San Francisco has seen it all—beatniks, hippies, earthquakes, even the AIDS crisis. However, as Bill Murray put it, the city has always survived. When people talk about San Francisco now, they do not discuss its resiliency. It’s about the homeless situation, the tents on the streets, and the feeling that things are out of control. Obviously, governments are the first to be blamed when it comes to why there are so many homeless people on the streets in San Francisco. But while many people blame politics, Joe Rogan believes there is something deeper going on.
“What they need is more mental health care. Drug addiction and mental health—that’s the real problem,” Joe Rogan said on JRE #2282 with Bill Murray. For him, it’s not just about the people who live on the streets; it’s about why they’re there at all. He emphasized how the city’s approach—providing financial assistance while failing to address addiction and mental illness—has further exacerbated the situation. “And when you don’t address it, and then you just allow people to camp anywhere they want, you’re almost sort of encouraging mental health problems to be everywhere throughout the entire city.”
Rogan didn’t hold back on what he considers a mistaken feeling of compassion. He argued that allowing people to sleep on the streets is not charity but rather negligence. “It’s just a lack of empathy for the people. If you’re empathetic for them, you don’t let them just camp out and s— on the street. What you do is try to say, ‘Obviously, you have a real problem. This needs to be addressed for the greater good of the city and for these people.’” He believes that ignoring the core causes of homelessness harms not only the individuals affected but also the city as a whole.
Nov 15, 2015; Melbourne, Australia; Joe Rogan looks on during UFC 193 at Etihad Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
And the statistics don’t seem to be lying about this one issue. Family homelessness in San Francisco has increased by 94% since 2022, and the city’s shelters are unable to keep up, with over 300 families still waiting for homes. Homeless children are considerably more likely to drop out of school, experience emotional problems, and repeat the cycle. San Francisco has pledged $50 million to address the epidemic, but Rogan believes that money alone will not solve the problem. Nothing will change unless the city recognizes that homelessness is a mental health catastrophe, not merely a housing one. However, it is worth noting that this isn’t the first time that the JRE host has talked about homelessness being a major issue.
Joe Rogan highlights major homelessness issue in Fresno
Joe Rogan sees a catastrophe brewing in cities across California, not just San Francisco. In an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, the UFC commentator gave his thoughts on Fresno, and they weren’t particularly positive. During a conversation about homelessness in the United States, comedian Christopher Distefano, Rogan’s guest for the show, mentioned Fresno as an especially dismal example. Distefano, who had recently performed in the city, confessed that simply being there for 24 hours made him feel that he would have been a different person if he had grown up in such a setting. Joe Rogan, never one to mince words, agreed with a blunt statement: “It’s depressing.”
The JRE host detailed his personal driving experience through the city, noting how people were carelessly strolling the streets, giving the impression that it was more of a lawless zone than an urban center. “Like I went down a wrong area—it’s mostly homeless people,” he said, offering a picture of a city grappling with a crisis that is more than just poverty. Distefano agreed with Rogan, comparing his drive from Fresno to San Jose and claiming that the latter felt like “Switzerland” in comparison. Whether he got his geography wrong or not, the point was the same: Fresno’s streets have some of the worst homelessness circumstances he’s ever seen.
As expected, Rogan’s words elicited some negative reactions. Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer promptly responded, supporting his city’s efforts to tackle homelessness. Dyer noted that Fresno had made considerable progress by housing more than 1,700 homeless people in the last two years. But he did not stop there. In a scathing rebuttal, the mayor tweeted: “What have you done to make our country better?” before proposing Rogan a bargain: “I won’t tell you how to announce MMA fights or what to say on your podcast—if you won’t tell us as a city how to deal with our homeless issues.” While the UFC commentator has previously praised Fresno, particularly its food culture, this latest exchange confirms his bigger point: California’s homelessness epidemic is a statewide calamity with no quick solution. What do you think? Do you agree with his opinions? Let us know in the comments.
The post “Mental Health and Addiction”- Joe Rogan Confesses the “Real Problem” Behind San Francisco’s Concerns appeared first on EssentiallySports.
