institute says the price tag is $12.7 billion. the calculation assumes construction costs of $450,000 per home for each of the 428,000 residents reported as homeless.o god evening. >> the bay area's struggle with homelessness has been a big problem as we work toward building a better bay area. >> we find the crisis is so massive, it will take a major overhaul to solve. >> laura anthony is live to begin our team coverage. >> hi, dan. this homeless encampment is one of hundreds here in the bay area with enough people livg them to pop hate a small city. as visible as these encampments are, it is clear the population is growing. the question this report addresses is how to help them and how much it will cost.

>> a moment of emotion to start a round table on homelessness. one to discuss the findings of a now report from the bay area council. as oakland mayor libby schaaf began her remarks, the homeless man approach her for a hug. >> i'm sorry. >> until recently, bishop was one of 30,000 people living on the streets in the bay area. >> people have made certain assumptions about the homeless and where they come from. part of this is the data fact-finding. >> of the 28,000 people in the prair, only one third, 33%, are in shelters. the study also found that 70% of the bay area's homeless live in just three counties. santa clara, san francisco, and alameda. >> putting a lot of resources into the problem but we're not making a denial in the issue. we need a regional solution. >> the study found some cities

and county do better than others when it comes to solutions. citing oakland's community cabins program as one. >> these are at least half as expensive as traditional shelters, and very successful at moving people out to permanent and transitional housing. >> the report says it will take $12 that'll to fix the problem and much greater cooperation. >> the mayor help me through my struggles. >> with you the solutions to homelessness don't come easily. >> what will we do to help them is that to stabilize them? what are we going to do? we can't just give them handouts. that's for sure. >> of course a huge factor is the houselessness in the bay area. for every homeless person who gets off the street, there is another person, even another

family to take >> reporter: dan, this is not where homeless people stay overnight but you will see a lot of them going back and forth through park during the day. of the 28,000 people we were talking about who experience homelessness, one gentleman described it to me as a revolving door of the being in shelters, on the streets, shelters, and back on the streets. >> safety. that's the biggest thing ever. >> this is the last day dobbie diego and donald will be neighbors. he's reached the limit of 90 days in the shelter. >> i thought that would never be me. i had too many people who love me and would never let that happen. >> that was before he split up

with his girlfriend of a did he go aid about four years ago and his world unraveled. >> it doesn't take anything extreme. it could just be something as simple as a heart break. >> he lost his job providing workers to the hospitality industry, then his home and his car. today he goes back out on the street. >> going to bed, finding a place to sheep without being hassled. by either property owners, the public in general, without having, running the risk of being arrested. >> his problems began with the death of his mother in 2000. since then it's been a revolving door of the streets, shelters, back on the street. >> i've been out seven years. i've never had a problem. the cold, the rain, the floods. i've made it through. there is a lot of people who can't. >> even has heard countless plans to reduce homelessness from mental health services, funding increases, tonighty agrees m mht help.

but t way you think. >> someone found a way to make a dollar from the homeless, it would be solved overnight. >> of course, some of the plans to help the homeless are short circuited by not in my backyard. you can put a shelter some place as long as it's know close to where i live. doug haass moore, the other person you saw, has one more week at that shelter and he doesn't know where life will take him after that. >> a lot of uncertainty. a lot of bay area cities are trying to help those without homes. in a special election in alameda, yesterday, voters approved a plan to build a homeless and senior central. in san francisco, the board of supervisors is trying an end run to enact proposition c. that's the initiative voters passed to tax businesses to help the homeless. the problem is the city won't touch the money because it's tied up in court. last night the board approved a

measure allowing businesses to voluntarily contribute in exchange for knocking out part of what they owe. it needs a second vote before becoming permanent. >> after years of delays, down san jose will set the first housing development this mofl they broke ground for it two years ago. they'll see it document fruition now. it was slowed by the housing crisis and funding challenges. we want to hear your ideas about building a better bay area. share them by joining our better bay area group on facebook. we have breaking news now from the peninsula where a cal train has hit a person on the tracks. sky 7 is above the scene in san mateo. they said the person did not survive. right now, cal train says service is halted for two trains.

you can see, they halt the trains right there. so do expect some delays as the investigation continues. the man accused of being the golden state killer will face the death penalty if convicted. prosecutors made the announcement this afternoon during joseph deafrg low's haste court appearance. the 73-year-old is the suspect in at least 13 nurds dozens of rapes in six counties including santa clara and contra costa. they have agreed to combine it all together into one trial to be held in sacramento. informing the high profile can i go of a san jose woman inside her home, the district attorney is add go his voice saying that they need to challenge the sanctuary policy. the suspect in the killing of bambi is an illegal alien from el salvage dofrl immigration and customs enforcement say they filed multiple requests. they were ignored because of the

