Ending Homelessness in San Francisco

Author: Kevin Fagan et al
Region: California

In San Francisco, about 6,200 people are homeless on any given night, according to the most recent one-night street count, compared with more than 8,600 in a 2002 count. This three-part series showcases the highs and lows of recent initiatves to combat homelessness, and introduces a few true success stories.

The City's Cost of a Life Redeemed

After years of drug abuse and life on the street, 55-year-old Georgia Mitchell is clean of heroin, healthy, and has a safe place to live in downtown San Francisco. She is an example of how redemption can come for even the most desperate, with the help of a determined social worker given the resources to do the job.

It is expensive redemption -- Mitchell's home and medical care cost taxpayers about $21,000 a year. But her case shows how that can be far cheaper than allowing homeless people to deteriorate on the street, becoming public nuisances and financial burdens. In her last two years on the street, the public spent nearly $100,000 annually on Georgia Mitchell's emergency care and support.

Shame of the City: A Daily Walk Finds Fewer Homeless

Dick, 51, has been homeless on and off again in San Francisco since 1984 and most recently since 2003. Making his living recycling cans and bottles, he has seen a lot change in the landscape of homelessness since Mayor Gavin Newsom took office in 2004 and pushed through his signature Care Not Cash welfare reform.

"It's easier than it used to be," Dick said of his garbage picking. He stroked his bushy gray beard. "More cans. Less homeless. A lot emptier than it was, I'll tell you that."

Money Well Spent? The City Can't Tell

Since taking office in January 2004, Mayor Gavin Newsom has put an end to welfare practices widely viewed as enabling chronic homelessness. He also started initiatives to reach out to and provide a way off the street for hundreds of homeless people.

But a key management tool -- a computer system that links the dozens of homeless-aid groups receiving city money so officials can see who is being served, and how efficiently and effectively -- is still years away, the Newsom administration concedes.