>> SAN FRANCISCO HAS ONE OF THE NATION'S HIGHEST PER CAPITA CONCENTRATIONS OF HOMELESSNESS. HIGH HOUSING COSTS, DRUG ABUSE AND COVID ARE SOME OF THE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS CRISIS. EVERY TWO YEARS, THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT REQUIRES COMMUNITIES COUNT. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. IN FEBRUARY OF 2022, THE CITY COUNTED 7754 HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS. HI, I'M LUZ PENA WITH ABC7. NICE TO MEET YOU. WHAT'S YOUR NAME? JOHNNY CRAWFORD. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN OUT HERE? >> I'VE BEEN OUT HERE SINCE 2018. >> JOHNNY CRAWFORD IS ONE OF OVER 4000 HOMELESS WHO LIVE ON THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO. TELL ME ABOUT BEING OUT HERE. WHAT IS IT LIKE? IT'S INTERESTING. >> IF YOU'RE NOT CUT OUT FOR IT, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT. IF YOU'RE CUT OUT FOR IT, YOU CAN SURVIVE. >> SAN FRANCISCO HAS OVER 1000 OCCUPIED VEHICLES EVERY NIGHT. MANY ARE FAMILIES WITH KIDS. OVER 100 OF THESE RVS ARE PARKED ALONG LAKE MERCED BOULEVARD. ALL HOMELESS. >> I'M SLEEPING HERE WITH MY DOGS, MY TWO KIDS. >> NELLY HAS BEEN RENTING THIS RV FOR THE LAST YEAR. BEFORE LIVING HERE, THEY RENTED A ROOM IN THE MISSION DISTRICT, BUT HER WORK HOURS WERE CUT DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND THEY HAD TO MOVE OUT. >> I SAID I CORONAVIRUS. IS. IS THAT WORKING? IS DOWN MY CHECK IS LIKE 200, 300. SO I CAME TO PAY THE RENT. WHERE DO YOU WORK? HOUSEKEEPING IN A MOTEL. >> SAN FRANCISCO HAS ABOUT 10,000 UNITS OF HOUSING FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, BUT JUST 2300 UNITS OF HOUSING FOR FAMILIES. BUT AS DEMAND GROWS, WAITLISTS FOR HOUSING AND EMERGENCY SHELTER GET LONGER. >> OUR SHELTER SYSTEM IS ABOUT 91% FULL. >> CAN YOU GET SHELTER ON THE SAME DAY THAT YOU NEED IT? >> YES. OFTEN YOU CAN. >> OFTEN NOT ALWAYS. >> NOT ALWAYS. >> WHAT ABOUT FAMILIES? >> MOST OF THE TIME, FAMILIES CAN GET AN EMERGENCY PLACEMENT THE DAY THEY NEED ONE, AND IT CAN TAKE A FEW WEEKS TO GET A SINGLE ROOM. WEEKS. AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE EMERGENCY. >> WHY SO LONG? >> BECAUSE OUR OUR LONG TERM FAMILY SHELTERS ARE PRETTY WELL OCCUPIED. >> AND AS OF NOVEMBER 29TH, 2023, THERE WERE CLOSE TO 500 PENDING SHELTER WAITLIST APPLICATIONS. AS THE CITY PRIORITIZES WHO GETS INTO A SHELTER. SO IF SOMEONE HAS A LONG TERM CHRONIC ILLNESS, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A HIGHER PRIORITY STATION THAN SOMEONE WHO IS ABLE BODIED AND HEALTHY. IN THE LAST YEAR, SAN FRANCISCO FACED ANOTHER SETBACK IN CLEARING HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS. AN INJUNCTION THAT WAS BROUGHT FORTH AFTER THE COALITION ON HOMELESSNESS FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CITY. THEY ALLEGED ENCAMPMENTS SWEEPS VIOLATED THE RIGHTS OF THE UNHOUSED. THIS HAS BLOCKED THE CITY FROM ENFORCING CERTAIN LAWS LIKE SLEEPING ON PUBLIC PROPERTY. THE DEBATE HAS POLARIZED THE CITY. EVEN LEADING MAYOR LONDON BREED TO RALLY OUTSIDE THE NINTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS. THE FACT THAT THE COURTS HAVE CRIPPLED OUR ABILITY TO DO OUR JOBS, TO HELP GET PEOPLE INTO SHELTER IS CRIMINAL. THE COALITION HAS REQUESTED THE CITY OFFER SHELTER BEFORE REMOVING INDIVIDUALS FROM THE STREETS. >> WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM TO STOP ILLEGALLY CONFISCATING PROPERTY AND CRIMINALIZING THEM WHEN THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO BE ON THE STREETS. >> RECENTLY, THE COURT PROVIDED CLARIFICATION ALLOWING FOR THE CITY TO CONTINUE CLEANUP EFFORTS. WE WENT OUT WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM TO SEE THE PROCESS . >> THEY GAVE US A WARNING, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF DURING THE THREE HOUR EFFORT, WE SAW AT LEAST TEN PEOPLE OUT OF MORE THAN 50 TENTS GET SHELTER OR HOUSING. >> BUT JOSE TORRES WAS CANDID. HE SAID THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SPACE FOR EVERYONE IN NEED. HOW DO YOU DO THIS JOB WHEN THERE IS NOT ENOUGH SHELTER? AS YOU SAY, IT'S DIFFICULT. >> IT'S DIFFICULT TO TALK TO PEOPLE AND NOT HAVE ENOUGH TO OFFER. >> IN SAN
