided the city. Some in the city criticized Breed’s new approach to tackling the Bay City’s homeless problem. The program pays relocation costs to move homeless individuals to communities where they have family or previous ties.
The program, known as “Journey Home,” covers the costs of bus, plane or train fare and a meal stipend. However, Humboldt County officials, where some in the program relocated, accused San Francisco of failing to follow up on people sent off. The county argues that simply shipping people out of the city does not solve the problem.
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“We don’t need to be a dumping ground,” Humboldt County Supervisor Rex Bohn said. “Our cost for taking care of a homeless person that has nothing up here… it’s expensive.”
Breed’s office said the accusations are “overblown,” and contended that San Francisco only sent five people to Humboldt County. Her office also said Humbold County sent four people to San Francisco.
However, Humbold County officials claimed that its program verifies participants’ family, friends and employment opportunities and conducts follow-ups. Meanwhile, Breed’s spokesperson said that San Francisco contacts family and friends of program participants but said there is no follow-up requirement.
Breed’s new campaign has also forcefully cleared out growing tent encampments across the city since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling granted cities greater power to kick out homeless populations in public areas. Critics claim that it is criminalizing something many people have no control over, but Breed told CNN the city gave people a choice to live in shelters.
However, a CNN investigation found that is not always the case.
On the day the CNN crew went to homeless encampments, those being forced out said that they were told there were no shelters available.
Homeless advocates also argued that sweeps of homeless encampments do not solve the problem. They said many crucial documents needed to pay citations and for housing and employment get lost in the shuffle.
Breed said her initiative to address the homeless crisis in San Francisco, which shows 8,300 people on the streets, is in the early stages and she will assess the program’s effectiveness in the coming months.
Tags: California, Democratic Party, Gavin Newsom, Homelessness, London Breed, San Francisco, Supreme Court, United States
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
SAN FRANCISCO IS PAYING ITS HOMELESS POPULATION TO MOVE AWAY — A MOVE THAT IS DIVIDING THE CITY.
CRITICS ARE GOING AFTER MAYOR LONDON BREED FOR HER AGGRESSIVE NEW APPROACH TO TACKLING THE BAY CITY’S HOMELESS PROBLEM BY COVERING THE RELOCATION COSTS TO MOVE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS TO COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY HAVE PREVIOUS TIES.
THE PROGRAM KNOWN “JOURNEY HOME” COVERS THE COST OF, BUS, PLANE OR TRAIN FARE.
BUT HUMBOLDT COUNTY OFFICIALS, WHERE SOME HAVE BEEN RELOCATED, ACCUSES SAN FRANCISCO OF FAILING TO FOLLOW-UP ON THE PEOPLE IT SENT OFF.
THE COUNTY ARGUES SIMPLY SHIPPING PEOPLE OUT OF THE CITY DOESN’T SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
HUMBOLDT COUNTY SUPERVISOR REX BOHN SAID, “WE DON’T NEED TO BE A DUMPING GROUND… OUR COST FOR TAKING CARE OF A HOMELESS PERSON THAT HAS NOTHING UP HERE… IT’S EXPENSIVE.”
BREED’S OFFICE SAYS THE ACCUSATIONS ARE “OVERBLOWN.”
CONTENDING SAN FRANCISCO ONLY SENT FIVE PEOPLE TO HUMBOLDT COUNTY.
WHILE HUMBOLDT COUNTY HAS SENT FOUR PEOPLE TO THE CITY.
BUT HUMBOLDT COUNTY CLAIMS ITS PROGRAM ACTUALLY VERIFIES PARTICIPANTS FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND CONDUCTS FOLLOW-UPS.
BREED’S SPOKESPERSON SAYS SAN FRANCISCO CONTACTS FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS BUT SAID THERE’S NO FOLLOW-UP REQUIREMENT.
BREED’S CONTROVERSIAL NEW CAMPAIGN ALSO FORCEFULLY CLEARS OUT GROWING TENT ENCAMPMENTS ACROSS THE CITY– SINCE A SUPREME COURT RULING GRANTED CITIES GREATER POWER TO KICK OUT HOMELESS POPULATIONS IN PUBLIC AREAS.
CRITICS CLAIM IT’S CRIMINALIZING SOMETHING MANY PEOPLE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER BUT BREED TOLD C-N-N THEY’RE GIVING PEOPLE A CHOICE TO LIVE IN SHELTERS.
[LONDON BREED]
AND THAT WOULD BE THE CASE, IF WE WEREN’T OFFERING PEOPLE THE PLACE TO GO INSIDE.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
THE C-N-N INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT ISN’T ALWAYS THE CASE.
[CNN REPORT]
THEY HAVEN’T OFFERED YOU A SHELTER?
THEY SAY THERE’S NO OPENING FOR A SHELTER RIGHT NOW.
THERE’S NO BEDS.
THE CITY SAYS NO ONE FROM THIS MORNING’S SWEEP ENDED UP IN A SHELTER.
NOT ONE.
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
HOMELESS ADVOCATES SAY SWEEPS DON’T SOLVE THE PROBLEM– WITH MANY CRUCIAL DOCUMENTS NEEDED TO PAY CITATIONS AND FOR HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT LOST IN THE SHUFFLE.
BREED SAYS HER INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS THE HOMELESS CRISIS IN SAN FRANCISCO, WHICH SHOWS 83-HUNDRED PEOPLE ON THE STREETS, IS IN THE EARLY STAGES– AND SAYS SHE’LL ASSESS THE PROGRAM’S EFFECTIVENESS IN THE COMING MONTHS.
FOR MORE STORIES LIKE THIS– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.
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