San Francisco Public Works Conducts Homeless Camp Cleanups, Finds Thousands of Needles and Tons of Trash

SFO Streets: Welcome to the city” by Franck Michel licensed under CC BY 2.0

Source: SFChronicle

While cleaning out tent encampments, San Francisco’s Public Works found close to 3,300 syringes and collected over 53,000 pounds of trash at six separate sites in neighborhoods South of Market.

At one encampment alone, the crew found 15,000 pounds of debris, 700 needles, and tens of rats, they reported.

Public Works director Mohammed Nuru was astonished at the findings, saying that no one should have to live in those conditions.

While cleaning up, crew members urged homeless individuals to leave, but there are not enough beds in homeless shelters around the city to hold the number of individuals living in displacement.

The Public Health Department has never previously inspected those encampments.

Read full story: SFChronicle

Justice & Poverty, News
Justice & Poverty, News