Homeless Advocates Occupy San Francisco Buildings In Mass Squatting Effort (PHOTOS)

SAN FRANCISCO - Homeless advocacy group Homes Not Jails has teamed up with members of the Occupy San Francisco protest movement in a coordinated campaign to turn a number of vacant properties near San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood into makeshift homeless shelters.

After a Monday evening rally honoring World Homeless Day on the steps of City Hall, activists spread out to neighboring parts of the city and occupied a number of empty residential buildings. The buildings, all of which were targeted beforehand, contain approximately 700 housing units.

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One of the properties seized was the former Cathedral Hill Hotel on Van Ness Avenue. The 600-unit building has been closed since late 2009 and was being occupied by around 30 squatters. The group has also taken control of a couple apartment buildings on the 1000 block of Geary Street in the Tenderloin.

The Cathedral Hill Hotel is owned by the California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC), which plans to eventually build a $1.7 billion hospital on the site.

CPMC spokesman Kevin McCormack told the San Francisco Examiner he is concerned about the occupiers' safety. "It's pretty empty in there," he said. "A lot of fixtures and things have been taken out. They're going up on the roof and it can be unstable; that's a concern."

The protestors were allowed to stay in the building while the security guards on hand did a safety check of many of the rooms to make sure the building was still essentially inhabitable.

San Francisco Police Department Spokesperson Albie Esparza said that the department hasn't yet done anything to forcibly kick the occupiers out of the buildings. Those actions won't take place until representatives from the landlords file an official complaint.

The protest's organizers are quick to point out that, according to 2010 Census data, over 10,000 people go homeless on the streets of San Francisco every night and the city is currently home to 30,000 vacant housing units.

"You'll see people sleeping outside places that are completely habitable," protester and long-time squatter Matt Crain told the San Francisco Chronicle "We just accept the fact that profits are more important than people's comforts and people's lives."

Occupying buildings is a standard practice for Homes Not Jails. SF Weekly reports:

Homes Not Jails is a group that protests the lack of housing for homeless and low-income people by breaking into vacant buildings in San Francisco. They claim to have opened up hundreds of vacant buildings, giving homeless squatters a place to live since the organization was founded in 1992.

"For the most part, these types of protests are non-violent," said Esparza, "mainly they just want to get their message across. They rarely do anything that would hurt their cause and there's never any serious property damage."

As of early Tuesday afternoon, the squatters are still in control of the buildings on Geary; however, it's likely they vacated the CMPC-owned property early Tuesday morning. Although, officials on the scene said they had yet to do a thorough check of all the rooms in the hotel.

Meanwhile, across the bay, Occupy Oakland is just starting to gain momentum. After a group of about 500 protestors gathered for an assembly on Monday, a small encampment of 25 tents has sprung up in Frank Ogawa Plaza outside Oakland's City Hall and the protestors pledged to stay there for a long time to come.

Check out this slideshow of pictures from some of the occupied buildings:

 

 

Comments

[MrStat1]

01:37 PM on 10/12/2011

So much for the protests obeying the law. Exactly what I would expect from a bunch of Leftists.

[Irv George]

11:29 AM on 10/12/2011

one problem is squatters squatting.....
No water to these buildings,
no water = no flushing = PU = back to the streets and fresh air.

and don't be calling my TP for TP

[NoDoughDub]

09:13 PM on 10/11/2011

"One of the properties seized was the former Cathedral Hill Hotel on Van Ness Avenue. The 600-unit building has been closed since late 2009 and was being occupied by around 30 squatters."

has anybody checked with the 30 squatters to see if this was ok by them?

[m1jones]

08:56 PM on 10/11/2011

The Cathedral Hill Hotel was occupied as a hotel until about a year ago. It should be fairly safe. Most homeless people will pretty much destroy it quickly. But the point is well taken. I hope no one gets hurt. The alarm systems don't work when there is no electricity, and lot of homeless people smoke and do drugs. It is extremely dangerous to be staying in a high building which has been decommissioned.

[Sam Badger]

07:28 PM on 10/11/2011

Brilliant! The homeless are a part of this "99%" too ...

[ThinkinPerson]

06:57 PM on 10/11/2011

Seriously, I feel so embarrassed when I walk by homeless people sleeping in the warm sun, making up for a cold night. I can't imagine how its possible in our country.

With all these foreclosed buildings that WE already paid for, the Banks have been paid for, why are they selling at auction for $5,000, and other sweet deals for people with lots of money, instead of putting those properties to use in society. Like housing people with out housing.

I don't have all the answers. Just think about it. Millions and millions are spent on affordable housing. Well, if that money was taken down to the local auction, how many people could be housed?

This is the first time I've heard of something like this. I pray I will continue to have a roof over my head, but if I didn't again, like when I was first injured, I'd want to have someone fighting for fair housing since its so hard these days to find affordable housing.

[m1jones]

08:57 PM on 10/11/2011

We didn't have homeless people in California until Governor Ronald Regan closed the mental institutions where those with drug dependency and mental illness had been housed. Many people with drug dependencies suffer from mental illness.

[pciorlandosales]

06:38 PM on 10/11/2011

He He ... who knew? Homeless would be the new (in thing). :)

[catboycolo]

06:34 PM on 10/11/2011

Cool, first comment. My best thoughts and Karma to all those fighting the good fight! Thankyou- the 99...