county policy of not dealing with i.c.e. he said he wnts a palled approach to make people safer. >> i want to be able to look the community in the eye and say we've done everything we can to protect you. if we're not cooperating with immigration authorities on even a limited basis, for just a small number danger and violent predators, i don't think we can say we're doing everything we can. >> he is asking for limited cooperation with federal authorities when it come to illegal immigrant inmates when it come to those dealing with serious or violent felonies. now to a story we've been following for a long time of the robby chong was attacked in november of 2016. he was hit in the head with a skate board by a man he was chasing. after we post a story about him on our faeb page a month after it happen, he responded by thanking our viewers for their kind comments. emjust saw this. i am able to see cheer clearer d

can read and type. he's talking about what life is like now. he has a lot to say in a story you'll see only on 7. >> thanksgiving day, 2016. the motorcycle officer robby chong in down san francisco doing traffic enforcement. a starbucks worker waved him down saying a man later identified as luis careras was causing problems. this grainy surveillance video shows the officer chasing the suspect who turns and strikes the office we are a skate board. another video shows that he was running down the side street with another officer in pursuit. he was arrested and later convicted on assault and other charges. >> i only know this because i happened to see it.

he said i had a matter of minutes left of life. so i had to do the emergency surgery right away. >> and still more surgeries and lots of physical therapy. the skate board had crushed his head. >> i had no skull for about six months. i had to be very careful, walking around. >> his injured brain caused double vision. difficulty walking and loss of short term memory. in january of last year, the 12-year veteran cop returned to work but on desk duty. a far cry from riding his beloved bike. >> definitely. being on the street, that was great. >> in january, he went on medical retirement. he was cheered to go pack to the field. he now has to look for other work. he has a wife and two kids to support.

now as he looks back -- >> regrets. it is hard to say. if i did let him go, could somebody else have been injured by him? possibly. i don't know. >> what he does know, he followed his instincts as a cop. he was doing his job. abc7 news. the incredible feat that changes aastronomy and has scientists giddy with delight. and we are hive wilive with it's on! get to the ross spring shoe event to score the latest styles for the whole family... ...and something for you. oh yeah. that's yes for less. you heard me - 20 to 60 percent off department store prices! at the ross spring shoe event. on now!

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now thanks to worldwide efforts, eight telescopes in five continents, scientists have a snap shot of a black hole. >> a picture is capturing the world imagination. take a look at this. it is not just any image. it has been 55 million years in the making. >> we have seen what we thought was unseeable. we have seen and taken a picture of a black hole. >> pretty spectacular. the image caught the imagination of the astronomer at the space and science center in oakland. >> there is so much energy being produced, you get this bright kind of glow around it. that is actually material being pulled into the black hole with a tremendous amount of energy.

>> that material is moving at light speed which creates the colorful glow. black holes are stars that died, exploded and collapsed into a super dense object. >> you can imagine six and a half billion suns squeezed down to smaller than a grain of sand. it has so much gravity that anything that gets too close to it will not be able to escape. >> just getting a picture was a remarkable cleveland. this whack hole is located in the n-87 galaxy. about 55 million light years away. scientists used eight radio telescopes around the globe to capture 5 million gigabytes of data and then converted it into this image. one of the universe's most mysterious objects. >> we get a lot of kids coming up here. you would be amazed how many of them are asking about black holes. now we can actually show them a picture and say this is what it looks like.

>> abc7 news. one more note about the telescopes used to grab the image. the resolution is so high, it is the equivalent of reading the date on a coin in los angeles from as far away as new york city. imagine that. >> it just boggles the mind. first humans to ever see it. in the south bay, hockey playoff excitement is certainly building. >> in about two hours, the sharks take on the vegas golden knights in game one of the nhl playoffs. >> it begins. david louie has a look at it even before the puck drops. >> first, face painting, music, food. it will continue until 7:00. fan pride really does swell during the playoffs.

fans rally around their favorite players. >> you couldn't ask for better weather for an outdoor fan rally. die-hard fans with and without tickets have an opportunity to show their home team pride. take a look at sue webber's collection of playoff pins. >> that is the number. this is the pin for this year and these are the playoffs from years before. >> they did their morning skate around 10:30. we caught one the defenseman erik carlson who was very upbeat about game one. >> this is the time of year that we've been waiting for. this is when it is most fun to may hockeyverydy will battle somet. n s it as an obstacle. >> fans are aware of the rivalry that has developed between two teams.

hopes are high that the sharks will score first. >> we're playing the vegas knights, a big rivalry even though they've been around for a year or two. this will be great to see the game one. >> sushi is down the down the street. the restaurant even created a special roll to honor the playoffs calling it sharks on fire. >> who is your favorite player? >> brent burns. and he is the highest scoring defenseman in the nhl since '95. i'm super excited to see him play. >> another sharks fan rally will be held on friday before game three. then there will be watch parties on sunday as well as next tuesday for the two away games that will be played in vegas. abc7 news. >> you've got some fans behind you. >> we'll let him go so he can join that party.

