SAN FRANCISCO—An estimate of 24 boulders were placed along a sidewalk on Clinton Park in San Francisco in an effort by residents to get the homeless away. Hoodline.com reported the boulders first appeared in the region several weeks ago.
Neighbors claim the placement of the boulders are to keep drug users from the area. Residents chipped in a few hundred dollars to place boulders along the sidewalk. David Smith-Tan informed KTUV that the homeless “shoot up & stay overnight.”
After meeting to discuss a solution to the issue, neighbors collected funds to purchase about two dozen large boulders. While residents have admitted to financially backing the purchase of the boulders, no details on who physically transported the boulders to the sidewalk has been revealed.
The San Francisco Public Works Department have publicly spoken out to say that they are not responsible for the boulders. A spokesperson for the Public Works Department indicated that the city has no plans to remove the boulders because they are not blocking the sidewalk.
“An unknown source? It’s the City and the Dept. of Public Works! This is blatant #HostileArchitecture and #AntiHomelessDesign. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on putting ugly boulders on a sidewalk, why not spend it on housing, healthcare and shelter?
It’s clear that our public officials are more invested in getting homeless people out of the public eye than they are at seriously addressing the root causes of homelessness,” posted the Coalition on Homelessness via their Facebook page.
In the past, the use of boulders to deter homeless encampment was initially adopted by the city. The city placed large boulders under freeway underpasses as a sign to homeless residents that they are not allowed to camp in the location.
Written By Erick Soto and Emanuel Trujillo
