Fix Homelessness How to rebuild human lives
Author

Debra J. Saunders

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San Francisco's iconic bridge wrapped in fog as seen at night. Generative AI
San Francisco's iconic bridge wrapped in fog as seen at night. Generative AI

Doom Loop City

It should come as no surprise that an enterprising San Franciscan came up with the idea to host a “doom loop” tour of the moldering city on a hill. The plot twist is that Alex Ludlum, who put together the tour, canceled and refunded tickets for his “Downtown Doom Loop Walking Tour” before its intended Aug. 26 debut. That would be the weekend Nordstrom shuttered its flagship store in downtown San Francisco. It turns out, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, Ludlum serves on Ess Eff’s Commission on Community Investment and Infrastructure. He had planned on giving the tour as an “anonymous insider.” After his identity was outed, Ludlum apologized for a “deep error in judgment” and canceled the tour. “How Read More ›

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The Humanitarian Crisis Right Before Your Eyes

How could 6,000 shelter beds be unoccupied in Los Angeles County? It’s a number, reported in LAist in July, that makes no sense given the miles of homeless encampments that occupy area streets and sidewalks. Looking for an answer, I talked to Dave — a formerly homeless man who asked me not to reveal his last name. Dave told me how he ended up unhoused in the 1990s and then worked his way into a good job and a steady roof over this head. He believes that homeless individuals who live on the street choose to do so, because when he didn’t have a roof, he chose to spend the night in missions with rules, not on streets without them. Read More ›

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California, the Dream and the Nightmare

“The homeless are just like you and me.” That’s a politically correct assertion that doesn’t quite recognize the reality on the ground, such as the link between self-destructive behavior — most notably, substance abuse — and living on the street with no place to call home. California is home to 12% of America’s population, but 30% of the number “experiencing homelessness” and half the population of unsheltered homeless. Why? A new study on homelessness, the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness by UC San Francisco, lays out how a set of painful events can bring adults to the sad moment when they lose a roof over their heads. They lose low-paying jobs and then apartments; they bunk in spare Read More ›

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San Francisco Does Detroit

I left San Francisco just in time — at the end of 2016. Sure, I saw the occasional junkie shooting up in public when I still worked in the city. And yes, I saw men use the sidewalk at the intersection of 5th and Market Streets as a toilet. But I never saw swarms of shoplifters emptying pharmacy shelves. If I needed new shoes, I could pop over to Nordstrom at the Westfield San Francisco Centre at 5th and Market. The number of friends who had stopped going into the city entirely — and switched to shopping in suburban malls — was unsettling, but tourists could help fill the gap. This week, sadly, Nordstrom announced it won’t renew its lease Read More ›

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Sunny view of some homeless tent in front of the Union Station
Photo licensed via Adobe Stock

Uncle Sam Enabling Homelessness, Not Ending It

How Congress Can Reform Government’s Misguided Homelessness Policies report exposes the futility of current federal “Housing First” policies, now embraced by President Joe Biden’s administration. Read More ›
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Sun shining through tall palm trees. Summer, fashion, travel, vacation, tourism, lifestyle and weather concept.
Sun shining through tall palm trees. Summer, fashion, travel, vacation, tourism, lifestyle and weather concept.

Like a Dystopia, Only California

For years, the left argued that not enforcing "quality of life" laws was the humane and enlightened approach that would lead to more livable cities. But all they got was a toxic stew. Read More ›
California street at sunrise
Downtown San Francisco with California Street at sunrise, San Francisco, California, USA
Downtown San Francisco with California Street at sunrise, San Francisco, California, USA

California’s Epic Homeless Nightmare

What’s the matter with California? “It’s suffering from San Fransickness,” which is “pathological altruism,” answers Michael Shellenberger, author of the book “San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities.” Read More ›