San Francisco's streak of falling tent counts has snapped. The city's September survey found 148 tents and makeshift structures, up 29% from 115 in May, the San Francisco Standard reported from city data. It is the first rise in a year and ends four consecutive quarters of declines.
The May number had been a high point for Mayor Daniel Lurie. His office called it a record low, down 53% since he took office and more than a quarter below the previous low of 155 in February.
Where the tents came back
The Standard said the increase was driven partly by jumps in SoMa, the Inner Richmond and Potrero Hill. In SoMa alone, the count went from 4 to 13 between May and September, according to local outlet We Are San Francisco. Even with the uptick, the citywide total is still 12% below the 168 tents counted in September 2025.
Vehicles keep dropping
The other half of the picture moved the opposite direction. Vehicles presumed to have people living in them fell from 315 in May to 249 in September, compared with 489 a year earlier. Large vehicles such as RVs and campers fell from 404 in September 2025 to 193. The city credits new parking restrictions on large vehicles and a program to move RV dwellers into shelter and housing for much of that drop.
Tenderloin sanitation worsens
A separate street conditions report from the city controller's office, released Oct. 8, found feces during 81% of evaluations in the Tenderloin, up from 54% two years earlier. It was the second straight year that measure got worse. The same report showed improvement on some other measures, including fewer large dumped items in the Tenderloin.
The city surveys tents quarterly and street conditions twice a year, so the next counts will show whether the September rise is a blip or the start of a trend.