Over the past five years, our streets have disintegrated into a free-for-all of tents, homelessness and drug abuse and dealing. San Francisco has never been immune from challenging street conditions, but there is no Mayor in history that has overseen a steeper decline. While we work to address the causes of the disorder on our streets (mental health, drug addiction, and homelessness), we must have zero tolerance for dirty streets and unsafe street behavior.
- Clear all large tent encampments within the first year in office
- As Mayor in 2018, Mayor Farrell cleared all large tent encampments in six months and will do it again
- Immediately audit all homelessness spending to ensure no wasteful spending by the City and non-profit organizations
- Shift from a narrow-minded housing-first approach to a shelter-first approach because San Francisco can’t just build itself out of the homelessness crisis
- Expand Homeward Bound program, increase local operating subsidy program grants, and more aggressively use the shelter system
- Restore the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services to ensure that the Mayor’s office is providing direct constituent services to residents and neighborhoods again
- Hire a new Head of Department of Public Works that has demonstrable experience and background in street cleaning and private sector facilities management
- Zero tolerance policy for dirty streets and illegal street vending
- More Big Belly type trash cans throughout the city and more frequent pick up service