San Francisco, California is renowned for its natural and architectural beauty with views of the Pacific Ocean, Mount Tamalpais, the cityscape, and Victorian styled housing. In turn, this city draws people from all walks of life whether they intend to settle down or vacation in the Bay Area. San Francisco in recent years has seen an increase in popularity in regard to housing due to the tech boom as well as favorable employment regulations as minimum wage is under seventeen dollars per hour. As the draw to San Francisco increases due to its potential for lucrative opportunity the drawbacks are equally as prominent. The negative aspects of San Francisco consist of a large homeless population riddled with drug addiction as well as an expensive cost of living. San Francisco has come to a crossroads in which a plan of action is necessary and vital to find a solution to this growing problem.
In the 1960s, San Francisco was the epicenter for the Summer of Love, a movement for experimentation and rebellion for long-standing traditional values. The Guardian states, “The focus was San Francisco, where young people travelled from across America and beyond, attracted by the promise of the chance to cast off conservative social values and experiment with drugs and sex.” (The Guardian) The Summer of Love held values of acting upon desires rather than social expectations. This movement remains relevant in modern San Francisco.
Drug use in San Francisco is common in many aspects of social life and the economic landscape. Due to the city having an open approach to drugs, many individuals fall into drug addiction leading to homelessness. There is no assumption made that all homeless individuals experience addiction, but from a firsthand experience it is a common occurrence to walk alongside homeless individuals actively engaging in hardcore substances. According to Mayor London Breed, there are 7,754 people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco as of February 23, 2022.
This begs the question, “How can San Francisco take a proactive approach in limiting the strongly influenced adolescence to falling into addiction?” The sale of recreational marijuana is a lucrative industry as in 2021 grew to $25 billion dollars in national sales. (flowhub) San Francisco contains 42 marijuana dispensaries and lounges as well as marijuana adverts on billboards and municipal transportation. (Fargo) This affects the youth of San Francisco and entices them to experiment with this substance earlier than most. An academic journal written by Richard Jessor named, “Predicting Time of Onset of Marijuana Use: A Developmental Study of High School Youth” comments upon adolescent marijuana usage by stating, “With continual marijuana usage one could expect a plummet of life goals, disassociation with social norms and increase in tolerance for personal and exterior actions.” (Fargo) As this article may give an appearance of a scare tactic often used by parents and guardians, I have witnessed these affects second-hand through multiple of my peers ranging from ages of middle school through high school aged youth.
Marijuana is a gateway drug especially if abused from a young age. As marijuana usage plagues the San Franciscan youth, adolescent experimentation with prescription and injection drugs is similarly on the rise. A study titled, “Predictors of Injection Drug Use Cessation and Relapse in a Prospective Cohort of Young Injection Drug Users in San Francisco, CA (UFO Study)” took a group of 365 heroin users with an average age of 22 years old and analyzed the keys to success of injection cessation. In its concluding analysis, the study states, “We observed a higher incidence of relapse in the younger subjects in this cohort, supporting the call for earlier detection and treatment through screening, brief intervention, referral and treatment programs for adolescents and transition-age youth (Clark, 2008). Indeed, the nonmedical use of prescription-type pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives surpassed marijuana for the first time as the most common illicit drug used in the past month by youths aged 12–13 years (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2007), and all indicators suggest that the prevalence of prescription opioid use among adolescents is increasing and serving as an expanded pathway to heroin injection and addiction (Compton and Volkow, 2006, Siegal et al., 2003).” (Evans) As adolescent drug use increases, San Francisco must act with compassion towards these individuals as people leaning between addiction and a healthy life walk a slippery slope. Similarly to the city’s unique approach to drugs, San Francisco must take an alternate approach when it comes to limiting the unintended distribution of marijuana to minors as well as the recreational use of prescription drugs to combat the potential for the youth to fall into the addict and homeless population of San Francisco.
Although drug addiction can be crippling and be a major factor for difficulty in finding housing, alternate factors play a major role in the struggles of homelessness. These struggles entail marital relationships and food insecurity. An investigative study written by Anne R. Roschelle titled, “Why Do You Think We Don’t Get Married? Homeless Mothers in San Francisco Speak Out About Having Children Outside of Marriage” comments upon the struggles that underrepresented women face regarding marriage. Roschelle states, “A lack of financial resources, the importance of economic stability, gender mistrust, domestic violence, criminality, high expectations about marriage, and concerns about divorce are common reasons given for not getting married.” (Roschelle) Lacking the support system of a healthy marriage can contribute to the heavy weight of homelessness and further the difficulties of getting out of the street. San Francisco must be diligent in their action with the understanding of struggles faced by underrepresented people of color especially women.
