[eldavido]

I actually don't think it is. A lot of SF's homeless population comes here from other places on trains or buses because the city has a reputation for tolerance and supportive social services. Some cities/states even bus people here.

I think the root problem is that SF is carrying too much of the load for other places who won't take up the problem themselves. Every place is going to have some level of drug use or social problems. But it's not productive or responsible for everyone else to just dump it all on the SF taxpayers.

A lesser problem is the populace's unwillingness to hold the homeless to any reasonable standard of behavior. I'm sorry, I know the homeless have it hard, but there are certain global norms of civilized behavior I consider inviolate, like, don't defecate in public, or don't drop used syringes on the ground, where people will step on them. These things happen here every day and the political climate is such that it's taboo to ask for law enforcement to get involved.

[lsiebert]

Nah it's a myth that SF attracts homeless people. 71% of the homeless here lost housing here. (https://48hills.org/2016/02/five-myths-about-the-homeless-pr...)

Per the same link, SF spends very little money on homelessness. A lot of the so called homelessness money is actually subsidized housing money.

Most issues with the homeless represent a public health issue much more than a law enforcement issue.

Given they lack access to toilet facilities, are you imagining the homeless not pooping through sheer willpower?

Addiction is a form of mental illness, and that's not the only mental illness common among the homeless. Many suffer from other illnesses. Nobody wakes up wanting to be addicted, or schizophrenic, or whatever, whether they are homeless or otherwise.

[eldavido]

All good points.

What this city really needs is restrooms. Agree with you on that. Yes, people would do drugs in them, but it would certainly help with some of the smells.

[convolvatron]

i don't think its taboo, its just that the bar keeps getting higher and higher for law enforcement to even notice.

it used to be that if a pile of drunks had a loud party outside my house at 3am, I could call the cops and they would send someone to break it up. or if someone started living outside by business, screaming at passersby and making a huge biohazard mess I could call them and they would move them along.

now they want to know how big the encampment is, if it gets big enough they will break it up after a few weeks. otherwise I get the feeling they just put you on a list of whiners to ignore. anyways - you stop calling.

even if the rent weren't so insane I would want to leave just because of the sheer misery involved for everyone.

[eldavido]

I live in Oakland Chinatown. Too many car break-ins on the back side of Potrero Hill eventually got me down.

I'm really thinking about leaving. Not, as perhaps the other 95% of people do, for economic reasons, but just because I'm tired of how dysfunctional SF is. We pay through the nose in taxes and get what, a disgusting, dirty city, with barely-functional transit, do-nothing law enforcement, totally unaffordable housing, and insane traffic. It really does get under your skin after a while.

I'm optimistic with London Breed that we'll finally get some tech/lawyer/finance/other working professional-driven emphasis on accountability and RESULTS from the city government. Less grandstanding and speeches, more numbers, data, better schools, functioning transit, and cleanliness.