San Francisco homeless man says city practically pays him to remain homeless
‘San Fransicko’ author Michael Shellenberger discusses the homeless crisis in California and how to solve it.
A San Francisco man says the city practically pays him to be homeless as California residents continue to speak out in fear of the crime plaguing their communities.
"If you’re going to be homeless—it’s pretty f------ easy here," said the homeless man in a video posted to Twitter. In the clip, the man said he feels the police are like his "neighbors" and that he is remaining homeless entirely "by choice."
"I mean, if we’re going to be realistic, they pay you to be homeless here," the man added.
VENICE BEACH RESIDENTS BLAST LOS ANGELES OFFICIALS OVER CRIME, HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT SAFETY CONCERNS
"San Fransicko" author Michael Shellenberger joined "Fox & Friends" Friday, and revealed that he interviewed hundreds of homeless people across the country, including the man depicted in the video. Shellenberger said the man revealed he receives $620 a month in cash welfare as well as $200 a month in food stamps.
"People are attracted to San Francisco because it offers the most generous benefits," Shellenberger told "Fox & Friends" co-host Will Cain.
The author added that the man confessed to trading food stamps for cash. The man also admitted that he bought fentanyl and sold it to a 15 and 16-year-old. Shellenberger called the man’s actions "pretty common behavior" of the homeless in the California city.
Meanwhile, as homelessness skyrockets under California leadership, many residents have called out their city officials over unsafe living conditions. In Venice Beach, one concerned parent sounded the alarm on crime and claimed the city may be liable for failing to enforce laws related to overnight encampments.
During an appearance on "America’s Newsroom," Matt Stayner said that his family has begun to feel unsafe living near the encampments after his son was stabbed by a homeless man while riding the Metro. His son has since recovered, but Stayner said his boy was lucky that two sheriffs were nearby during the incident, given the recent lack of police presence in the area.
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"It was a huge mistake for us to defund the police here. We don’t have enough people on the street to help us out and crime has really surged," Stayner told Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino.
The California father added that the absence of police has "really been painful" for Venice Beach residents, noting that a nearby park has endured open drug use, a recent shooting, and a sexual assault.
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