A Publication of the Coalition on Homelessness
by Claudine Sipili
As a board member of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) Lived Expertise Advisory Board that played a major role in the design and implementation of the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness, my participation on the project was deeply influenced by my personal experience of homelessness. Having faced the challenges and uncertainties associated with housing instability firsthand,
by Cierra Cardenas
Growing up in America during the height of globalization—and byproduct—capitalism has quickly shown me the dichotomy between human experiences as a result of a system that was built by many, to be enjoyed by few. I became aware of the classist formula of capitalism once I was able to experience its effects, both personally and from others who had seen sides of it I have never had to see.
by Jennifer Friedenbach
It was a record add-back year, even though there was a decrease in General Fund revenue and we had a Mayor’s proposed budget that cut many community programs including $60 million from housing for homeless youth and families and $30 million from child care in two voter initiatives (from 2018). In total the add-back pot for an overall $14.6 billion budget was $80 million over two years.
After a three-year suspension prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the shelter reservation waitlist for single adults has been reactivated as of July 5, but with changes, the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) announced earlier this month.
People wanting to refer themselves to a 90-day shelter reservation may call the Homeless Outreach Team at (628) 652-8000 to speak to a live 311 agent, HSH communications director Emily Cohen told the Homelessness Oversight Commision on July 6.
In 2019, when I was homeless, I lost my ID. I retraced my steps to the stores where I knew I had taken it out when I fished for store cards and cash in my pouch. No luck—it wasn’t at any of them.
That meant I had to undergo the rigmarole of replacing my ID. At least I still had my Social Security card, knew where I kept my birth certificate and had access to the paperwork waiving the fee to unhoused California residents—which is not always true for many people experiencing homelessness.
