Charles Payne reacts to San Francisco's 'disastrous' 'hotels for homeless' program
Charles Payne provides insight to San Francisco's program to provide empty hotels to the homeless to curb COVID-19
San Francisco Police arrested two individuals Saturday for running a meth lab out of a San Francisco hotel that is part of the city’s Alternative Housing program for homeless people during the coronavirus pandemic, according to local news outlet KTVU.
A front desk worker at the Civic Center Motor Inn confirmed that the drug bust happened on Saturday but declined to comment further. A manager was not available.
The San Francisco Police Department said officers were dispatched to the hotel at 2:30 PM “regarding a strong chemical odor emanating from a guest room.”
SAN FRANCISCO REPORTER DETAILS 'DISASTER' OF CITY'S 'HOTELS FOR HOMELESS' PROGRAM
“Officers conducted an investigation and discovered chemicals known to make narcotics, which were isolated to one guest room,” an SFPD spokesperson told Fox News in a statement. “Two adults were arrested for narcotics related charges, some of which are possession of controlled substances, possession of controlled substances for sales, manufacturing controlled substances, and conspiracy.”
KTVU reported that the hotel is taking part in San Francisco’s Alternative Housing program, which was created to temporarily shelter the city’s most vulnerable populations, many of which are homeless. The city also houses many frontline workers through the program.
"I would like for the government to have a bit more of monitoring of the space,” a man who works at a nearby business told KTVU. "If you are housing people that are not there with a security deposit or anything that makes them liable, liability is key."
It’s unclear if the two individuals who were arrested Saturday were a part of the city’s alternative housing program, but multiple reviews for the hotel on travel websites describe a seedy atmosphere where drugs have openly been sold and used in recent years.
One reviewer who stayed in May of last year said “a bunch of shady people” in the parking lot looked “like they were dealing something.” Another person who stayed in May 2018 said “drug dealers were living in next room (sic).” And another reviewer who stayed there in September 2018 said his partner “saw a drug deal take place on the property.”
According to the San Francisco government, more than 80 hotels expressed interest in being a part of the Alternative Housing program and 1,895 hotel rooms are currently occupied occupied by vulnerable populations.
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City Journal contributor Erica Sandberg told Fox News last month that the program has been a "disaster" for the city.
"You are talking drug-fueled parties, overdoses, deaths, people are being assaulted. You have sexual assaults going on, it is pandemonium," she told "Tucker Carlson Tonight." "It is extremely bad and it needs to stop."
The Mayor's office and the city's Department of Emergency Management did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
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