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San Francisco County, CA November 7, 2006 Election
Smart Voter

Reducing Homelessness and Aggressive Panhandling

By Rob Black

Candidate for Member, Board of Supervisors; County of San Francisco; Supervisorial District 6

This information is provided by the candidate
How we can build on the successes of the Care Not Cash programs to take on one of our City's most challenging issues
San Francisco residents support programs that help the homeless population find services and housing. This became evident with the passing of Care Not Cash in 2002. However, our work is far from over. Although Care Not Cash has had success to this point, we must continue to work to ensure inclusiveness of this program and expansion of other successful programs.

The City must continue on a course of compassionate and supportive services combined with better enforcement policies for those that continually refuse to abide by the law. Effective solutions can only be derived by addressing the issue from a multitude of angles. Accordingly, we need to promote successful programs such as Care Not Cash and continue to strive to find workable solutions to our City's ongoing homeless issue.

There is much to be done. Providing real opportunities for homeless men, women and children to permanently exit life on the streets will require strengthening Care Not Cash through:

  • Increased supportive housing with on-site case management and other "wrap-around" services.
  • Augmented mental health and addiction-treatment / detox services.
  • Expanded services for our most "at risk" homeless populations: senior citizens, women and children, the disabled, and veterans.
  • More homeless outreach professionals to assist disabled and disoriented individuals access the assistance they need, and to provide a feedback mechanism helping the City better target continuing gaps in our present social services system.

There also need to be consequences for behaviors harmful to our communities. Although distinct from the problem of homelessness, the issues of quality of life crimes often attributed to a small number of the homeless population must be addressed. Individuals who refuse help and yet continue to harm communities by aggressive panhandling, public intoxication and narcotic use, and relieving themselves in public should be accountable to the communities they harm. We need proactive approaches to such public safety problems. To this end, the following strategies should be explored:

  • Better enforcement of "quality of life" crimes such as assault/battery, alcohol beverage violations, loitering, public nuisance, lesser narcotic violations, and other miscellaneous crimes.
  • An expanded "Community Courts" system to deal with quality of life infractions. These courts assign community service or order individuals into treatment programs for addiction, anger management counseling and other support services.
  • Increased monitoring of the sale of liquor to already intoxicated individuals.

The time to cling to the status quo is over. Its time to join together and build upon the City's successes in placing formerly homeless individuals into supportive housing units. District Six needs a Supervisor who can build consensus for programs that help the homeless and that respect our communities.

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