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Here Are Some Troubling Stats About Homeless People Living Right Outside Twitter's Headquarters In San Francisco

Jan 17, 2014, 22:21 IST

Over the last year or so, tension have been rising between the tech industry and everyday people in San Francisco.

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Back in December, protestors stopped both an Apple bus and a Google bus in San Francisco that shuttle employees from the city to their respective campuses in Silicon Valley. That's because people are upset that wealthy tech people have driven up the price of housing in San Francisco so non-tech workers can't afford to live there.

Meanwhile, we see some tech people bashing San Francisco's homeless population and the city itself, saying that the city has been overrun by "crazy, homeless, drug dealers, and trash..."

In San Francisco, there are 6,436 homeless people and a little over half of them live on the street. In 2011, there were 6,455, according to the San Francisco Human Services Agency.

And it turns out that nearly half (44%) are in the Tenderloin and South of Market areas, right near Twitter's headquarters on Market Street.
Tom Foremski/Silicon Valley WatcherIn San Francisco, 63% of the homeless population have a mental illness, addiction, or a physical injury.
Tom Foremski/Silicon Valley Watcher40% of homeless people in San Francisco were already homeless before coming to the city. Some (17%) came looking for work, and 14% said they came for social services.
Tom Foremski/Silicon Valley WatcherWhile a lot of San Francisco's homeless population is basically located right outside Twitter, the company is still reaping the benefits of its massive tax break, which cost the city about $56 million.
Tom Foremski/Silicon Valley WatcherNow, evictions are going up and rent prices are increasing in San Francisco.
Tom Foremski/Silicon Valley WatcherEvictions have also led some people to set up shop elsewhere.
Tom Foremski/Silicon Valley WatcherAlso on Twitter's street are plenty of adult film theaters and shops.
Tom Foremski/Silicon Valley WatcherThere's also some abandoned theaters - The Strand opened as a Vaudeville theater in 1917. Before it shut down, it served as a bingo parlor, a movie theater, porn theater, and more recently, a residence for squatters.
Tom Foremski/Silicon Valley WatcherA lot of people have been wondering what the tech industry should do to help make San Francisco a great place for everyone. Well, there's at least one startup trying to help the homeless population. HandUp launched its pilot program back in August to help homeless people receive donations via text or email. There are currently 100 people in the program, HandUp founder Rose Broome tells Business Insider. The largest single donation to date is $700, and it went to a four-person family.
Tom Foremski/Silicon Valley WatcherBut despite any efforts by tech startups, the city still has a ban on sitting and lying on sidewalks.
Tom Foremski/Silicon Valley WatcherAnd people are getting pushed off Market and into Hayes Valley, a nearby neighborhood.
Tom Foremski/Silicon Valley Watcher

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