A Publication of the Coalition on Homelessness
by Jack Bragen
My first psychotic episode was a risk to life and limb, my biggest test up to that point, my family’s big test and a precursor to what was to come in the succeeding 43 years and running.
In some respects, a second or third psychotic break isn’t as hard as the first. When I had my first extreme psychotic episode, I had no notion of what was happening to me.
by Andrea Bulnes Huane, Maritza Salinas, Helen Merlo, Maria Zavala and Veronica Aguilar
Contine desplazándose hacid abajo para ver en Español
Our hearts felt sad and very sorry to hear so many cases of homeless families with various problems of depression, anxiety and even mental imbalance. This situation is terrible, so many children with worry in their souls and hearts so fragile and innocent that instead of thinking about playing or socializing at school,
by Lauren Hepler, CalMatters
The records catalog the chaos inside California homeless shelters.
In Salinas, internal emails say the staff at one brand-new shelter grabbed the best donations for themselves and helped friends and family jump the line for housing. In Los Angeles, court records show a leading nonprofit hired a man who was convicted of attempted murder to work security at a shelter, where he committed three sex crimes in one day.
By Byrhonda Lyons, CalMatters
In California, there isn’t a central, statewide agency that oversees homeless shelters. Shelters that receive public funding are monitored by local officials, who often handle complaints from residents. In some cases, state officials can also step in if residents report problems.
A new CalMatters investigation has documented chaos and scandal inside California’s homeless shelters and found that fewer than 1 in 4 people cycle through shelters find permanent housing.
Shelter Monitoring Committee – The committee tracks the conditions of City-funded shelters. Staff take and investigate complaints.
Drop-in times at 440 Turk St.: Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Committee meetings typically take place on the third Wednesdays of each month at SF City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Pl., Room 408.
To report concerns about a shelter:
Phone: (628) 652-8080.
by Justice Dumlao
The following is a letter submitted by email to the San Francisco Police Commission.
Dear President Elias and Commission Members,
On behalf of the Safer Inside and Treatment on Demand Coalitions — two coalitions dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of San Francisco’s most vulnerable residents — we write to express serious concerns about the San Francisco Police Department’s (SFPD) project at the parking lot on Jessie Street.
by Jordan Davis
Lately, a surprising subject has been coming up at tenant meetings of the Central City SRO Collaborative, one that’s near and dear to my heart: Grab bars in showers.
A tenant organizer at the collaborative has been encouraging tenants to fill out forms requesting grab bars in their single-resident occupancy (SRO) hotels and persuade their doctors to write them a note requesting reasonable accommodation.
It took a tremendous push over several years to reach this point..
by Yessica Hernandez
photos by Leon Kunstenaar
On February 11, homeless families and their allies rallied and marched to San Francisco City Hall, demanding more affordable housing and critical changes to the family shelter system. The rally, which started from Hamilton Family Shelter, called for immediate action to restore the waitlist for housing, ensuring that families living in hotels or doubled-up situations can access shelter and support.
by Jordan Davis
Dear Mayor Lurie,
Congratulations on winning the mayor’s race. I certainly did not vote for you or anyone else for mayor, because I believe San Francisco’s strong mayor system needs to be scuttled. However, as you are now in office, there are some things you should know.
I know that you want to focus on shelters as a homelessness response.
by Lukas Illa
In a deeply emotional and well attended hearing, the San Francisco Planning Commission began review of the newly proposed luxury housing complex at 2588 Mission St., on the corner of 22nd Street.
What is currently a grassy, empty lot was once the site of rent-controlled housing for over 60 people and 26 businesses, until a devastating fire in 2015 destroyed the property,
