It's difficult to determine the precise policies that have led San Francisco to its current state. Having lived there a decade ago, I can attest that certain ar

It's difficult to determine the precise policies that have led San Francisco to its current state. Having lived there a decade ago, I can attest that certain areas, such as the Loin, were unlike anything I had seen in other cities. When I returned a few years ago, I observed that those areas had deteriorated even further and were spreading like a cancer. Since then, I have relocated to Austin, where homelessness has always been more prevalent than in other southern cities but never to the same extent as in LA or SF. However, a few years ago, our mayor chose not to penalize public camping, and as a result, homeless camps began to spring up throughout the city, including a tent city beneath a highway near my home. This led to a host of issues, including campfires, public defecation, and needles, necessitating constant intervention by EMS. Fortunately, a proposition to make public camping illegal again passed with ease. While the city council was initially slow to enforce the ban, they eventually did so, and one by one, the tent cities disappeared. Occasionally, a tent pile of belongings still appears, but these are also cleared out promptly. It's unclear where the former residents of these tent cities have gone. Some may have relocated to the creeks or woods out of sight, while others may have taken a bus to SF or LA. Alternatively, perhaps the change in policy inspired some of them to reach out to family members or other support networks to try and get back on their feet. Ultimately, all I know is that enforcing basic laws had a positive impact on the non-homeless population, and I hope that those experiencing homelessness can find a way to improve their situation without making the city worse for everyone else.