A Publication of the Coalition on Homelessness
by Street Spirit staff
He was a lifelong advocate advocate for peace, justice and the people whose voices are often left unheard
Terry Messman, the founding editor of Street Spirit, passed away on May 10, 2026 at the age of 74. His family and friends are planning a celebration of life for him later this year. We will share details when a date is confirmed.
photos by Zach Bollinger
As part of a family-friendly event at San Francisco City Hall on June 17, the Coalition on Homelessness hosted an interactive board game with staff from the Supervisors’ offices. The Monopoly-style game illustrates the realities unhoused households and individuals face when navigating the process to secure shelter or housing. One roll of the dice could signify a single step forward, while the next roll could mean two steps backwards.
by Jordan Wasilewski
Lately, as a permanent supportive housing tenant activist who has been in the trenches on and off for ten years, and who has so much institutional knowledge that hasn’t yet been fully shared and, who could write enough evergreen/backlog/retrospective pieces to get this august publication through the Trump administration, I’ve found that we PSH tenants have been in the news a lot, for better or for worse, or for “it’s complicated.”
by Willie Futrelle
Local and national housing advocates protested outside the Le Meridien Hotel in DC, US against the Cicero Institute’s Homelessness Policy Conference and the think tanks’ influence over homelessness policy on June 5.
In Grants Pass v. Johnson, the Supreme Court upheld a city’s ability to arrest people for sleeping outside without available shelter space for the unhoused, allowing for more punitive legislative measures across the nation,
photos by Zach Bollinger
On the same day that Mayor Daniel Lurie’s office announced “record-low number of tent encampments and large vehicles on San Francisco streets,” advocates for homeless people gathered on the steps of City Hall to demand more services and an end to criminalization.
Three organizations, including the Coalition on Homelessness (COH), which publishes Street Sheet, hosted the rally on June 9 to protest what they call a futile and cruel response to homelessness.
