San Francisco Is Experiencing Massive Homelessness Crisis Despite Generous Welfare Services
Jose Nino
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According to data that the city of San Francisco published, the number of homeless people in the city has significantly increased in the last two years. This has taken place despite the city dropping hundreds of millions of dollars to tackle the issue.
The total number of homeless individuals in San Francisco increased 7% to 8,328 in a measurement taken on one night in January 2024 compared to the same night in 2022, per San Francisco’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. Municipal spending for homelessness surged to $676 million in the 2022–23 fiscal year, an increase from $284 million in 2018–19, per the San Francisco Chronicle.
Despite the total number of homeless people rising, the number of homeless people dropped 1% in January compared to the same time in 2022 as the city shifted its focus on providing housing, increasing the total number of beds available by 28% since 2019, per the department. The number of individuals living in their vehicles in January has grown by 37% since 2022, and the number of people living in shelters has climbed upward by 39%.
San Francisco has experienced a smaller increase in homelessness than the Golden State as a whole, which witnessed a 20% increase in its homeless people population compared to 2019.
The increase in the spending for homelessness comes on the heels of a new business tax that San Francisco voters approved on the ballot in 2018. This business tax has the specific aim of providing funding for new housing units, rental subsidies, and mental health services.
What’s taken place in San Francisco is the product of public policy. Namely, the shutdown of mental health services, lax crime enforcement policies, rising housing costs, and an unwillingness to clear the streets of vagrants. Until law and order policies are implemented, San Francisco will continue to socially deteriorate.
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