Another contributing factor is food insecurity. Food insecurity is the state of being without reliable access to enough affordable and sustaining food. (Oxford) An academic journal titled, “Food insecurity, chronic illness, and gentrification in the San Francisco Bay Area: An example of structural violence in United States public policy” comments on the endless fight for adequate nutrition when enduring a struggle with passive income. The journal states, “Faced with these issues, participants turned to a multitude of strategies aimed at procuring either food directly or money to buy food, many of which they found personally uncomfortable and some of which would widely be considered socially unacceptable. These included long-term dependence on friends, family, and charity (mainly soup kitchens and food banks and pantries), as well as risky strategies such as sexual exchange, stealing food, and selling controlled substances.” (Whittle) This issue of food insecurity cripples those who cannot afford a nutritious diet. San Francisco has improved its situation by providing recourses to those who are under privileged. For example, the County Adult Assistance Program provides up to $619 per month as well as free counseling and public transportation passes. (SFHSA) These programs are the foundation to form a pathway for the homeless and unsheltered to succeed.
San Francisco has introduced Proposition C, a $600 million budget on boosting homeless services. (Morris) This proposition was introduced in 2018 and is currently in the process of installment. (Morris) From a San Francisco Chronicle article titled, “Here’s how much San Francisco has spent of $600 million in Prop. C money slated for homeless services” sheds light upon the usage of funds in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic by buying out motels for sanitary living conditions for the unsheltered. Morris states, “Friedenbach (Executive director on the Coalition on Homelessness) said the ballot measure has already delivered much-needed housing for homeless people: Prop. C money helped the city buy the Granada Hotel and Hotel Diva to turn them into supportive housing.” (Morris) These motels allowed for an increased sanitary environment for underrepresented individuals amidst a pandemic. Proposition C has allowed San Francisco to make tremendous strides in combatting the homeless population as well as showing support towards these individuals.
According to Rachel Burris, San Francisco’s cost of living is the second highest in the United States behind New York City. The San Francisco Bay Area has a high percentage of its workforce commuting from surrounding areas. (Cervero) On average less than 33% of employees in the Bay Area live in the Bay Area. (Cervero) San Francisco struggles with creating affordable housing due to the city being only 49 square miles and a population reluctant to build new housing as it would take away from the Victorian-style architecture commonly found in the city. An article titled, “Jobs-Housing Balance Revisited: Trends and Impacts in the San Francisco Bay Area” written by Robert Cervero states, “Restricted housing production, especially in fast-growing cities, has in many instances raised housing prices, displacing workers and increasing average commute distances. Eliminating barriers to residential mobility and housing production would allow more housing and jobs to co-locate in the future.” (Cervero) Due to a significant portion of the Bay Area workforce residing outside the Bay Area, there is a newfound call to action towards the city to fix this problem. The implementation of new and affordable housing in San Francisco would allow for San Francisco to be more inclusive as well as lower cost of overall living.
An economic analysis from the Bay Area Council Economic Institute dubbed, “Solving the Housing Crisis in San Francisco” commented on the steps for more affordable housing in San Francisco. The article said, “Increasing the supply of housing, through completing large planned housing developments or reducing administrative barriers to creating new homes, drives the largest gains in affordability… We estimate that expediting completion of four major planned housing developments would create affordability for 19,154 households and streamlining local approval of housing would create affordability for 15,763 households.” (Bay Area Economic Council) This proposed course of action to make affordability in housing in San Francisco would solve the housing crisis problem but would leave a majority of influential San Francisco voters skeptical due to the potential for loss of architectural culture. From firsthand experience, neighborhoods are reluctant to allow the San Francisco planning department to commit to large modern-styled multi-unit complexes. In addition to a loss of Victorian architecture, residents are concerned about constructural blockage regarding sunlight as well as privacy. This plan to make large housing developments would have to include a mandate that these structures would be required to keep the same Victorian era styled housing as well as communication with neighboring households. Another solution to the potential backlash from San Franciscans due to the construction of multiple major housing developments would include finding locations for housing developments in areas that do not contain Victorian styled homes such as securing a location on a dilapidated pier.
