San Francisco, CA — This week, the Coalition on Homelessness, alongside community members and advocates, gathered to speak out against the ongoing destruction of unhoused individuals’ essential property during street sweeps conducted by the City of San Francisco.
The press conference, held before the City & County of San Francisco Homelessness Oversight Commission meeting, highlighted what organizer’s called “the city’s failure to provide safe, affordable housing solutions and its harmful reliance on inhumane encampment resolutions.”
During the meeting, the commission reviewed a proposed policy regarding the preservation of homeless individuals’ vital records and property.
The Coalition on Homelessness urged the commission to “adopt comprehensive protections for essential belongings, emphasizing that the loss of vital items such as identification, work tools, and medical necessities can severely hinder an individual’s ability to exit homelessness.”
The Coalition on Homelessness criticized the City’s ongoing actions.
“(S)imply reducing the visibility of homelessness is not a long-term solution,” the Coalition said in a follow up press release. “Real progress requires permanent, affordable housing and the protection of unhoused individuals’ belongings.”
Coaliton on Homelessness Press Conference calling out the city of SF for inhumane homelessness sweeps https://t.co/KxcfGrFRVL
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Moreover, they noted, “The loss of critical items—such as IDs, work uniforms, and medical supplies—exacerbates the difficulties faced by those experiencing homelessness, often resulting in prolonged periods of instability and poverty.”
“By destroying the very items that could help people regain stability, the City is not just punishing people for being poor, but actively making it harder for them to escape homelessness,” said Jennifer Friedenbach, Executive Director for the Coalition on Homelessness. “The City’s actions are a violation of basic human rights and a stark reminder that our most vulnerable residents are not being prioritized.”
The Coalition also highlighted the City’s failure to provide permanent parking solutions for RV families, such as those displaced from Zoo Road.
“Despite promises from city officials, including Mayor London Breed, to establish safe parking sites, many families were evicted without being offered alternative housing, leaving them with no safe place to stay,” the Coalition charged.
With more than 1,400 people living in RVs in San Francisco and only one safe parking site that is already full, the press conference highlighted the need for additional safe parking solutions which they said is “critical.”
The Coalition called on the City to fulfill its commitment to provide these vulnerable families with the support they need, instead of pushing them further into the margins of society.
The press conference ended with a call to action for the Homelessness Oversight Commission to adopt policies that prioritize stable housing and support services over punitive measures. Advocates urged the commission to protect the essential belongings of unhoused individuals and to take meaningful steps toward solving the root causes of homelessness in San Francisco.
