The Poop Problem in America

Across America’s wealthiest cities, a public-sanitation crisis is unfolding in plain sight. From the streets of San Francisco and New York to the beaches of Texas and Ohio, human waste, sewage leaks, and fecal contamination have become unmistakable markers of systemic failure. Drawing on HUD, EPA, and Environment America data, this investigation connects the dots between homelessness, collapsing infrastructure, and policy choices in progressive “blue” metros. The evidence points to a deeper truth: compassion without accountability has eroded the most basic civic standard — the right to clean, safe public spaces.