San Francisco plans to clear homeless residents from SoMa neighborhood
Notices have been posted in the SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco warning unhoused people that they will be cleared from the area on Tuesday.
It says Public Works and San Francisco Police will ask them to move permanently and that outreach and housing services will be provided.
Ashley Brown is one of many people in the area struggling with homelessness and another move.
"Hard, way rough," said Brown of her experience being homeless in the Bay Area. "Way worse than where I originally came from."
Things are about to change for Brown, she's getting housing in just a matter of days.
"I'm beyond excited," Brown exclaimed. "This will be my first apartment by myself. It took me eight years, eight years to even get a voucher for my housing."
She's bounced around a lot during that time, and with the notice to clean up this area, she'll have to move one more time.
"Honestly stressful because then I have to turn around and hustle or somehow get the money for three days in a hotel and the cheapest is $60," said Brown about what she'll do next.
She doesn't have a job, but she's trying to find a way to make that money.
"I went and got this stuff to try and sell to make money," Brown said as she pulled jars of peanut butter and rice cakes from a duffle bag. "It's not the easiest to go and get stuff like this to try and get your rent every day."
San Francisco outreach officers were already in the area, talking to people living on the streets, offering them help, and asking them to move. One man walked across the street, towards 5th Street and away from the signs that notify people about the cleanup.
Amber Jordan was just seeing the notice for the first time.
"You can clean up this spot but then where are they supposed to go," Kordan questioned. "It's taking too long to get people inside."
She's been homeless for years and says it's unsettling to constantly have to move.
"Yeah, yeah it is, because you never get the chance to have a foundation," said Jordan. "Your stuff is always getting taken and you always have to move around all your stuff with you so you can't really ever do anything."
Brown is confident she'll get through this last move, and she hopes the community will treat unhoused people with more compassion.
"We're all not bad," Brown explained. "Honestly, we're really not. A lot of us are the most kind giving, generous people."