A Publication of the Coalition on Homelessness
Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said “the budget is a moral document,” and that is certainly the case in San Francisco. Decisions about how we prioritize our spending can be a matter of life and death; whether we are investing money in law enforcement or health care or housing has real life consequences. The Coalition on Homelessness (COH) has several budget campaigns operating simultaneously this year. If they are not included in the Mayor’s budget we will fight for that funding at the Board.
Imagine not knowing that you’ve been freed from slavery because nobody told you. That’s how the Juneteenth holiday got started.
Juneteenth is celebrated in the African American community on June 19 every year. It began as a commemoration of the emancipation of slaves in Texas. It was first recognized in Galveston, Texas, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Even after Texan slaveholders knew of the proclamation,
This month, before Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 9, the Coalition took to the streets to honor poor and homeless mothers. We gathered at City Hall alongside dozens of families, and held a rally where mothers and service providers alike advocated for housing for families. Our homeless families made numerous demands on what to include in the City’s budget: over 500 housing new subsidies for families experiencing homelessness, direct cash aid assistance to immigrant families who were excluded from the stimulus packages and an emergency family shelter.
“Instead of a War on Poverty, they have a War on Drugs, so the police can bother me.”
2pac, from Changes
San Francisco can be a bit of a bubble. In no other moment has this felt more true than during the social and political turmoil of recent times. This is a city that has always thought of itself as liberal and open-minded, and many of our local officials seem to shine in comparison with the previous White House administration.
The City of San Francisco is set to “reopen” in June, while the temporary shelter at Moscone Center West will close at the end of that month. But where some 100 otherwise unsheltered residents will go afterward, or how they will get there, is not yet clear.
The state has announced one hard deadline, though: June 15, when California will lift most of its COVID-19 restrictions.
As the City sees nearly 7 of 10 adult San Franciscans complete their vaccinations and the weekly average number of COVID-19 cases drops to its lowest level since the emergency order in March 2020,
