New SF Chamber of Commerce Poll Finds 43% Of Residents Now Believe City is Heading in Right Direction

A new poll released by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday found that 43% of residents now believe the city is headed in the right direction, up from 22% last year.

Previous Chamber of Commerce CityBeat polls were anything but favorable for the city. According to the 2022 Dignity Health CityBeat Poll, 76% of all recipients said that the city is currently on the wrong track, with only 20% saying that San Francisco is going in the right direction. Concerns over crime and public safety played a large role in those views by voters. 83% of voters said that crime has gotten worse in recent years in the city, with crime and public safety being seen as a major issue by residents jumping from 26% in 2020 to 55% in 2022.

Then-Mayor London Breed attempted numerous corrective measures during her tenure to improve these statistics, but they largely failed. Last year’s poll showed barely any improvement, with only 22% of respondents saying that the city was back on track. Other polls showed similar results, with one June 2024 poll finding San Francisco to be the worst run city in the country.

However, San Francisco voters took action last year. In May 2024, voters passed two major public safety propositions, finally reversing course and going harder on crime. Then, in November, Daniel Lurie defeated Breed to become Mayor, and was sworn in last month. Lurie swiftly reversed course on many of Breed’s decisions, taking more action out of the gate. Lurie went after fentanyl use and other city problems within days of being sworn in, even declaring a state of emergency over the high amount of fentanyl usage in the city. And in recent days, Lurie has also been instrumental in ousting the reformist SFPD Commissioner.

The drastic changes by Lurie, the continued DA policy changes made following former DA Chesa Boudin’s recall, and all the tougher on crime initiatives passed by voters caused a major effect. This was shown by the new poll on Wednesday with close to half the city now feeling that the city is now headed in the right direction, a number not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to 43% of San Franciscans saying that things in the City are headed in the right direction, there has been a fivefold increase in San Franciscans who say that crime has gotten better, a four times increase in San Franciscans who say homelessness and street behavior has gotten better, and a 2.5 times increase in San Franciscans who say street cleanliness has gotten better from the 2022 poll.

Despite these improvements, many stressed that the city still has a long way to go to recover from the Breed years. This includes drug usage, crime, homeless levels, a high cost of living, San Francisco’s downtown still being largely empty, and an office vacancy rate that recently began to slightly improve after a five year freefall.

An improvement for San Francisco

“Our city has always thrived on ambition, and now is the time to channel that spirit into the future of downtown. From creating a world-class academic district to building a dynamic sports and events hub, we have a rare opportunity to reshape San Francisco for generations to come,” said Rodney Fong, President & CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, in a statement on Wednesday. “As we celebrate the Chamber’s 175th year, we’re not just tackling today’s challenges–we’re driving bold ideas to shape San Francisco’s future.”

“From cutting-edge technology and culinary excellence to groundbreaking medical care and social progress, San Francisco is known for solving problems that others can’t or won’t. But to get our economy going again at full strength, we need to invest in permanent solutions that make it easier, not harder, for businesses to set up shop in San Francisco,” added Mayor Lurie. “For too long, the barrier to entry for businesses large and small has been too high. But the message from this administration is loud and clear: San Francisco is open for business.”

While many were hopeful, others pushed for a cautious optimism on Wednesday, saying that the city still has much to get over even after the end of COVID restrictions and London Breed’s tenure as Mayor.

“Optimism is returning to San Francisco in a way we haven’t seen in years,” explained Papia Gambelin, a Board Member of Emerge California. “Last year, many voters felt we were on the wrong track, concerned about public safety, homelessness, street conditions, and the economy. But we turned frustration into action, focused on the fundamentals, and today, progress is taking shape.”