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Thursday, March 28, 2024

California's stay-at-home order leaves homeless vulnerable

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California's stay-at-home order leaves homeless vulnerable
California's stay-at-home order leaves homeless vulnerable

San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston donated $10,000 of his own money to help house the homeless during California's shelter-in-place order.

Chris Dignam has more.

While Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered California's 40 million residents to stay at home, the state's estimated 108,000 homeless are unable to comply.

Newsom has ordered $50 million be used to convert the state's now mostly empty motels and hotels into shelters where homeless people could be isolated.

But, in San Francisco, one city supervisor isn't waiting around for the funds.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) SAN FRANCISCO DISTRICT 5 SUPERVISOR DEAN PRESTON, SAYING: "We are not willing to wait more days, more weeks - however long its going to take - for the city to do this." San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston partnered with a nonprofit organization in the city to raise money to pay for hotel rooms for the homeless - such as this one at the Oasis hotel for $80 a night, all funded by private donations including $10,000 from Preston himself.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) SAN FRANCISCO DISTRICT 5 SUPERVISOR DEAN PRESTON, SAYING: "If we only had a couple thousand rooms available then the city’s approach would make sense, but we have an estimated 30,000 hotel rooms sitting vacant.” Meanwhile, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said city recreational vehicles are being brought to the Presidio, a public park on a former military base, to house homeless needing to quarantine.

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