Longterm Shelter Stays Promote Drug Tourism
From 1982 until 2022, San Francisco’s shelters provided people a temporary roof over their head. Occupants stayed for days or weeks before transitioning to permanent housing or fulltime medical care.
But Mayor Breed changed this strategy. She converted tourist hotels to shelters and allowed residents to stay for years. Shelter residents got private baths, which they likely would not get if they paid rent for permanent supportive housing. Residents in converted hotels also got free meals…