San Francisco APEC summit: Homeless people lose sky as roof after 'clean up' efforts

Before the US President Joe Biden met Chinese leader Xi Jinping at Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation's venue in San Francisco, the city removed thousands of homeless people from encampments near the summit.

In 2022, San Francisco's homeless population reached approximately 7,750 individuals, with 57 per cent residing outside officially sanctioned shelters, according to theofficial figures. Furthermore, drug abuse remains rampant, notably in San Francisco's UN Plaza, situated just 1.6km (1 mile) from the Moscone Centre, the venue of the APEC summit.

Notably, this area reported more overdoses annually from 2018 to 2022 than any other block anywhere in the city.

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Despite efforts to clear unhoused individuals from the vicinity of the upcoming summit, homeless individuals remained present on Tuesday, a day before Presidents Biden and Xi Jinping met during the summit.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, a potential future presidential contender who met Xi during a visit to Beijing in October, acknowledged the perception of addressing homelessness in preparation for the APEC summit.

"I know folks say, 'Oh, they’re just cleaning up this place because all these fancy leaders are coming into town.' That’s true because it’s true," Newsom said.

The governor, however, insisted the removals were part of the broader "Clean California" project that has moved some 3,300 encampments since 2021.

More world leaders are visitingSan Francisco for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit this week than at any time since 1945 when 50 world dignitaries met to establish the United Nations, South China Morning Post reported.

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Thousandsof California Highway Patrol personnel are lining the streets of San Francisco’s downtown area and metal barricades stretch for several blocks to help with pedestrian management.

The city’s homelessness and supportive housing department said in a statement that it is notexpanding its shelter capacity during the APEC summitbut would allocate funding for 300 new beds due to winter.

(With inputs from agencies)