Small Businesses Consider Leaving San Francisco Due to Crime and Homelessness Issues
San Francisco, once a bustling hub for retail and small businesses, is facing problems that are driving entrepreneurs out of the city. While major retailers have already moved out of downtown San Francisco, small-business owners in the city are considering following suit. Crime, homelessness issues, and expensive council rules and regulations seem to be taking their toll on the city’s entrepreneurs.
Tacorea in Lower Nob Hill, which has earned a reputation as a hotspot for delicious Korean-Mexican fusion food, is one of several businesses that may soon be closing its doors. David Lee, the owner, says he’s about to throw in the towel. His latest frustration with the city is new regulations around the parklet he built during the pandemic. For years, the parklet was a lifeline to his business, but this week he decided to get rid of it. Lee said chronic problems with homelessness, outdoor drug use, and neighborhood crime have piled up and left him feeling overwhelmed.
Scuderia motorcycle and scooter shop in the Mission District is also moving out to the Dog Patch neighborhood. The owner, Greg McCord, said his store has been in the Mission neighborhood for over 30 years. Although the place has problems with homelessness, drugs, and some crime as well, he credits the city for recent efforts to deal with these issues. McCord said he has seen improvements in the last six months and hopes that these improvements continue throughout the entire city.
The problem of homelessness and crime in San Francisco has been going on for years and seems to have intensified during the pandemic. Homelessness in the city has risen by 17% since 2019, and it has been estimated that there are now around 8,000 homeless people in San Francisco. Illegal drug use is also rampant in the city, with over 700 unsheltered drug users in one area alone.
The situation has become so dire that even tourists are avoiding San Francisco. The city’s tourism industry has taken a massive hit, with an estimated 61% decrease in hotel occupancy in 2020 and a decline of nearly $8 billion in tourism revenue. The exodus of businesses from the city will only make things worse, as it will lead to more job losses, less economic activity, and reduced tax revenues.
Possible solutions to this crisis include increasing affordable housing, expanding mental health services, and improving the city’s infrastructure. There are several grants available to small businesses that are struggling, and the San Francisco Office of Small Business also claims to have other grants available that could help entrepreneurs in the bubble.
In conclusion, the problems facing San Francisco’s small businesses are complex and interconnected. Homelessness, crime, and drug abuse are a few of the issues that need to be addressed before the city can begin to recover. However, with ongoing efforts and support, small businesses in the city may be able to stay afloat.
Summary:
Small businesses in San Francisco are considering leaving the city due to problems with crime, homelessness, and expensive council rules. Tacorea, known for its Korean-Mexican fusion food, is one of several businesses that may soon close its doors. Chronic problems with homelessness, outdoor drug use, and neighborhood crime have left business owners feeling overwhelmed. Additionally, homelessness in the city has risen by 17% since 2019, and illegal drug use is rampant. The crisis has affected the city’s tourism industry and has led to job losses, reduced economic activity, and less tax revenue. Possible solutions to this crisis include increasing affordable housing, expanding mental health services, and improving the city’s infrastructure. There are grants available to struggling small businesses, and the San Francisco Office of Small Business claims to have other grants available that could help entrepreneurs in the bubble.
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Major retailers have moved out of downtown San Francisco, but now some small business owners say they are considering moving as well.
Crime, homelessness issues, and expensive council rules and regulations seem to be taking their toll.
Tacorea in lower Nob Hill has earned a reputation as a hotspot, serving delicious Korean-Mexican fusion food. But owner David Lee says he’s about to throw in the towel.
“I’m planning to close shop probably around December. I’m over it,” she said.
His latest frustration with the city is the new regulations around the parklet he built during the pandemic.
It obtained a long list of requirements from the SFMTA to bring it into post-pandemic code.
For years it was a lifeline to his business, but this week he decided to get rid of it.
“I just decided we were going to take it apart. So the night before, I told the guys to keep it open. And sure enough, there’s a guy there, with no pants on,” Lee said.
In a security camera video he shared, a homeless person can be seen in the parklet as the contractor dismantles it piece by piece.
Lee said chronic problems with homelessness, outdoor drug use and neighborhood crime have piled up.
Earlier this year, her store was broken into and thieves stole her cash register and an iPad she uses to place orders.
He obtained a $1,000 small business vandalism grant from the city. But he said he’s at his breaking point.
According to the San Francisco Office of Small Business, there are no clear numbers on how many small businesses have closed in the city since the start of the pandemic.
But they say they have other grants available that could possibly help those in the bubble. They also say they can help small businesses navigate city red tape.
In the Mission District, the Scuderia motorcycle and scooter shop is moving. But the owner says it will be in a larger space in the Dog Patch neighborhood.
“There’s a company called Brookefield Construction that’s renovating a lot of these old steel fabrication buildings,” owner Greg McCord said. “And so we’re moving into the first one that they’ve completed.”
McCord says the Mission neighborhood, where his store has been for more than 30 years, also has problems with homelessness, drugs and some crime.
But he credits the city for recent efforts to deal with those problems. He said that he has seen improvements in the last six months.
He said he and his employees will miss the Mission and hope the improvements continue throughout the city.
Small business owners frustrated with crime, homelessness, consider leaving San Francisco
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