Homelessness Drops 22%, Parklets Mature Beyond Pandemic Origins

The San Francisco Public Works Commission met May 14 for a compact but data-rich session, headlined by sharp declines in street homelessness and a detailed look at how the city's pandemic-born parklet program is evolving under competitive pressure from free sidewalk seating. Three commissioners were present; Commissioner Paul Woolford had a planned absence.

• Unsheltered homelessness falls 22% with 1,000 fewer people on the streets and an 85% drop in tents, per the 2025 Point-in-Time Count

• 400 parklets now fully compliant citywide, but demand is shifting as Mayor Lurie's free sidewalk seating program draws businesses away

• Public Works to host 33 volunteer greening events across all 11 supervisorial districts for SF's 250th anniversary on July 11

• Terry Francois Boulevard bike and pedestrian safety corridor completed with concrete-barrier-protected lanes

• Consent calendar approved 3-0, including three as-needed engineering and environmental services contracts

Deputy Director Bruce Robertson, filling in for the director, shared preliminary findings from the 2025 Point-in-Time Count conducted Jan. 29. The numbers are the most encouraging the city has seen in years: 1,000 fewer people living unsheltered, a 22% decline, and an 85% reduction in tents compared to the 2024 count. Overall homelessness dropped 4%.