OPINION: Displays of cruelty may temporarily placate public anger, but they won’t solve homelessness.
Unable to solve its growing homelessness crisis with housing and shelter, San Francisco — much like other cities such as Oakland and Sacramento — has used crackdowns and cruelty to bully unhoused people and send a clear message that they’re unwanted. That’s the main allegation behind a lawsuit filed against the city and county by a coalition of homeless groups on Tuesday afternoon.
“San Francisco presents the image of a caring municipality with a concrete plan to address the root causes of homelessness,” reads the suit filed late Tuesday. “But in reality, The City’s decades-long failure to adequately invest in affordable housing and shelter has left many thousands of its residents unhoused, forcing them to use tents and vehicles as shelter.
“This was a traumatic process,” said Castaño in a written declaration. “Often, crews would come wake us up at 4:30 a.m. They would spray large volumes of water and chemicals on or near us that would damage our property. One time, they sprayed an extremely pungent deodorizer on the street that lasted for days and was extremely unpleasant — with the goal of making it so we would not return.”
Not once did city personnel offer him services or a place to go, said Castaño. In March 2021, he secured housing with help from a private organization and is no longer homeless. He also won a $9,000 settlement from The City for destroying his property. Zal Shroff, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, says the lawsuit is designed to expose how city officials have quietly pursued a campaign of cruelty and persecution in lieu of offering more shelter or housing.
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