I've lived in SF downtown (right by Mission and 5th) for a few years and know some of this first hand. Some of the reasons I've heard directly are: 1. The only

I've lived in SF downtown (right by Mission and 5th) for a few years and know some of this first hand. Some of the reasons I've heard directly are: 1. The only city with so many shelters for homeless. Other cities would just let people die of cold, heat or hunger or send them to SF. 2. Besides homeless shelters, there are absolutely zero places for homeless to go to. At least in third world countries, poverty is acknowledged and there are charitable organizations which help keep people fed and pooped (example Churches, temples, charitable individuals). But in America, churches only get tax breaks and serve the middle class. They don't really do as much social service as their tax breaks should enable them to do. 3. SF is crazy expensive. There is no f-ing way an average homeless person can find a job, make $500 this month and can actually find a home. Why don't they go to a cheaper city/town? Most cities/towns won't allow them to sleep on the street until they find a job. The flight/bus to cheap town is expensive. Cheap town usually looks down on them even more. No shelters in cheap town. 4. American background check system is brutal. One felony record and you are instantly eliminated from many jobs. So, many of these folks with a small time felony charge are can't just walk into a safeway to find a job. 5. There are too many ways to fail in a society with no safety net. A lot of SF homeless were once good citizens. They either got divorced or had a healthcare trauma or lost a job or a combo of things and their nice $50k savings account dropped down to zero in an instant. This is how quick poverty in America is. 6. Poor person penalties are too large. $600 penalty for car getting towed in SF? Are you f-ing kidding me? This will literally cause a poor family to be thrown on the streets. There could be more reasons but these are ones I'm familiar with. Most homeless weren't homeless from childhood. They were forced into homelessness by some circumstance. At the end, we (including me) are all responsible for this. SF needs to acknowledge their strategies are not long term sustainable. Rest of America needs to stop exporting their homeless and needs to set up retraining and rehabilitation centers. We are all to blame.