Residents report worsening homelessness and drug activity on San Francisco streets

SAN FRANCISCO - While San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie touted progress in tackling the crisis on the streets, particularly in the mid-Market area, residents in other pockets of the city say they're seeing an increase in homelessness and drug activity. 

The problem was on full display on Potrero Avenue between 15th and 16th streets on Monday evening. 

Residents described the situation as a "whack-a-mole" problem, where homeless individuals are shuffled from one part of the city to another, without addressing the root causes of the crisis.

Steven Li, who has lived in the area for five years, said he has called 311 for service almost every day for assistance. 

"The entire block from end to end is typically covered in trash and needles, folks that are passed out, hunched over, and on some sides, they're setting up fires to keep warm," Li added.

He said encampments and drug activity have significantly worsened since January. 

"I’ve lived in SoMa, where the problems used to be around 6th Street, and it’s almost like the problem’s following me around."

Brad Burke visits the street daily to use the gym. 

"It used to be kind of normal homeless people that you'd see, and they weren't like that. It's beyond that now - they're half dead and falling over. They can't help themselves; they don't want help," he said. 

Mayor Lurie Introduces "Breaking the Cycle" order 

What we know:

6th Street is one of the areas targeted by Mayor Daniel Lurie as a drug crisis hotspot.

On Monday, Lurie signed a new directive to outline immediate actions and long-term reforms to address the crisis.

"In the next 100 days, we're going to overhaul how our city organizes our street outreach efforts, replacing a fragmented structure with neighborhood-based teams that have the tools to connect people to treatment while keeping our public places clean," said Lurie.

LaTonya Stephens, who is homeless, said she used to spend more time in the Bayview, but now stays closer to the area because of a nearby soup kitchen. Stephens said she hasn't been approached by an outreach team on Potrero Avenue.

"I'm an addict, so you know what I'm saying, it's an addict thing, I have to keep moving," she said. 

Asked whether she'd accept shelter and services, she said: "I'd jump on it, no lie. I’m like, where, what time do I gotta be there?"

In the meantime, residents said they have had to change their routines or avoid this block altogether.

"We used to walk to Costco, which is probably 3 blocks away, and we almost never do that anymore because the people, the streets are blocked, the smell," said Li. "I talk to a lot of residents in our building and around, and they have kids - young kids - that they have to take to daycare, and they have to completely avoid certain streets."

At least one business on the block told KTVU off-camera that since the beginning of the year, they have seen an increase in break-ins, vandalism, and disturbances during business hours.

Li said he reached out to Supervisor Jackie Fielder's office about his concerns. 

Her chief of staff said that safety, particularly in the 16th Street BART Plaza on Mission Street, is a high priority. The office said Fielder has called for a hearing on a strategy to bring lasting solutions, including harm reduction, enforcement, and treatment.

"I just hope that they see a decrease everywhere. That's what I pray and I hope for," said Burke. 

KTVU has reached out to Fielder's office, but has yet to hear back.