Homeless Advocates Clash with San Francisco Officials Over Encampment Injunction

San Francisco city attorney David Chiu has refuted claims made by homeless advocates regarding the city’s encampment sweeps.

Chiu countered these claims by stating that since the injunction went into effect, homeless advocates have not presented a single instance of the city arresting anyone under the relevant laws. (Photo: The Independent)

Homeless Advocates Vs. San Francisco Officials

The homeless advocates argue that the city is violating a preliminary injunction by clearing encampments without providing sufficient shelter beds, CBS reported.

Homeless advocates claim that forcing homeless individuals to move without guaranteeing appropriate shelter infringes upon their constitutional rights.

Responding to these claims, city attorney David Chiu filed a brief to set the record straight. He emphasized that the city has made considerable efforts to comply with the injunction, but doing so has hindered their progress in addressing the homelessness crisis.

Mayor London Breed took to Twitter to express her support for overturning the injunction while the city continues to battle the lawsuit in court. She argued that cities cannot operate effectively if individuals and homeless advocates refuse offers of shelter but are allowed to remain on the streets.

Breed highlighted the city’s outreach efforts, stating that outreach teams have engaged with over 11,000 people on the street since 2021. However, less than half of them (around 4,500) accepted placements off the street.

Over the past five years, San Francisco has increased the availability of shelter and housing for the homeless by 50%.

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Homeless Advocates Fail to Provide Evidence of Arrests Under Injunction, Says City Attorney

In December 2022, Federal Judge Donna Ryu ruled in favor of the Coalition on Homelessness and other plaintiffs, blocking the city from clearing homeless encampments.

The Coalition on Homelessness argued that city workers frequently fail to offer appropriate support services and shelter beds. Homeless advocates also claimed that the city forcibly removes people from encampments without providing adequate alternatives, under the threat of criminalization and the illegal confiscation of property.

Chiu countered these claims by stating that since the injunction went into effect, homeless advocates have not presented a single instance of the city arresting anyone under the relevant laws.

He highlighted the work of the Healthy Streets and Operations Center (HSOC), which has conducted 233 operations and placed 957 formerly unhoused individuals into shelters, hotels, and other housing options. Chiu asserted that homeless advocates are often unwilling to acknowledge that unhoused individuals frequently decline the city’s offers of shelter.

Regarding the city’s bag and tag policy, Chiu explained that workers often come across items that pose health and safety risks, such as needles and human waste. In such cases, workers are allowed to dispose of the entire pile of belongings.

The city is currently awaiting a decision on its appeal regarding the preliminary injunction.

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