Most importantly, in order for San Francisco to reduce the homeless population the city must have the mentality towards caring for the whole person. An article written by Niccolo Caldararo, titled, “The housing crisis and homelessness: A San Francisco Ethnography,” talks about the loss of community occurring in San Francisco. Caldararo states, “…the bonds of community between homeless individuals, residents and workers shifted from sympathy and antipathy to solidarity depending on the nature of the issues differentially impacting the lives of individuals in each group.” (Caldararo) A shift in mentality for San Franciscans would allow for less socioeconomic divide and a newfound common goal for the betterment of our society as well as our neighbor.
San Francisco is in need for change as drug abuse and homelessness have reached levels to which the city has gained international infamy. Adolescent drug abuse needs to be addressed specifically in schools due to the unique stance San Francisco has on drug use. Light must be shed on martial struggles and food insecurity plaguing the San Francisco homeless. Cost of living must decrease with newly built affordable living spaces that do not affect the residents and Victorian architecture specific to San Francisco. Finally, a mentality change is overdue in the city as citizens must look out for thy neighbor. The significance of this stance will allow for a healthier collective of individuals as well as a happier, vibrant, and cleaner city. In a broad sense, if San Francisco were to clear up the issues of homelessness in a location carrying a high cost of living there would be a global butterfly effect with other cities with a large homeless population to take similar action. San Francisco is in the beginning of its process to make strides toward the betterment in assisting the homeless out of the unsheltered and addictive cycle.
Works Cited:
Burris, Rachel. “The 15 Most Expensive Cities in the US and What They Really Cost.” 15 Most Expensive Cities in the US | Quicken Loans, Quicken Loans, 20 May 2022, https://www.quickenloans.com/learn/most-expensive-cities-in-the-us.
Caldararo, Niccolo. The Housing Crisis and Homelessness: A San Francisco Ethnography. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317768348_The_housing_crisis_and_homelessness_A_San_Francisco_Ethnography.
Campos, Elizabeth. “Minimum Wage Will Increase in These Bay Area Cities Starting July 1.” NBC Bay Area, NBC Bay Area, 28 June 2022, https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/making-it-in-the-bay/minimum-wage-to-increase-in-some-bay-area-cities-this-summer/2920590/.
“Cannabis Industry Statistics for 2022.” Flowhub, https://flowhub.com/cannabis-industry-statistics.
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“County Adult Assistance Programs (CAAP) CAAP Benefits.” CAAP Benefits | San Francisco Human Services Agency, https://www.sfhsa.org/services/jobs-money/county-adult-assistance-programs-caap/caap-benefits.
Evans, Jennifer L., et al. “Predictors of Injection Drug Use Cessation and Relapse in a Prospective Cohort of Young Injection Drug Users in San Francisco, CA (UFO Study).” Drug and Alcohol Dependence, vol. 101, no. 3, 2009, pp. 152–157., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2008.12.007.
Fargo Published, Shelly D. “Need Weed? A Map of Dispensaries in San Francisco.” The San Francisco Standard, 21 Apr. 2022, https://sfstandard.com/arts-culture/cannabis-lounge-map-marijuana-weed-dispensary-map-san-francisco/.
Jessor, Richard. “Predicting Time of Onset of Marijuana Use: A Developmental Study of High School Youth.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, vol. 44, no. 1, 1976, pp. 125–134., https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006x.44.1.125.
Morris, J.D. “Here's How Much San Francisco Has Spent of $600 Million in Prop. C Money Slated for Homeless Services.” San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 May 2022, https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/Here-s-how-much-San-Francisco-spent-prop-C-tax-17202036.php.
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Rochelle, Anne R. “Why Do You Think We Don't Get Married? Homeless Mothers in San Francisco Speak out about Having Children Outside of Marriage.” Why Do You Think We Don't Get Married? Homeless Mothers in San Francisco Speak Out About Having Children Outside of Marriage | Emerald Insight, https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/S1529-2126(2013)0000017008/full/html.
“Solving the Housing Affordability Crisis in San Francisco.” Solving the Housing Affordability Crisis in San Francisco | Bay Area Council Economic Institute, http://www.bayareaeconomy.org/report/solving-the-housing-affordability-crisis-san-francisco/.
“What Was the Summer of Love?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 26 May 2007, https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/may/27/escape.
Whittle, Henry J., et al. “Food Insecurity, Chronic Illness, and Gentrification in the San Francisco Bay Area: An Example of Structural Violence in United States Public Policy.” Social Science & Medicine, vol. 143, 2015, pp. 154–161., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.08.027.
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