San Francisco reportedly cleaned up some of its homeless encampments ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, according to the New York Post.
The city reportedly focused on specific intersections, including those in the Tenderloin and South of Market (SoMa) neighborhoods, where homeless encampments are prevalent, according to the NY Post. Residents and business owners, however, have slammed the efforts as “Band-Aids.” The city’s attempt to relocate homeless individuals and curb drug addiction has heightened police presence and led to the removal of tents near the Moscone Center on Howard Street, one of the key APEC venues.
The APEC summit, set to draw over 20,000 visitors — including President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, prompted the city to fence off certain areas, pushing drug dealers and addicts to other areas, the outlet reported.
San Francisco clears drug addicts, homeless out of downtown ahead of Biden and Xi Jinping summit https://t.co/kKsx2VxN8C pic.twitter.com/UtrH6PTZgv
— New York Post (@nypost) November 11, 2023
However, business owners lament the lack of long-term solutions, emphasizing the need for permanent measures rather than temporary fixes.
“They are just essentially herding the problem around but offering no long-term solutions,” Adam Mesnick, a SoMa resident and business owner, told the NY Post. “I’m just outside what they consider the ‘containment zone’ for APEC, so the problem is getting pushed into my area, which is already pretty saturated with drug activity.
“I don’t know if these tents will be in physical view during APEC, but it will be virtually impossible to eliminate all of that.” (RELATED: Samurai Sword, Throwing Axe In Homeless Encampment Near School But City Remains Silent)
Fentanyl-related overdoses continue to plague San Francisco, with the city expected to reach a record-breaking 800 deaths this year, The Post added.
“They are very good at creating an illusion and they are very good at performance art,” Mesnick said, adding that he had discovered two dead bodies in his community, the NY Post noted.
Starbucks announced its intention to close seven stores in downtown San Francisco in October. Target closed stores in various blue cities, including San Francisco, in October, citing theft and violence concerns.