Stopping Sweeps Saves Lives, Research Shows

by TJ Johnston
A tent is in the center of the frame. In front of it is what looks like a white dollhouse, laying flat on the ground. The image is in Black and White

by TJ Johnston 

For years, the mantra for advocates of unhoused people has been “sweeps kill.” Now, their tagline has science and hard numbers to back it up.

In a study focused on 23 U.S. cities including San Francisco, researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and several other academic institutions determined that unsheltered people who inject drugs and who are repeatedly forced out of street encampments are likely to suffer higher illness and death rates than their peers who stay put.

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A Brief History of the Tenderloin Linkage Center

by Contributing Author

by Kenyota

Homelessness is an ever-present and ever-growing problem which seems to confound policymakers around our nation. Many believe that the current crisis facing America is one which can be easily solved through some magical stroke of a lawmaker’s pen or an elected official’s savvy decision making. However, it appears the more attention politicians have given to this issue, the greater the misunderstanding and social stigma. The best “solutions” only seem to exacerbate an already unpopular social crisis and increase a gulf of misunderstanding between those who have and those who have not.

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Honoring Homeless Mothers This Mother’s Day  

by Contributing Author

By Johanna Elattar 

Homelessness is a pressing issue affecting millions of individuals and families around the world. Among those affected by this crisis are homeless mothers who face unique challenges and struggles. Homeless mothers are often left with limited resources, inadequate support and  difficult choices to make for themselves and their children. 

Homeless mothers are often single parents, who have experienced traumatic events—such as domestic violence, job loss or mental illness—that have led to their homelessness.

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End the Strong Mayor System in SF

by Contributing Author

By Jordan Davis

In March, I was in a Rules Committee meeting watching and commenting on appointments from both the mayor and Board of Supervisors to the new Homelessness Oversight Commission (HOC), a body that is purported to provide meaningful direction and oversight to the troubled Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH). I voted “no” on the charter amendment last year that created the HOC, because—unlike the recently established Sheriff’s Oversight Body,

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Housed, But Still Homeless

by Contributing Author

by Ruthie Van Esso

I was homeless. I lived on the streets, and I lived in shelters. Currently I have a roof, but I am going to tell you why I am still homeless.

My biological father beat my mom for years; we escaped to an undisclosed domestic violence shelter for women and their kiddos. My mom remarried, to a wonderful man, and I had peace for some time. I went out into the world thinking I could be normal,

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