Published on Feb 10, 2017
The San Francisco Bay Area’s tech economy has fueled an economic boom, yet tens of thousands of people are homeless in the region. In San Francisco, the problem is highly visible, with tent cities along sidewalks and under freeways. Head south, though, to San Jose in the heart of Silicon Valley, and it’s a much more hidden problem. The homeless live in cars, trailers, and along creeks at the bottom of steep embankments away from public view. Our series of ongoing stories examines how cities are handling the issue, from San Francisco mayor Ed Lee’s suggestion that the homeless would have to leave the streets before the Superbowl came to town…to what happened following San Jose’s nationally-publicized closure of the notorious homeless encampment known as The Jungle. In our coverage we speak with those who live on the streets, those who serve the homeless and those tasked with addressing the problem.