RV residents are sometimes able to avoid pricey tickets in San Francisco, but those along Winston Drive in San Francisco have recently relocated to avoid receiving such tickets from the city. ABC7 News spoke to these residents, who expressed feelings of displacement without any significant housing assistance.
Many RV owners decided to spread out to nearby areas like Lake Merced Boulevard and Skyline Boulevard rather than move their vehicles every four hours to dodge the new ticketing measures. One such RV resident, Angela, a mother of two, explained to ABC7, "We haven't gotten tickets, because we moved before they started ticketing," she said.
The city provided RV residents with three options: a shelter, a month of free rent followed by responsibility for future rent, or leaving San Francisco altogether. "The city worker who came here said ... the city would pay for us to fly there and leave," Angela recounted. "I don't have family members anywhere else, and I wouldn't want to do that."
The intensifying measures to manage homelessness in San Francisco are not limited to ticketing RVs. Mayor London Breed recently announced the "Journey Home Executive Directive," aimed at relocating more homeless individuals to reunite with family members outside the city. This directive prioritizes relocation services over housing and shelters, per Hoodline. The expanded initiative includes comprehensive support and builds on previous efforts like the Homeward Bound program. Data from the 2024 Point-in-Time Count indicates a significant influx of homeless individuals from other counties or states.
San Francisco's "very aggressive" strategy has also led to several contentious homeless encampment sweeps, supported by a Supreme Court decision that expands cities' powers to dismantle such encampments. City workers began implementing Mayor Breed’s orders allegedly without prior notice to encampment residents, including a large-scale operation under the Central Freeway, wherein one SFPD officer was filmed telling a homeless individual, "London Breed, the mayor, Gov. Gavin Newsom say no more [inaudible] in the street. No more encampments. It's no more."
A later sweep took place in the Tenderloin district, where Encampment Resolutions Teams cleared 27 tents and removed truckloads of items. While city officials claim shelter offers were made, the homeless community recounted a more disorienting experience, leading to further criticisms from advocacy groups.
The Coalition on Homelessness criticized the city for not finding proper solutions for these families. "It's been four years of Winston Drive residents. They are vehicularly housed families who have trusted the city to find a safe parking site, and there has been a lack of political will," said Luke Illa from the Coalition on Homelessness.
In a statement, the SFMTA explained, "The MTA Board approved 4-hour daytime time limits in September 2023 to support parking availability for SF State and Lowell High School faculty, staff, and students. City streets are public space, and we need to manage the sharing of that curb-space. We have delayed enforcement for almost a year. HSH believes they have reached 100% of inhabited vehicles in the area, but please connect with them on outreach specifics."
As more RVs park near a community center on Skyline Boulevard, residents are beginning to take notice with mixed reactions. "It is frightening to have all these people parked here," said Joane Landon. Conversely, Cher Delamere expressed sympathy, saying, "I'm very sympathetic to these people."
San Francisco officials have indicated that they are exploring options for a safe parking lot for these RV dwellers, but no plan has been finalized yet.
