Politics & Government

Poll: What Should Be Done With San Bruno's Homeless?

One man says the homeless in the city, though few in number, have nowhere else to go but still get harassed and told they are not wanted in certain places. Are there other solutions?

Why doesn't San Bruno show more compassion toward its homeless population?

That was the issue one man raised during public comments at Tuesday's City Council meeting.

The man, named Paul—who declined to give his last name—said he was disappointed to find that the homeless people in San Bruno are often harassed by police officers, displaced from their belongings and not provided with enough opportunities for shelter.

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He suggested that a possible solution for getting the homeless off of city property and away from businesses is to provide temporary shelter for them on another piece of unused land. He said the former Lee's Buffet property, which has sat vacant for years, would be a good spot for the homeless to go.

All the city would have to do is provide a portable bathroom and trash can, and those who have fallen on hard times wouldn't bother anyone.

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According to a  in 2011, San Bruno only has 20 people that have been counted as homeless—a figure that has dropped by more than half since the last homeless survey in 2009.

The at St. Bruno's Church has a shelter, but it only has nine beds, and they are almost always full.

What should be done with the rest of them, Paul asked?

Share your thoughts in the poll.


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