Homelessness Archives - Page 10 of 28 - San Francisco Public Press

On a Sunday morning, Nelson walks three miles roundtrip between the tow yard where he keeps his car parked and the Tenderloin neighborhood, following a routine that involves picking up his breakfast at St. Anthony’s Dining Room. He passes people who have picked up meals and are eating them while sitting in chairs placed on the street by St. Anthony’s. The chairs are spaced six feet apart for social distancing to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. After the coronavirus pandemic began, service providers applied safety restrictions. No more open showers or restrooms. No more public seating to charge devices. No more dining rooms. Rather than claiming a chair on the street, Nelson prefers bringing his take-out food back to his car, and enjoys it in privacy.

Coronavirus, Driving Home: Surviving the Housing Crisis, Homelessness, Housing

Pandemic Makes Ride-Hailing Gig Untenable for S.F. Man Living in His Car

by Yesica Prado November 19, 2020July 25, 2025

During the pandemic, parking enforcement has been lax, and the 72-hour rule that forced Gregory Nelson to park in a new spot every few days is suspended. He found peace and stability staying in one spot — his version of sheltering in place — like millions of Americans. But working from home was not possible for him. Every week he tried to drive for Lyft, Nelson grappled with out-of-pocket expenses to use the ride-hailing app: car rental fees, tolls, gas and the occasional car wash. Within weeks of the shelter-in-place order, Nelson could no longer afford driving.

Gregory Nelson brushes his fingers across the hood of his vehicle, smudging the ashes that have settled on it in early September. “Look at all this dust,” Nelson said, raising his blackened fingers. “I just washed my car yesterday. Now, it’s on everything again. You cannot have anything nice out here.” On Sept. 9, some 14,000 firefighters were battling 28 major wildfires across California. And while the containment of August’s lightning fires seemed imminent, several new wildfires ignited and were fanned by strong gusty winds. Since the beginning of the year, more than 8,500 wildfires have burned over 4.1 million acres in California. To date, the total number of deaths due to wildfires statewide is 31, and nearly 10,500 structures have been destroyed. Thousands of wildfire evacuees are living in emergency shelters and inside their vehicles.

Coronavirus, Driving Home: Surviving the Housing Crisis, Homelessness, Housing

Photo Essay — Pandemic Makes Ride-Hailing Gig Untenable for S.F. Man Living in His Car

by Yesica Prado November 19, 2020September 20, 2021

Earlier this year, the San Francisco Public Press featured Gregory Nelson in “Driving Home: Surviving the Housing Crisis,” a photojournalism project by Yesica Prado documenting the experiences of people living in vehicles in the Bay Area. Prado followed up with Nelson to find out how his life has changed during the pandemic.

Homeless advocates have pressed San Francisco's Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing to keep eviction protections for shelter residents, in fear that without them, many will end up on the streets.

Government & Politics, Homelessness

City Reverses Shelter Eviction Policy, Extends Protections to Hotel Residents

by Nuala Bishari November 19, 2020November 23, 2020

San Francisco officials said they intend to reverse a policy change that would have left homeless shelter residents with fewer protections from eviction than they had before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The policy would have eliminated decades-old rules and endangered the rights of shelter residents and unhoused people citywide, increasing their risk of being pushed onto the street amid a coronavirus surge, advocates said.

On Wednesday, one day before advocates prepared to hold a protest initially billed as a “die-in” outside the Moscone Center South homeless shelter, the city reversed its decision.

Tantay Tolbert changes her son’s clothes on the dining room table in her new apartment. In March, the Homeless Prenatal Program in San Francisco offered her a hotel room for 90 days, and this became her first step into stable housing. After the hotel room, she transitioned into subsidized housing. “They looked out for me during the time of my pregnancy,” Tolbert said. “They gave us vouchers and made sure we had something to eat. It was catered food every day. It was blessed.” On June 16, Hamilton Families gave Tolbert the keys to her new apartment. “On Tupac’s birthday. It’s a Black holiday,” she said. A time to celebrate.

Coronavirus, Driving Home: Surviving the Housing Crisis, Homelessness, Housing

From an RV to Four Walls and a Pantry: One New Mom’s Story

by Yesica Prado November 18, 2020November 21, 2020

In a dimly lit living room, Tantay Tolbert reaches for a warm bottle of milk on the glass coffee table. Her month-old baby, Supreme Samuel Lloyd-Vaughn, softly cries in her arms. She caresses his black curls as she tilts the bottle into his mouth. “You were hungry, my baby?” Tolbert asks with a smile. “You eat a lot, baby.” It’s an ordinary day for Tolbert — comforting Supreme and dressing him in cute clothes. And yet, what seems ordinary now represents dramatic change and newfound stability.

Tantay Tolbert poses for a portrait with her son Supreme inside her 1977 Chevrolet Impala in front of her apartment in Richmond. She is hoping to get $10,000 when she sells this classic vehicle. Since the pandemic started, Tolbert and her partner have increased their car sales. “People are buying equity, and they can get to where they need to go,” she said. Tolbert says she has used some of her unemployment benefits to buy cars at auctions. She and her partner fix up the cars and sell them to people — some of whom are using their own unemployment benefits to pay for the vehicles. “We’ve been doing it since I was 21. I’m 38 now. We can do this with our eyes closed,” Tolbert said confidently. “This has been the whole solid foundation.”

Coronavirus, Driving Home: Surviving the Housing Crisis, Homelessness, Housing

Photo Essay — From an RV to Four Walls and a Pantry: One New Mom’s Story

by Yesica Prado November 18, 2020November 18, 2020

Earlier this year, the San Francisco Public Press featured Tantay Tolbert in “Driving Home: Surviving the Housing Crisis,” a photojournalism project by Yesica Prado documenting the experiences of people living in vehicles in the Bay Area. Prado followed up with Tolbert to find out how her life has changed in recent months.

From the Newsroom, Homelessness, Media

Criticism Highlights the Case for Responsible Accountability Journalism

by Michael Stoll October 18, 2020February 17, 2025

The website SFist on Thursday accused the San Francisco Public Press of inaccurate reporting and fabricating a source in an article on a private company that cleared a homeless street encampment last month. These allegations are false. The Public Press stands behind our story and two follow-up articles by reporter Nuala Bishari.

Tents housing homeless residents of San Francisco line a street below the freeway in 2017.

City Hall, Coronavirus, Homelessness, News

Closure of S.F. Shelter-in-Place Hotel Program Could Push Homeless Back to Streets

by Nuala Bishari October 7, 2020October 7, 2020

San Francisco’s decision to move more than 2,000 homeless people out of hotel rooms could drive many back onto the streets, leaving them as vulnerable to COVID-19 as they were when the temporary housing program was launched in the spring.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed speaks with attendees at the 2019 California Democratic Party state convention at Moscone Center.

Economy & Business, Government & Politics, Homelessness, Law & Justice

City Encourages Corporate Homeless Sweeps by Failing to Condemn Them, Critics Charge

by Nuala Bishari September 24, 2020September 25, 2020

Mayor London Breed’s apparent toleration of an unsanctioned homeless encampment “sweep” by a corporate event company this month has led her critics to ask whether the policy of City Hall is to turn a blind eye to privatized harassment of people living on the streets. The sweep, which occurred just past midnight on the morning of Sept. 10 outside the old Honda dealership on 12th Street, resulted in the disposal of eight people’s belongings. Neither the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing nor the mayor’s office clearly rebuked the actions of the event company, Non Plus Ultra.

Category: Homelessness

Pandemic Makes Ride-Hailing Gig Untenable for S.F. Man Living in His Car

Photo Essay — Pandemic Makes Ride-Hailing Gig Untenable for S.F. Man Living in His Car

City Reverses Shelter Eviction Policy, Extends Protections to Hotel Residents

From an RV to Four Walls and a Pantry: One New Mom’s Story

Photo Essay — From an RV to Four Walls and a Pantry: One New Mom’s Story

Criticism Highlights the Case for Responsible Accountability Journalism

Closure of S.F. Shelter-in-Place Hotel Program Could Push Homeless Back to Streets

City Encourages Corporate Homeless Sweeps by Failing to Condemn Them, Critics Charge

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