San Francisco Mayor London Breed said the city may soon be able to reopen more businesses and even some schools, but only if the Labor Day holiday doesn’t cause a spike in case
Housing
Hundreds More Homeless People Could Get Housing Under Emergency Policy
More than 600 people living on San Francisco’s streets could soon get placed in permanent supportive housing.
The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved an emergency ordinance that lifts restrictions on
who can access this type of shelter, which includes services like mental health and substance use treatment and employment assistance.
Housing
Advocates Press SF to Fill Supportive Housing Vacancies With People Living on Streets
San Francisco should move people living on the streets to the top of the list for permanent supportive housing, advocates and service providers said Tuesday.
The current system of setting aside all available housing units specifically for homeless people living in shelter-in-place hotels is not proving effective, advocates and city officials said at a hearing of the Board of Supervisors’ Budget and Finance committee.
Coronavirus
Though Eligible for Vaccine, Some Homelessness Response Workers Turned Away
Mary Kate Bacalao, director of external affairs and policy at Compass Family Services and co-chair of the Homeless Emergency Service Providers Association, spoke with “Civic” about how her staff — and other workers in the sector — have experienced the process of figuring out their eligibility for a vaccine and actually getting one.
Housing
70 Hotels Could House the Homeless, if San Francisco Buys
More than 70 hotel owners have said they are willing to sell their properties to San Francisco, and now is the perfect time to buy some of them, homelessness activists said at a press conference Wednesday.
“Civic” Podcast
To Build Trust, New City Administrator Carmen Chu Wants Transparency, Investment in Economy
Chu, who had been the city’s assessor-recorder since 2013, joined “Civic” to discuss her plans for charting a path forward in difficult times. To rebuild public trust in city government, she said, public officials must demonstrate that they are acting on her promises, while being candid about any missteps.
Economy & Business
SF Poised to Work on Blueprint for Creating a Public Bank
Jackie Fielder, co-founder of the San Francisco Public Bank Coalition, talked with “Civic” about a proposal that would create a working group to chart a path toward a public bank in San Francisco.
City Hall
1 in 10 SF Housing Units for Homeless Sit Vacant
Nearly one in every 10 of San Francisco’s permanent supportive housing units — earmarked for people experiencing homelessness — is now sitting empty. The number of vacant units has climbed 58% since September and now represents 9.9% of the permanent supportive housing stock.
Homelessness
FEMA to Retroactively Fund All Shelter-in-Place Hotel Costs
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will retroactively reimburse states 100% of the cost for shelter-in-place hotels, dating back to January 2020, the White House announced Tuesday.
The announcement comes less than two weeks after the Biden administration pledged to fully fund hotels used to house homeless people over 65 or with compromised health going forward. Previously, municipalities were responsible for 25% of the costs.
Homelessness
Even as Funding Expands, Hotels May Resist Taking in More Homeless Residents
San Francisco is willing to open more hotel rooms to the homeless but may face roadblocks from hotel owners and service providers who would be needed to staff the sites.
On Monday, the city’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing sent a letter to community organizations outlining a rough plan to address an influx of funds expected from the Biden administration, which said it will fully reimburse local governments the cost of temporarily housing COVID-vulnerable homeless people in hotels. But the city’s letter comes with a caveat.
Homelessness
New Emergency Homelessness Response Plan Calls for Elimination of Healthy Streets Operation Center
In an attempt to limit police involvement with emergency calls about homelessness, a city group is proposing eliminating a multimillion-dollar program launched in 2018.
The group, composed of representatives of about two dozen city agencies and non-profits, released a 74-page paper Tuesday outlining its plan, called the Compassionate Alternative Response Team.