I believe strongly and have fought hard for more placements and services for people living on the streets and an approach that is not led by law enforcement,” Haney said.Ī spokesman for Project Open Hand said it didn’t request the sweep, but ordered permits for the lighting events. “I’ve asked my staff to follow up about the support and services that were offered to the people who were in Willow. In a text message to Mission Local, Haney said he wasn’t aware that the street was slated to be cleared in advance. Ninety-four people accepted, 21 were housed, and the remainder declined. In 2021 “teams” visited 17 times and found 302 people who were offered shelter. But many simply picked up and moved over to Olive Street on the next alley over, Cutler said.Ĭovid Command said that “teams” visit Willow regularly in June, 45 people were offered shelter 19 accepted, two were housed.
Some unhoused individuals accepted services. “It’s such overkill,” Cutler told Mission Local, adding that the police weren’t violent. In one video recorded by Cutler, five cops approached a single tent. The next day, it fell to eight tents and no structures.Īt least six police officers and a Homeless Outreach Team worker appeared at Willow on the mornings of June 9 and 10, when the Project Open Hand lighting was to begin. They said 28 tents and five structures were observed the first day, and reduced to nine tents and one structure. The visits which occurred from June 9 to June 11 were not associated with events occurring in the area.” The Covid Command Center responded in an email: “Willow is one of the areas visited regularly. Mission Local requested comment from the Department of Public Works employees and the Healthy Streets Operations Center, linking the emails published between Rodriguez and Schneider. The mayor’s office did not respond to requests for comment. “It’s transparent and disgusting, and not uniquely so.” “That’s an explicitly fucked-up example, where the city knows it will be a big event and a photo opp for the Mayor and Haney, so they clear the tents to make it look good for the event.” Wadkins said. He pointed to the lopsided proposal of 18 beds for a 40-plus tent encampment. Thank you, Ronnie.”Ĭoalition on Homelessness advocate Carlos Wadkins, who was at the June 10 clearing, said these “sweeps” are a tactic the city uses to decrease the “visibility” of the homeless without sufficiently addressing their needs. “When I staff the mayor I am always there earlier to check things out If I see anything, encampments, debris, etc. Once Schneider assured it would be, Rodriguez followed up again. Ronald Rodriguez, an employee with the Department of Public Works, sent an email to his colleague Schneider, asking if he knew the “history of encampments, drugs, and debris in the area.” He continued, “should Public Works be aware so the area is cleared?”
“It’s insulting if the city is coming through when there aren’t the resources to back it up,” said Kelley Cutler, a Coalition on Homelessness advocate who personally documented the clearings.Ī meeting document also confirmed “extra” police were summoned to patrol the scene and keep the public out until after the event.Īpparently, this to-do was for the mayor. City officials expected more than 40 tents on Willow Street needed removal, but were offering “at least 18 HSH shelter beds + whatever safe sleep is available” - a fraction of what would be required to accommodate everyone removed. Homeless advocates criticized this, and further complained about how, despite the deliberate clearing, inadequate shelter services were offered.
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