Newsom-era homeless policy includes towing and dumping poor people's property

by SFBG

Sat, Oct 9, 2004 10:03AM

When Mayor Gavin Newsom announced the creation of the Bayview Neighborhood Rescue Team in late August, he promised a fresh approach to dealing with problems in that neighborhood. But Sept. 30, in a move that has left city officials fumbling for an explanation, city workers tore apart a homeless encampment, a sweep that appeared to disregard the needs of the human beings involved.

...when we asked [Newsom] about the Bayview sweep, about which his office had been alerted five days prior by us and by members of the public, he claimed to be out of the loop. "I am just now getting the facts," he said. "This was not directed by our office." But who did direct it? Department of Human Services chief Trent Rhorer, whose office is supposed to take the lead on housing the homeless, also said he knew nothing about the sweep.
...
Lost in the shuffle are the former R.V. dwellers who now must find somewhere else to stay.

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http://www.sfbg.com/39/01/news_homeless.html

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§wow...

by leo

Sat, Oct 9, 2004 1:29PM

There are about 1000 housing units waiting for people. The majority of the people on the street have monthly income, i.e. SSI, VA or whatever. If they don't want to go into housing, I couldn't care less about it. Stop trying to make a problem when there is none.

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§where?

by **

Sat, Oct 9, 2004 5:04PM

Where is the housing? There is a guy who sleeps in the crawlspace of the apartment 10 feet over every day, and people who lay out their mats in the little planter strip by the sidewalk. There is actually housing sitting there they can take?

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§No problem?

by F. S.

Sun, Oct 10, 2004 3:08AM

Yo, Leo! What do you mean, "Stop trying to make a problem when there is none"? To the human beings whose belongings were trashed by unfeeling Department of Parking and Traffic workers in the service of the rich (obviously with your tacit support) it's a big problem. I'm amazed that more homeless people aren't finding out where people like you live and doing a little PD on your crap.

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