Column: Newsom and mayors meet to discuss homelessness. Have we hit rock bottom? | Photo by Sarah Lazaroff for CityLab
When CityLab talked to mayoral candidates and officials in early June, CityLab’s editors were focused on three questions: City Hall is in disarray, the city is in deep trouble, and San Francisco needs to build a more resilient economy. CityLab has since expanded its focus to include a range of topics and people. Among the topics: The state of homelessness, the death of public radio, the rise of Amazon, the importance of local journalism, and the role of government in education and health care.
CityLab’s editors have gotten to know Mayor London Breed, Mayor London Breed, Mayor London Breed, and CityLab’s editor at large, Jennifer Zuccarelli, a little better in the last few months, and we’re pleased to present the following, edited excerpts from an interview with Mayor Breed, which was conducted on July 12.
Jennifer Zuccarelli: What’s changed between the time you were running for office and now? What changes do you see in the city that you would like to see?
London Breed: Over the past three years, I think we’ve come a lot further than we thought. I think we’ve come a lot further. In terms of the homeless crisis and the budget, we still have a ways to go. We’re working really hard to identify exactly what’s broken in our system. The city is in a really difficult place. But we’re on the right track.
I’ve been pretty critical of many aspects of the city’s homeless system. But I recognize that the city is trying to do the right thing. This is a place where the homeless are so marginalized. They’re such marginalized members of our society, and we’ve got to treat them with the compassion and respect that they deserve. I think we’re making progress. This is a long struggle.
Zuccarelli: I spoke to a homeless person who was really angry. I asked him, “What’s changed between the time you were running for office and now?”
Breed: