The first legal camp for the homeless was built near San Francisco City Hall

Video footage shows the first camp for the homeless in San Francisco with places for 50 tents between which the recommended distance for social distance is maintained, writes The Daily Mail.

Photo: video frame YouTube / RT

The first sanctioned camp has opened in San Francisco, which can accommodate 50 homeless people. It was opened after the locals complained for years about makeshift tents that filled the sidewalks of the city. After years of struggling to support the homeless in San Francisco, city officials set up Safe Sleeping Village at McDonald's unoccupied parking lot near City Hall.

The pandemic, which brought most of the homeless out of shelters, caused the disease to more than 76 Californians and already killed 000 people. In the United States, more than 3200 million cases and at least 1,5 deaths have been reported.

The mayor of London Breed first announced new camps on May 6, intending to place one of them near the city hall and, ultimately, go to other affected areas.

In photographs taken from drones, at least 5 rows of tents are visible inside the parking lot, surrounded by a fence from a chain-link. Tent spaces are evenly spaced from each other and clearly marked to comply with the guidelines for social distance introduced during the coronavirus pandemic.

“While in normal times I would say we should be focusing on getting people into shelters rather than authorizing tents, we honestly don't have any other options right now,” Mayor Breed said on Twitter. “Having places with resources in the neighborhood serving people is better than an unauthorized encampment.”

To accommodate themselves in the camp, homeless residents registered in the City in turn. These residents are allowed to enter and leave the camp at any time. The mayor announced that a second site would soon be created.

Photo: video frame YouTube / RT

Homelessness remains a constant problem in some California cities, but San Francisco has become a hotbed for campgrounds and temporary residents. In May, in Tenderloin County, San Francisco, the number of tents increased by 300% during the coronavirus pandemic. The number of tents and temporary shelters installed on the sidewalks increased by 71%.

Near the first "homeless village" there were reportedly about 90 tents pitched just a few days ago. Residents complained that this made the streets "unsanitary, unsafe and often impassable."

Locals, businesses, and the University of California College of Law at Hastings sued San Francisco to remove needles and human waste scattered across the streets.

On the subject: 'Many will not survive the spring': how big cities try to help the homeless during a pandemic

Tenderloin has more children, older people and vulnerable groups relative to the total population than in any other area of ​​the city. Residents fear that a virus is raging next to them.

But those homeless people who are lucky enough to find a place in Safe Sleeping Village are grateful.

“We never had a place to stay where we could be safe and have our own tents,” said homeless man Roger Boyd.

Although COVID-19 ravaged America, Boyd said the pandemic really helped many of San Francisco's homeless population.

“This whole COVID-19 thing has been almost a godsend for many of us. We are used to constantly losing our things. I lose my things at least once a month, I talk to my socks. It’s good to have something almost stable,” he said.

Photo: video frame YouTube / RT

Nick, another homeless person in the camp, repeated this statement.

“For the first time since I became homeless, none of my belongings were stolen. There are challenges, but overall I think people are trying to help each other so we don't get sick or die,” Nick said.

Most lawyers would prefer the homeless to be accommodated in hotel rooms amid a coronavirus, but officials see Safe Sleeping Village as a temporary alternative.

Jennifer Free Edenbach, executive director of the Homelessness Coalition, said: “We want everyone to be offered hotel rooms, but since it is moving very slowly, if the city continues to make people sleep on the sidewalks, they should at least have basic sanitation Hygiene services and sleep in places where they can be at a distance. "

City officials moved nearly 1000 homeless people into hotel rooms and 120 people into trailers or vans. Another 165 people were sent to shelters.

Photo: video frame YouTube / RT

Supervisor Matt Haney from District 6, which controls Safe Sleeping Village, supports the project, but would like homeless residents to be sent to hotel rooms.

“I'm not sure these safe sleeping facilities are any simpler, let alone cheaper, to install than moving people into hotel rooms,” Haney said. “The amount of energy, resources, personnel they put into creating a venue for 50 people in tents is enormous.”

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In April, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to provide 8250 hotel rooms instead of shelters. 7000 of these rooms were used to house the homeless, and the overall plan cost $ 60 million per month.

Officials emphasize that Safe Sleeping Village is not a permanent solution to the city’s current problems with a homeless population.

“Safe Sleeping Village is a temporary approach and these areas will be returned to their previous state once lockdown rules are lifted. The city will continue to work on long-term, safe solutions for people experiencing homelessness,” city spokesman Jonathan Streeter said.

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