A Publication of the Coalition on Homelessness
The City of San Francisco, at the direction of Mayor Daniel Lurie’s office, is pursuing a “residency requirement” before unhoused folks can receive homeless services. It hasn’t unveiled the plan yet, or had planning meetings around it that are open to the public. The public doesn’t yet know which services or what this would look like, but the intent is obvious: more political scapegoating.
The “magnet theory” political trope is as old as mass homelessness in the U.S.
by Jordan Wasilewski
In June of this year, I participated in a Tenant Empowerment Week, which was organized by the Supportive Housing Providers Network (SHPN). I wrote about my first two days at the event last month, and continue here.
On Wednesday, Day 3, I once again got up early, put on some clothing that could be considered “gothic professional,” printed off the PSH Tenant Bill Of Rights Proposal,
by Shakema Straker
The following is an excerpt from “We Belong Here,” a newly released report from the Coalition on Homelessness. The full report can be found on cohsf.org.
San Francisco’s parks belong to everyone. That is not just an aspiration, it is the explicit mission of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department (SFRPD): “to provide enriching recreational activities, maintain beautiful parks and open spaces,
by Malik Washington
Disclosure: I have had prior professional contact with William Palmer through his former radio program, Cafe Revolution on KPOO 89.5 FM, and I attended Sheriff’s Department oversight hearings referenced in this article. I also spent time incarcerated inside San Francisco County Jail facilities, including San Bruno. That history informs this reporting but does not alter the documented public record on which this investigation is based.
by Lupe Velez
On Tuesday, July 14, the Board of Supervisors voted 7–4 to pass Supervisor Matt Dorsey’s Drug-Free PSH legislation. The passage was expected because five supervisors joined Dorsey as co-sponsors.
First drafted in late 2025, the policy called for the creation of drug-free permanent supportive housing from which tenants with a history of substance use disorder would be evicted if they relapse twice. The controversial policy has concerned substance use experts,
Next year, the City may spend as much as it wants on short-term rental subsidies for permanent housing under changes to Proposition C, also known as the Our City, Our Home ordinance.
But even if lifting the cap wouldn’t affect how Prop. C monies are distributed for other services such as behavioral health services and homelessness prevention, advocates for homeless people fear the City will shift from the measure’s intent of keeping formerly homeless people housed over the long term.
by Jordan Wasilewski
From June 15 through June 18, I participated in Tenant Empowerment Week, which was one of the few opportunities for permanent supportive housing tenants to make their voices heard in City Hall. At first, I was a little nervous about it being organized by the Supportive Housing Providers Network, an organization that includes PSH landlords, as real tenant organizing should be independent of landlords.
by Poor Magazine
Chocollo
I’ve been living on the streets for 15 years, suffering from unemployment and having no family. This is how I have met many people in the same or similar situations. I hope that one day I can resolve my situation and have peace in my life. I miss my family and my children very much, but I haven’t seen them since I’ve been on the verge of becoming homeless.
by Zach Bollinger
In the final two weeks of June, organizations, nonprofits, activists and concerned citizens assembled at City Hall, largely under the banner of The People’s Budget Coalition, to demand, well, a budget for the people, not a budget for the billionaires, speculators, and landlords. This coalition lobbied for a variety of interests, including funding for arts programs, women’s safety and rights organizations, maintaining Free City College,
by Apple Cronk
The following is a call to action the author gave in a speech in front of San Francisco City Hall on June 9, 2026. It was part of an action against the City’s practices of sweeping people who live on the streets or in vehicles because they have nowhere else to be. This piece had been edited as lightly as possible.
