SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – As San Francisco tries to recover from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, crime and homelessness are now top concerns of local residents, many considering moving, according to a new poll.
The poll was published by the SF Chamber of Commerce and is based on feedback from more than 500 San Francisco residents who are registered to vote.
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It turns out that more than 40 percent plan to move out of the city in the next few years.
Lindsay Stevens just moved out on the weekend.
“There’s nothing worse than seeing such a beautiful place in such a mess and I really thought I was going to be sad when the moving companies loaded the last container on Saturday and I’ve never been so relieved,” said Stevens.
After living in San Francisco for more than 12 years, Stevens recently sold her apartment and moved to the Palm Springs area.
“I honestly believe that we have seen a massive decline in the quality of life over the past three years and that has only been improved by COVID,” she said. “Homelessness is a serious problem, people don’t feel safe walking their dogs … the number of break-ins seems to be increasing all the time.”
Their feelings are reflected in the results of the chamber’s survey.
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80% of residents say that crime has worsened in recent years, 70% think that the quality of life has decreased and 88% say that homelessness has worsened.
76% also believe that increasing the number of police officers in high-crime neighborhoods should be a high priority.
“I think safety is a big concern. Even two years ago when I originally returned to the city, I never considered certain neighborhoods to be necessarily unsafe, ”said Minku Lee from San Francisco.
The 24-year-old resident himself became a victim last Friday. He said he was out with his friends at happy hour on 3rd Street near Oracle Park when he was racially and physically assaulted by a homeless person.
“He also said an insult, knocked me over forcibly, the slash tripped me, really scared of the incident,” said Lee.
An overwhelming 82% of respondents said they would like to see more social workers on the street to help people with mental illness and drug problems.
Almost 75% supported more makeshift housing for the homeless.
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Earlier this month, Mayor London Breed announced a $ 1 billion investment to fix the problem over the next 2 years. This also includes funding for housing and psychiatric services.
