By Malik Washington, Destination Freedom Media Group
San Francisco, a city that once prided itself on being a beacon of progressive ideals, has been forced—through the power of grassroots struggle and courtroom tenacity—to recognize the humanity of its unhoused residents. The Coalition on Homelessness, an organization that has long stood on the frontlines of this fight, secured a critical legal victory that places real limits on how city agencies like the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) and the Department of Public Works (DPW) can handle the personal belongings of homeless people.
For years, unhoused San Franciscans have faced the indignity and trauma of “sweeps”—coordinated actions where city employees, often flanked by armed police officers, discarded tents, wheelchairs, medications, and personal mementos as if they were trash. These practices not only criminalized poverty but dehumanized the very people our city claims to protect.
Thanks to the persistence of the Coalition on Homelessness and its allies, the recent court decision makes it clear: city workers can no longer simply seize and destroy the property of unhoused individuals without due process. The ruling establishes enforceable protections, requiring notice, storage, and the opportunity for people to reclaim their belongings. This represents a small but vital step toward restoring dignity and justice in the daily lives of San Francisco’s most marginalized.
“This is not just about property—it’s about survival,” said a Coalition spokesperson. “When someone loses their medication, their documents, or the only photo of their child, the harm is immeasurable. The court has now recognized what our community has always known: unhoused people are human beings with rights.”
Make no mistake—this victory was not gifted from above. It was won by the collective resistance of the unhoused, the tireless organizing of grassroots advocates, and the willingness to confront the hypocrisy of a city that often pays lip service to equity while sanctioning policies of displacement and dispossession.
At a time when developers, billionaires, and political elites continue to shape San Francisco in their own image, this ruling cuts through the fog of rhetoric with a sharp reminder: real justice comes from the bottom up. The people—organized, relentless, and unapologetic—are the true defenders of democracy.
The Coalition on Homelessness has signaled that this legal triumph is not the end, but the beginning of a renewed push for deeper structural changes. As the struggle continues, the message is clear: our unhoused neighbors deserve more than temporary shelter and empty promises. They deserve dignity, protection, and a permanent place in the fabric of this city.
For the Davis Vanguard and Destination Freedom Media Group, this is Malik Washington, reminding us all: the struggle continues, and victory is possible when the people refuse to be silent.
Malik Washington is a freelance journalist and Director at Destination: Freedom and Destination Freedom Media Group. For over 13 years, Malik has been a published journalist and news reporter focusing on criminal justice issues, conditions of confinement in jails and prisons, as well as hot-button political issues. You can reach him via email: mwashington@destination-freedom.org or call him at (719) 715-9592.
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