A Publication of the Coalition on Homelessness
by Michael Inman
San Francisco calls itself a “Sanctuary City.” In City Hall, that word is a shield. But on the corners of Sixth and Mission streets, or in the shadows of Dore Alley, “sanctuary” has a much darker meaning. If you ask the people living on the pavement, they’ll tell you the truth: San Francisco isn’t a sanctuary; it’s a city of enforcers.
The Refugees We Ignore
The biggest mistake we make is assuming everyone on the street is there by choice.
story and photos by Sarah Menefee
It’s the only moral solution
A woman is harassed by cops during the sweep of a San Francisco alley
Today as more and more of us find ourselves ‘a paycheck away’ from the streets, homelessness is a death sentence for many and a glaring and appalling absurdity in this richest and most powerful nation in the world – one that has lost its heart and soul as the billionaire class plays royalty and as millions struggle and fall.
Homelessness affects all of us, whether we have housing or not, but of course it hurts those living without homes worst of all. Having thousands of people without housing, without sanitation, without privacy, living outside and having thousands more in shelter in a small city like San Francisco is a humanitarian crisis. Unlike many crises, this one is a crisis that is man-made through poor policy decisions, and lack of corrective action. This crisis does have true solutions.
The Trump Administration just released their Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Homeless McKinney funds out of the Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD). It is as batshit as you can imagine. Really you can’t make these things up.
First of all, for years 90% of the dollars had to go to permanent supportive housing, because there are around 50 evidence-based studies supporting this practice. But these folks don’t believe in science. So now no more than 30% of the funds can go to supportive housing.
by Jordan Wasilewski
As of mid-October this year, I have been stably housed in San Francisco for 10 years. For the first time in my adult life, I became a tenant with my name on the lease and am living alone, instead of subletting with others.
That was also my 10th anniversary in permanent supportive housing, my 10th anniversary in a single-resident occupancy hotel, and also my 10th anniversary of permanent supportive housing and SRO activism.
by Jordan Wasilewski
I am a millenial, and one of the defining moments of my generation was 9/11. There are many takes on this issue, but one thing I gleaned from the aftermath is that, despite the supposed “unity” that crises bring, there are people out there who will weaponize collective pain to push policies that are wrongheaded and cruel. I find the same holds true for San Francisco’s overdose crisis.
by Lupe Velez
The Trump Administration, during its short time in power, has waged strategic attacks on nearly every marginalized group in the country. It has slashed funds for health care, education, environmental protections and more. President Trump’s direct attack on the homeless population began in August of 2025, when he deployed the National Guard to clear homeless encampments in Washington, D.C. This followed his executive order on July 24, when he outlined his plan in a press conference to increase sweeps,
by Cathleen Williams and Sandy Perry
Washington DC, August 12, 2025: “Yesterday, I walked from the White House through the National Mall… The streets are eerily empty for an August afternoon near the storied monuments. In some places, there are more ICE, DEA, ARNG, and FBI personnel than there are regular people. There are fire trucks blocking lanes of traffic for no reason. There are Humvees sitting outside of Union Station for no reason other than to terrorize people–to let *us know that we are being watched…” Facebook post,
by Apple Cronk
Last month, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14321—“Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets.” By criminalizing homelessness, addiction and mental health crises, the order strips federal support from lifesaving public health solutions like Housing First and harm reduction—the very policies that saved my life and my daughter’s, and made my nearly three years of recovery possible.
I spent over a decade unhoused in San Francisco.
By Sister ’Nita House
I have buried 17 friends in two years. Fentanyl stole their breath. If punishment or shame could end addiction, they would still be here. But San Francisco’s new “drug-free sidewalks” plan does only that: punishes the poor, shames people in crisis, and hides suffering instead of healing it.
Mayor Daniel Lurie’s “Recovery First” law makes abstinence the City’s guiding star. Nonprofits that once handed out clean syringes or pipes are now forced to attach treatment counseling or else lose funding.