maybe with that teal face make-up. >> so what are the odds? >> they're saying they have the second best chance to win. the tampa bay lightning is the odds on favorite. >> the way we watch our shows is definitely changing. >> a group representing hospitals is against a bill. >> the consumer stories. >> the way we watch tv is certainly changing. amazing. how do you watch your favorite shows? the survey shows most americans now use at least one over the top or ott video content service like netflix and amazon. ad tech company release ad survey that shows ott viewing has surpassed live television for nearly every single age group. a majority say they spent more time watching the ott content than they do talking to friends and family. one ott service has just raised

its prices across the board. effective today, the youtube tv cost $50 a month. youtube first bumped up the price to $40 a month. google, which owns youtube, said this latest will help with cost due to the edition of eight new channels on the service. a new effort is underway to ensure we get quality care in california. state lawmakers have introduced a bill that would mandate surprise inspections of hospitals. the unannounced visits by state regulators would focus on nurse to patient ratios, hospitals are found to be noncome minlt, i should say, hospitals that are found to be noncompliant would be hit with hefty fines. of course, the national hospital association opposes it saying hospitals have already a mandated nurse to patient ratio. now let's turn our attention

to the weather. it's just gorgeous out >> it is slotly beautiful. right now, live doppler 7 showing the absence of rain. enjoy the break while we have it. here's a look. 24 in half moon bay. not as windy as it was yesterday. despite the fact that it is breezy out there. some of russ still suffering from allergies and it will be another rough one. so take a look at the forecast as we head toward tomorrow. the same offenders. the tree pollen will be running high. weed and mold spores will be moderate. the tree pollen, oak, pine, and mulberry causing some of us to sneeze. take a hock at the upside to the breeze. it is cheered out. our skies, we have nice sunshine over san francisco. here's another view from santa

cruz camera. take a long at them. they're enjoying the sun. 67 degrees in morgan hi. you're seeing blue skies to match the bay. a beautiful day. 72, santa rosa. vacaville, that's the warmest spots. concord, 71 degrees. sunshine on the golden gate bridge. cooler, breezier, we are expecting cooling. the sun come up at 6:40 in the morning. the temperatures will be in the 40s, 50s, the temperatures will come down compared to today as the breeze picks up. upper 50s to 60s. take a look at why we'll be seeing change. there is a system pushing into the area. that will bring in the clouds

continuing through the afternoon. a found drops off the coastline. not reaching land, and this trend will bring about some cooling as well. 40s, 50s, high clouds out there. a breezy day and a cooler one. the temperatures will be lock like this. 63, santa rosa, san rafael. 63 in livermore. 64, san jose. hour by power wee head into the winds. you will notice the wind really starts to ramp up. the winds will subside on friday allowing the warm-up. cooler, cloudier, breezier tomorrow. then near 80 inland, low 60s. cooler sunday and there is still a slight chance of showers on

monday but we will go back to dry and milder on tuesday and wednesday. any complaints about this weather? >> no. >> okay, good.

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♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ at a top nfl draft prospect has scrub his twitter. espn says it is because he might end up in san francisco. he is a former defensive end for ohio state. as a buckeye, he tweeted his support for both donald trump and ronald reagan. he also tweeted out that colin kaepernick was a clown. experts say the 49 letters likely draft him. it will be on april 25th. baseball is of course big business. when it come to the giants, very big bu f e giants spend the most to catch the action live. "forbes" magazine reports that baseball is more lookucrative t

ever. forbes says giants fans spend the most per game. an average of $183 per person. they're followed by the milwaukee brewers with $111 per fan. the red sox in third place with each fan spending on average, $105 per game. great fun. that's a lot of money. >> it ain't cheap but it's good. >> was at this time holoudest b for an umpire? that's next. >> first, share your pictures with us. >> you

coming up on abc7 news at 6:00, activists refuse to wave the flag over the chick-fil-a. at 6:00, the flags that may fly

instead. support housing works. it is cheaper than people in and out of emergency rooms. >> searching for solutions to san francisco's homeless crisis at 6:00. we'll take you inside the hotel that is giving people a fresh start. that's all coming up at 6:00. finally, the man some are calling the new most hted umpire. >> he was just doing his dog for the las vegas aviators last night. then the ump got fed up and tossed the bat aside himself. >> he is a good dog so he didn't get frustrated. he just grabbed the bat to complete the job. the umpire got booed by the fans. >> he tweeted out that it might have been the loudest boo in the history of umpires. the river cats are the aaa team for the san francisco giants. >> oops!

>> we appreciate your time. thanks for joining us. tonight, the deadly blast rocking an american city. the massive explosion, a building leveled. you could feel the blast across the city, witnesses said. at least one dead, several injured, raced from the scene. firefighters had been called to the area right before the explosion. also at this hour, the major snowstorm slamming several states right now. up to two feet of snow, dangerous winds, 1,000 flights grounded or delayed. 100 miles of a key interstate shut down tonight. rob marciano has the track and the timing as we head into this evening. attorney general william barr on the hill, pressed on how he could determine there was no obstruction of justice when robert mueller did not. and what he said about spying on the trump campaign. the horrific and deadly bus crash today. the truck barrelling through an intersection, slamming