San Francisco Did Not Use Tax Money To Buy Alcohol And Drugs For Homeless
The Claim
San Francisco used up to $150 million of state funds to help buy alcohol and cannabis for their homeless population.
News posted on
Emerging story
On March 9th, 2021, Twitter user Michele Perez Exner tweeted “San Francisco used up to $150 million of state funds to help buy alcohol and cannabis for their homeless population. Now, thanks to the Democrats’ “relief” bill, all American taxpayers will chip in to bail the city out.”
Her statement was retweeted more than one thousand times with many people in disbelief. It was also shared by Brit Hume, Sr. Political Analyst for Fox News, garnering thousands more likes and retweets.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s investigation found this claim to be fake. In March 2020, California established Project Roomkey as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic This program provides people who are experiencing homelessness and are recovering from COVID-19, or who have been exposed to COVID-19, a place to recuperate and properly quarantine outside of a hospital. According to USA Today, many of the rooms provided are vacant hotel rooms.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health says that alcohol, tobacco, medical cannabis, and other substances have been distributed in an effort to prevent a handful of people quarantined or isolating in city-leased hotels from going outside to get the substances themselves. However, San Francisco Department of Public Health told ABC7 News that the drugs and alcohol were paid for by private donations and individuals. The public funds only went to the actual hotel rooms. They also say that “the distribution of alcohol and tobacco to those in quarantine is not unique to San Francisco.”
After investigation, it seems that the homeless population in San Francisco is receiving drugs and alcohol while in quarantine in hotel rooms, but these substances are not funded by tax-payer money, rather by private donations and individuals.
