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The Bay

One Neighborhood’s Strategy For Curbing Homelessness? Turn Off the Library Wi-Fi

Ericka Cruz GuevarraSydney JohnsonJehlen HerdmanMaria EsquincaMolly Solomon
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Writing on a brick wall that reads "Eureka Valley Harvey Milk Branch San Francisco Public Library"
Flowers grow at the entrance to the Eureka Valley/ Harvey Milk Memorial Branch of the San Francisco Public Library in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco on May 30, 2023. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

So much of life is online these days, but barriers to internet access remain, especially for folks who are unhoused. Resources at public libraries, like free Wi-Fi, are aiming to fill that gap. A 2022 study by the American Library Association found that 93 percent of libraries provide or plan to provide Wi-Fi 24 hours a day because of the high demand for internet.

But San Francisco’s Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial Branch Library has moved in the opposite direction after neighbors raised concerns about homelessness, crime, and open air drug use outside of the library. Mounting public pressure prompted the Harvey Milk Library to shut off Wi-Fi after hours to try and deter homelessness in the area. So is it working?

Episode transcript

Guest: Sydney Johnson, digital reporter for KQED 


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