Miguel Morato Ventura, a local teacher on his break near Mission and 15th streets, reflected on how the Mission has changed in the three years he has lived here.
“It’s more dangerous, and the situation with homeless people is worse. The community has changed a lot,” he said.
“It’s not a poor person problem. It’s about untreated mental health and addiction,” said Ventura.
“It’s really uncomfortable, sometimes, to live and work in this district. … In the 16th and 24th areas, there are always conflicts and problems. Somebody should always be there.”
That was evident on Friday morning.
At 9:49 a.m., San Francisco Homeless Outreach Team workers spoke with eight people hanging out on Caledonia Street with their two dogs. Workers wore bright green jackets and carried black backpacks labeled with the organization’s name.
By 10:04 a.m., all but two had moved on, and a Department of Public Works employee waited for the two men still there to move their belongings before driving onto Caledonia Street to pressure wash it.
On Julian Avenue, police and DPW employees blocked off traffic with cones while workers pressure-washed the sidewalks. When asked about the cones, a DPW worker said, “We want to get this area clean while respecting traffic and cars. It’s safer like this, but some still want to try to get in.”
Near the 16th Street entrance to Julian Avenue, a single person sat with belongings near Mission National Bank.
At 10 a.m. on Wiese Street, a Public Works street sweeper exited, made a U-turn, and returned to clean. The street was clear of pedestrians.
At the northeast 16th Street plaza, an SUV cruiser was parked near the BART elevator. A vendor sold coffee and baked sweets nearby.
At 10:05 a.m., at the southwest 16th Street plaza, the Mobile Command Two unit remained, but no other police cruisers were at the plaza. About six people sat on the plaza steps, and the plaza looked clean.
At 10:18 a.m., Capp Street had one person seated on the ground beside a wheelchair stacked with belongings. A woman paid for parking nearby as a couple of box trucks parked along the side of the street.
