4 ms·

SF tourist industry struggles to explain street misery to horrified visitors

33 points by uptown 9y ago

bob_theslob646 9y ago
>San Francisco’s hotel owners and managers are increasingly frustrated that their gorgeous city, with its many museums, fine restaurants and scenic vistas, has an ever-deteriorating, dismaying flip side to the postcard. In a city that spends $305 million a year to combat homelessness, those who serve as San Francisco’s hosts struggle to explain why the problem isn’t getting any better. I wondered where the 300+ million being was being spent on and came across this article.[1] [1][http://www.sfchronicle.com/aboutsfgate/article/Despite-money-and-work-homelessness-in-SF-as-bad-11242946.php http://www.sfchronicle.com/aboutsfgate/article/Despite-money...] I think this statement accurately sums up people's attitude towards homelessness in general. "Once that homeless panhandler is moved inside, you never think of him again. But if that tent encampment is on your block day after day, frustration mounts."[1]
pmoriarty 9y ago
Previously on HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16271229 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16271229
driverdan 9y ago
Want to know how bad the SF bureaucracy is? They have a budget of $305 million per year to service an estimated homeless population of 7500 people[1]. That's $40k each! It's a staggering amount of money that's not making enough of a difference. 1: http://sfgov.org/scorecards/homeless-population http://sfgov.org/scorecards/homeless-population
- Someone 9y ago
  I don’t know what that budget is spent on, but chances are part of that $305 million is spent on people who, because of it, aren’t on the street anymore. If there are many of such people, that amount spent per person drops significantly.
- stmfreak 9y ago
  Some might call that money "enabling."
pfarnsworth 9y ago
There is zero accountability in how SF spends its money on homelessness. It has zero metrics to even figure out if the money they are spending actually does any good. And it’s obvious to any of us that live and spend any time in SF that the money isn’t being spent properly. Hopefully this is addressed by the new mayor.

33 points by uptown 9y ago

>San Francisco’s hotel owners and managers are increasingly frustrated that their gorgeous city, with its many museums, fine restaurants and scenic vistas, has an ever-deteriorating, dismaying flip side to the postcard. In a city that spends $305 million a year to combat homelessness, those who serve as San Francisco’s hosts struggle to explain why the problem isn’t getting any better. I wondered where the 300+ million being was being spent on and came across this article.[1] [1][http://www.sfchronicle.com/aboutsfgate/article/Despite-money-and-work-homelessness-in-SF-as-bad-11242946.php http://www.sfchronicle.com/aboutsfgate/article/Despite-money...] I think this statement accurately sums up people's attitude towards homelessness in general. "Once that homeless panhandler is moved inside, you never think of him again. But if that tent encampment is on your block day after day, frustration mounts."[1]

pmoriarty 9y ago

Previously on HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16271229 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16271229

driverdan 9y ago

Want to know how bad the SF bureaucracy is? They have a budget of $305 million per year to service an estimated homeless population of 7500 people[1]. That's $40k each! It's a staggering amount of money that's not making enough of a difference. 1: http://sfgov.org/scorecards/homeless-population http://sfgov.org/scorecards/homeless-population

Someone 9y ago
I don’t know what that budget is spent on, but chances are part of that $305 million is spent on people who, because of it, aren’t on the street anymore. If there are many of such people, that amount spent per person drops significantly.
stmfreak 9y ago
Some might call that money "enabling."

pfarnsworth 9y ago

There is zero accountability in how SF spends its money on homelessness. It has zero metrics to even figure out if the money they are spending actually does any good. And it’s obvious to any of us that live and spend any time in SF that the money isn’t being spent properly. Hopefully this is addressed by the new mayor.