SF homeless, activists camp out to protest tent sweeps

The Coalition on Homelessness holds a demonstration at the Powell Street cable car turnaround — a campout to protest the city’s tent sweeps. The Coalition on Homelessness holds a demonstration at the Powell Street cable car turnaround — a campout to protest the city’s tent sweeps. Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close SF homeless, activists camp out to protest tent sweeps 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

It seemed like everyone had a place to be — except him.

Darby Carroll stood on Market Street with his dog, Tall Boy. Streetlights flickered on one by one, and rain misted Market Street. Commuters huddled at bus stops. The 25-year-old unfurled a sleeping bag on the sidewalk. Home was in Jacksonville, Fla., and he had nowhere here to stay. But this time, at least, he had company.

Dozens of homeless people and activists layered Hallidie Plaza in sleeping bags Thursday night to protest the city’s tent sweeps and find solace in one another. The holidays are often the hardest times — many have no family or friends to join for dinner. So volunteers passed out trays of sandwiches, quinoa salad and steaming cups of coffee. Later in the evening, they planned to offer haircuts, movie screenings and live music.

“People have a tendency to look at the worst tweaker on Mid-Market during an afternoon and associate that with all of us,” Carroll said. “I’m just like anyone else. I want to make friends and go see movies and have a home. We all want to be loved and understood. I’m feeling that here.”

The event was last held in 2014, said Kelley Cutler, one of the event’s organizers. She guided volunteers carrying aluminum pans of dinner rolls under a canopy. She wasn’t sure how many people would show up, but she hoped they would get a good night’s sleep knowing they were in a safe place.

“We just want folks to come together,” she said. “A lot of them have been homeless for a long time. It’s punishing for them. We want to support them and show that they aren’t alone. We care about them, even when the city doesn’t seem to.”

Public Works’ daily encampment removal is inhumane during winter rains, Cutler said. The organizers and participants planned to stay in the square — near the Powell Street BART Station and cable car turnaround — until 6 a.m.

City officials have long been criticized for their inability to quickly house the homeless and for removing their tent villages. In the past week, though, Supervisors Aaron Peskin and Hillary Ronen have pledged to turn properties in each of their districts into Navigation Centers.

It’s a start, said Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness. More than 1,100 adults remain on wait lists for shelter beds, and the average shelter wait-time for families is 111 days, she said.

“The ongoing criminalization of poor and homeless people serves only to exacerbate existing addictions and mental health issues, while doing nothing to place people in stable housing,” said Sam Lew, policy director for the Coalition on Homelessness.

Shy Brown of Oakland is one of the success stories. Friedenbach wrapped her in a hug, asking how the 36-year-old was enjoying the Navigation Center near Civic Center Plaza. Brown moved in two weeks ago. It’s the first time she has been off the streets for years.

The answer: OK, for now, she said. Brown moved from Oakland for a relationship. But domestic violence ended it and put her on the streets, she said. Now she’s rebuilding her life. On Thursday, she planned to sleep on the streets with her homeless cohorts, even though a warm bed was waiting less than a mile away.

“It means a hell of a lot to me to see everyone here,” Brown said. “Homelessness is an epidemic that has been going on for so long. I’ve seen people die out here. For me, spending a night on the ground is worth it to honor them. I’ve learned how to sleep in the heat, in the wind, in the rain. What’s one more night?”

Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn