A Publication of the Coalition on Homelessness
By Christiane Rosenmuth
My name is Christiane. I’m married, still, and have three grown children. And this is one thing I’ve learned: leaving my husband was the only decision, the only right one that I could make to come into myself and finally, at just over 60, create a worthy life for myself.
I wanted to emigrate – to spend my twilight years in my husband’s home country, which had become my second home over the course of our 30 years together.
by Akir Jackson
Surviving in the tech-fueled wealth bubble of San Francisco on a poverty-level income is a constant battle. As rising costs of living continue to push out all but the elite, being poor here means struggling for the basic dignity and security that many take for granted.
With median rent for a one-bedroom apartment approaching $3,500, finding an affordable place to live on a limited budget is next to impossible.
In what has to be one of the dumbest, most desperate yet conniving pre-election moves this publication has seen in years, Mayor London Breed put an initiative on the March ballot that will dramatically drive up homelessness while wasting valuable public resources.
This brain fart has been labeled Proposition F. While the Mayor has failed in addressing the overdose crisis, with more people dying from accidental overdoses than ever, she has come up with a plan to cut those suspected of drug use off of welfare.
by Nathan Sheard
San Francisco voters have a lot to consider before the March 5 election. Voting No on Proposition E should be an easy choice for anyone who is concerned with addressing our city’s challenges, rather than benefiting from them. If passed, Prop. E would significantly weaken measures meant to protect the rights and safety of San Francisco residents and visitors. If Prop. E passes, it would strip accountability for the use of dubious surveillance tools,
by Jack Bragen
The social services systems in California punish success and punish efforts at raising one’s standard of living and personal security—at least, that’s how it seems in my case. Even if your earnings are literally tiny, Social Security, the IRS, county food assistance and Medicaid all insist they need to know, and insist they all get their share.
As hard as I work at my two to three little-paid writing gigs,
by Vinay Pai
This excerpt from “The Eviction Machine” was originally published by our allies in Street Spirit. It tells the story of the life of the man known as 300, a life-long Berkeley resident who died in 2019 after being evicted from his home.
I met 300 sleeping on a bench outside Au Coquelet Café on University Avenue one late night in the summer of 2013.
by Akir Jackson
To most people, I’m invisible. Just another nameless Black man blending into the urban background. People avoid making eye contact as they walk past me on the sidewalk. Pretend not to notice me shivering on the street corner. But if you look closely at the worn lines on my face, you’ll see the story of how I wound up here.
I’ve been homeless on and off for the past decade since losing my job as a machinist.
by Samel Leparan
The intersection of Blackness and homelessness in San Francisco is a history that can be told in several ways. To intersect means having at least one element in common. But what do blackness and homelessness have in common? Where do blackness and homelessness meet in San Francisco?
Let’s dive directly into the most common views and well observed elements that directly or indirectly intersect blackness and homelessness in San Francisco.
by Felicia Mello, CalMatters
San Francisco provides all tenants facing eviction access to an attorney. Across the Bay, in Contra Costa County, it’s a different story. Two tenants’ stories show the difference a lawyer can make.
After years of living on the streets and in single-room-occupancy hotels, the cozy studio apartment in San Francisco’s Japantown felt like a sanctuary to Corey Lafayette. He’d moved with no furniture,
by Jordan Davis
This year, I made a New Year’s resolution: No longer will I go on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter. Many of my peers have done so as well, since the rebranding has been accompanied by so much toxicity. X is starting to resemble an infamous website where trolls stalk transgender and autistic people.
If you have never been homeless without friends or family to house you,
