Drugs and SROs in the TL

I started some of the groundwork for my final piece and thus far here is what I'm thinking.

My final is going to be an examination of the issue of drugs in the Tenderloin. According to crime statistics its still the #1 crime in the Tenderloin. But I want to try to go deeper.

According to a social worker at the St.Anthony's foundation, the root cause of crime in the Tenderloin is poverty. This includes crime related to drugs. 

What I am trying to understand is why is it so prevelant in the Tenderloin? Why not anywhere else? Other places have poverty so why is drug related crimes so high in the TL?

A couple of theories:

- Drug sale and use is more permissible in the TL. People in the TL have less means to report drug activity.

- There is a high demand for drugs from people living in the TL and coming to from outside the TL to find drugs.

- There is a high supply of drugs in the Tenderloin giving easy access to people that are vulnerable.

-Police are slow to react to drug calls in the TL.

There may be a link not only between poverty and drugs, but also between drugs and inadequate housing. Many people that live in single room occupancy in the Tenderloin are at risk for addiction. However, the only place they can find housing is in SROs. She said that SROs can become a hub for drug avtivity making it difficult for someone to recover. 

Also, sellers of drugs may do so as a way to survive.

Any feedback woukd be greatly appreciated.