Why are we petitioning?
We believe the city and state should be doing more about the homeless problem. We don’t believe it is up to individual citizens or businesses to tackle this problem.
Why now?
During COVID-19 the encampments in our neighborhood have hit an all time high. We should not have to sacrifice our well being and safety while the encampments grow and occupy public spaces. This effort has been a collaborative effort across the board; with the residents, the businesses community, and the workers who share a vested interest here. These groups working together have driven our catalyst for change.
Are we anti-tent?
We believe this term is easily misconstrued in the context of our petition. We believe every human deserves proper care and help. We believe accepting people living in tents on our streets is an unacceptable condition. We believe every human deserves a roof over their head.
Where will the people in the encampments go?
Our hope is they will be placed in facilities that provide the much needed care and attention that they need. A less than ethical and humane solution is unacceptable.
What is our stance on the police?
As citizens we are in a partnership with SFPD. Many of us have engaged with the department, filed reports, and have attended meetings with representatives. It’s our experience that the police are often not the appropriate division to cater to the encampment issues.
What is our thought on Lloyd being “bamboozled”?
For a good account of this ridiculousness, please see An Open Letter to Lloyd. On a lighter note, we see that just as recent as yesterday (on Nextdoor) Lloyd gave Stephen a smiley in response to a brief update and a reminder to continue to support Tent Free Zone.
What is our stance on the business boycott?
We believe boycotts are not conducive and argue that boycotts seldom contribute to social progress. Boycotts are a dangerous game. When vigorously pursued outcomes are usually unfavorable. The businesses we petitioned, after July 31st and during the recent media frenzy episode about “being bamboozled”, spoke favorably about our petition efforts and cause. You can read our thoughts on the Twitter Shitstorm that ignited the boycott here.