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- 💉 Let's talk about the homeless problem
💉 Let's talk about the homeless problem
Massive Gov. spending didn't make homeless crisis better, and Gov. decides to spend even more
chrisnolansf
May 17, 2024
Today’s newsletter is 477 words - a 2-minute read (4-minute if you take your time…🐌)
Welcome back everyone!
Excited to have you join us: We’re Chris & Nolan (@chrisnolansf), and welcome to SF Whisper - a newsletter covering the most interesting business and local news of San Francisco.
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Anyways. Let’s get started -
📈 SF’s Homelessness Hurdle: Numbers Up Despite Funding Surge
❓ San Francisco's homelessness count has spiked by 7%, despite the city pouring hundreds of millions into the crisis
Funding Up, Homelessness Up: new data from a one-night snapshot count shows a total of 8,328 unhoused people, marking a troubling uptick from 7,754 in 2022.
Meanwhile, spending on homelessness has more than doubled in recent years, jumping from $284 million in 2018-19 to $676 million in 2022-23.
Mixed Results in the Streets: while the overall number of people living unsheltered on sidewalks has decreased by 13%, achieving a ten-year low, those sleeping in vehicles surged by 37%. The count also revealed a staggering 94% rise in homelessness among families. It seems that for every step forward, there are two steps back in the city's fight against homelessness…
SF Mayor London Breed
City's strategy under Scrutiny: As San Francisco's approach draws criticism for its effectiveness, Mayor London Breed is pushing for new initiatives, including a $50 million proposal to tackle the rising family homelessness with rent subsidies and emergency shelters. The city’s struggle continues as it aims to reconcile increased funding with actual improvements on the ground.
💸 But Ironically, More Money is Getting Granted
💲 California Kickstarts $3.3 Billion Mental Health and Homeless Initiative
Funding Fast-Tracked: California Governor Gavin Newsom has unlocked another $3.3 billion ahead of schedule from the state’s new mental health bond. This first tranche is aimed at bolstering the construction of behavioral health treatment centers and housing for the homeless.
Newsom “It’s time to get things done”: With a clear message of "It’s time to get things done," Newsom urged local governments to speed up building projects during an announcement at a future site for 117 psychiatric beds near Redwood City.
This funding boost is set to support a variety of services from crisis facilities to addiction programs, aiming to close the gap in the current need for approximately 8,000 behavioral health units.
Catch up on the latest:
Today’s whisper:
“Megalopolis”
Francis Ford Coppola, legendary “The Godfather” director and Bay area local, debuts the movie he spent 40 years making at Cannes(Link and the Trailer)
