Ukrainian Blogger Films San Francisco's Homelessness and Drug Crisis

Ukrainian blogger Angelina Pichika has shared video footage from the streets of San Francisco showing homeless people and individuals who, based on their behavior, appear to be under the influence of powerful drugs. She described the situation as a serious, large-scale problem facing the city.

In the video, the blogger walks through the streets filming people living outdoors, some pushing shopping carts. She said she had heard about San Francisco's homelessness and drug problems before visiting, but the actual scale of the issue surprised her once she saw it in person.

Part of the footage is believed to have been filmed in the Tenderloin district near the city's administrative center — an area long known for a high concentration of homeless residents, drug use, and street crime.

Wide reaction online

The video prompted numerous reactions on social media, with some users expressing surprise that such scenes could be found in one of the wealthiest cities in the United States, with some comparing the footage to a "zombie apocalypse."

What official data shows

An article published by the San Francisco Chronicle on September 4, 2026, described an ongoing situation in the city involving public drug use and homelessness, noting that results from the city's 90-day improvement plan have so far been mixed. Earlier, in April of the same year, the outlet reported that San Francisco had the second-highest rate of fatal overdoses among major U.S. cities and counties — roughly 70 deaths per 100,000 residents, more than three times the national average.