Why SoMa and Tenderloin Residents Are Finally Saying “Enough is Enough”
Why are so few neighborhoods in San Francisco shouldering the brunt of the city’s homeless crisis? Is it right to make SoMa and the Tenderloin the designated areas for shelters and services? Why not share the burden across districts? And most importantly – will a more equitable system even work?
Many residents and business owners in SoMa and the Tenderloin are frustrated and have had enough of the status quo. The city is now planning to propose home lease or homeless shelter services evenly across every district in San Francisco instead of a select few.
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Let’s examine what this means for San Francisco and why it may change everything.
Section 1: Why SoMa & Tenderloin Residents Said “Enough is Enough”
The areas of SoMa and the Tenderloin have been the hub of services for unhoused individuals in the city of San Francisco for years. Shelters, drug recovery centers, food distribution sites— all are located primarily within these two neighborhoods. While there may have been good intentions, the reality of everyday life for the residents and business owners has changed dramatically.
Residents are saying — their communities are not just overwhelmed by unhoused individuals, but with everything that comes with it. Open drug use, rising crime, unsafe sidewalks, increasing frustration, and difficulty in living . One resident stated “ I feel like I’m living in a containment zone, and no one wants to fix it. “…