Every city thinks they are a magnet for homeless people - whether you are talking about Las Vegas or Seattle. The data shows this is simply not true. The overwhelming majority of homeless San Franciscans became homeless as housed San Franciscans, and this is the same case everywhere else. Most impoverished people stay where their support systems, are, while some do move typically for jobs and family. However, the way housing is allocated in San Francisco is that only long term San Francisco residents get priority.