"But amid the buzz and fanfare, a darker cloud looms - as the booming tech region makes space for these visitors to sprawl, its unhoused communities are being driven further to the sidelines. "It's all about the optics," said Todd Langton, executive director of Agape Silicon Valley, a volunteer-based organization designed to serve unhoused people throughout San Jose. "It's about getting from the clean airport to the nice stadium and checking out the restaurants and hotels downtown.""
"Just last year, Louisiana ordered an emergency declaration to relocate people living on the streets near the Superdome ahead of Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. Before then, both Los Angeles in 2022 and Atlanta in 2019 came under fire for similar "homeless sweeps." Even in 2016, San Francisco - Super Bowl 50's unofficial host city - also faced controversy for displacing unhoused communities, namely near the Moscone Center,"
Tens of thousands of fans will visit the Bay Area for Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, with major fan events centered in San Francisco and efforts by nearby cities, including San Jose, to attract visitors. As host cities prepare for visitors, local authorities and private interests prioritize sanitized public areas, resulting in displacement of unhoused people from high-traffic zones. Volunteer organizations like Agape Silicon Valley report that removals focus on optics and tourist routes. Prior Super Bowls prompted emergency relocations and criticized homeless sweeps in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and San Francisco, pushing unhoused communities to the sidelines.
Read at Truthout
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