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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 2 OctOber 2019

Fed-up San Francisco neighbors use rocks to block homeless

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ of weeks, until homeless ing.
Associated Press advocates learned about The crisis also has triggered
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — them and rolled some into a new fight with President
A group of San Francisco the street. Donald Trump, who ac-
neighbors said they had to The city stepped in be- cused San Francisco and
do something to make their cause they posed a safety Los Angeles of failing to
street safe. Their answer? hazard, hoisting the giant clean up waste, including
Some giant rocks. rocks back onto the side- needles, and blamed their
Fed up with what they see walk. But the activists re- liberal policies for the prob-
as the city's failure to com- turned, pushing them onto lem. He has said he would
bat homelessness and ram- the street again. do something to fix it but
pant drug use, the neigh- The tug-of-war appears to didn't offer specifics.
bors had boulders deliv- have ended this week after The mayors of both cities
ered to their sidewalk to neighbors asked the city to have pushed back on his
block people from pitching remove the rocks, saying claims but have said they
tents on their street. they are being harassed welcome his help if he con-
That started a fight that with calls, emails and peo- tributes federal funding.
shows the frustration with an ple shouting threats when In San Francisco, John said In this Monday, Sept. 30, 2019, photo, a San Francisco Public
unprecedented homeless- they leave their homes. that in the last six months, Works crew removes boulders from a sidewalk along a street in
ness crisis in California. Cit- It shows the clash in Cali- neighbors started reporting San Francisco, Monday, Sept. 30, 2019. In this Monday, Sept. 30,
ies are struggling to address fornia over how to curb dealers armed with knives 2019, photo, a San Francisco Public Works crew removes boul-
ders from a sidewalk along a street in San Francisco, Monday,
the lack of affordable hous- a growing crisis. While and guns hiding drugs in Sept. 30, 2019.
ing and a growing number residents want to protect planters outside their win- Associated Press
of homeless encampments themselves from drug deal- dows. Their street felt so
that are popping up on city ing or other safety issues, unsafe that he and his wife sure they have a clean and In Los Angeles, figures re-
streets, sometimes in neigh- advocates say there's no- would meet their guests at safe neighborhood," Nuru leased in June showed a
borhoods. where else for people to go a grocery store nearby and said. 16% jump in its homeless
"Everyone was so desper- who have been squeezed walk them to their house, He said the neighbors did population over the last
ate that we decided to out by rising housing prices he said. not have a permit for the year, to 36,300 people —
team up because this and income inequality. John said about 40 neigh- boulders and agreed to the size of a small city.
was not a tent or two with "I believe there has to be a bors chipped in to buy the work with the city in the fu- Peter Mozgo, who runs the
homeless people," said better solution than block- boulders after calling the ture. Hungarian Cultural Center
John, a neighbor who ing people from using a city and police dozens of Despite a $12.3 billion an- in downtown Los Angeles,
spoke on the condition he public sidewalk," Greg times. He said they asked nual budget, San Francisco had become so frustrated
only be identified by his first Aherne, who was bringing the city to remove the has long struggled to house with losing business be-
name because of threats sandwiches and hygiene rocks after the harassment homeless people and keep cause of the rows of tents
residents have received kits to the homeless, told the started. streets clean of human along the perimeter of
over the boulders. "These San Francisco Chronicle. City workers removed the waste and needles, espe- the building that he set up
were drug dealers in large "The rocks send the wrong boulders Monday and cially in districts with many about 140 planters on the
tents, and people coming message. But it shows how are storing them while the people who are homeless sidewalk to prevent home-
in and out, and people not desperate people are." neighbors decide what or addicted to drugs. less people from camping.
feeling safe walking to their Los Angeles also is strug- to do, Public Works Direc- The city set up public toilets "We lost so much weddings
own home at night." gling with homelessness, tor Mohammed Nuru said and announced forma- because people don't
The boulders went up in and the owner of a cul- Tuesday. tion of a team last year to want to rent it anymore,"
an alley off Market Street, tural center used a similar "Nobody wants drug deal- clean up human waste. It Mozgo told the Los Angeles
one of San Francisco's approach this summer by ers across the street from says there are at least 1,000 Times.
major thoroughfares. They erecting massive plant- their homes, and the city people on a waiting list for He didn't return a mes-
stopped people from put- ers to block people from has a responsibility to part- shelter beds on any given sage seeking comment
ting up tents for a couple camping around his build- ner with neighbors to make day. Tuesday.q