Are you suggesting that an American city could socialize a large chunk of its private real estate with the stroke of a pen or that landlords are waiting for some legal change to turn their office/retail space into homeless shelters and needle exchanges?

The 5th Amendment of the US Constitution specifically permits eminent domain with "just compensation" so yes an American city could take a large chunk of its private real estate under eminent domain and put it to "public use". Converting vacant office buildings into homeless shelters would absolutely count as a "public use".

Buying some of the most expensive real estate in the world with “just compensation” seems like it’s more than a stroke of a pen.

Further, the court cases this will bring will take _forever_ because one side will be extremely well funded and the other side will be the city of San Francisco. Not the stroke of a pen.

Boston has done it, I worked with an affordable housing group that worked on this stuff. The difference was these were largely undeveloped lots, not office buildings.

That seems like a big distinction…

I'm not sure if that was sarcasm (especially the part with needle exchange), but it is San Francisco so yes, it could.

I would rather free housing go to people in need who work for a living

Why not? Theyve laid waste to hundreds of thousands of homes to build freeways with a stroke of a pen before.

No. The problem is deeper than that. Adding more housing and more services will help but don't kid yourself into thinking that these things are free or that they will magically make the problems disappear. People will still be on drugs. People will still have mental health problems. People will still commit crimes. The amount of work required is bigger than any writing implement can accomplish.

With just a little initiative, the whole city could be like the TL.

You mean the stroke of a pen and a massive amount of money (to buy the buildings, convert them to the legal standards for such spaces, manage the buildings, manage the programs, etc, etc.).

Induced demand just like roads.

While well intentioned, this would tank commercial and residential occupancy further, and SF is a uniquely bad location for that approach.

Sounds like a dream for a drug addict. Do heroin all day, get clean needles, breakfast and a place to sleep

Wow what a great original idea. Let's just turn the whole city into an unlivable hellscape like the Tenderloin!

Nope. after this even more people would move into SF increasing the homeless population and the demand for low income housing. Or do you actually believe that the majority of homeless people in SF grew up there?