Portsmouth Square, known as the “living room of Chinatown,” has been a vital area for outdoor activities and community engagement for over a hundred years. Recently, however, locals have expressed growing concerns about the rising number of homeless individuals in the square, leading to unease among elderly residents who frequent the area. This topic was brought to the forefront during a recent city council meeting where San Francisco Mayor London Breed addressed the community’s worries. She pointed out that the city has been actively confronting the homelessness crisis for the past three years, increasing investments in shelters and ensuring more homeless individuals are documented, receive treatment, and have access to recovery services. Mayor Breed expressed confidence that San Francisco is making positive strides.

However, she also noted the challenges that persist in addressing homelessness, revealing that some individuals are resistant to public services and refuse to enter shelters. “I know of at least one personable homeless individual in Chinatown who consistently declines assistance from the city,” she shared.

Furthermore, Mayor Breed mentioned that there are proactive proposals being considered at the state level. If these measures are approved, they would grant local law enforcement the ability to compel homeless individuals into shelters for necessary treatment. “Thirty percent of the homeless population accepts our services, but sixty percent refuse. Out of those, only ten percent manage to transition into stable housing,” she elaborated. She believes that equipping the city with stronger legal tools will enable more decisive actions towards supporting those grappling with mental health issues, ultimately making a greater impact on the homelessness crisis.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins also shared her insights on leading prosecutions for hate crimes and victim services. Since her appointment, she has established a victim services department, led by Nancy Tung, which focuses on recruiting Cantonese and Mandarin-speaking service providers. This initiative seeks to assist the community in responding to verbal and physical assaults related to hate crimes, while also educating residents on how to gather necessary evidence immediately after such incidents, and clarifying the differences between hate incidents and hate crimes.

During the city council meeting, both the district attorney’s office and the police department set up resource stations to support seniors, distributing materials aimed at raising awareness about crime prevention.

In her closing remarks, Mayor Breed reflected on the time before her official mayoral term, recalling the sudden loss of the city’s first Asian American mayor, Ed Lee. She spoke about the subsequent challenges posed by the pandemic and rising anti-Asian sentiment. “The city was under tremendous pressure, and our public policies and resources were unprepared,” she noted. “Nonetheless, I feel honored to work alongside the district attorney and sheriff to bring tangible change to our city. We’re celebrating the lowest crime rates we’ve seen in a decade, along with a consistently decreasing homeless population.”

Mayor Breed committed to ongoing bold changes, optimistic as the city shows signs of recovery and improvement. “San Francisco will only continue to get better from here,” she asserted.