Governments have been looking for an effective, cost-efficient way to house their homeless populations, especially the high-need individuals straining public resources while out on the streets. Social impact bonds offer a novel public-private partnership that might work.
Category: Homelessness
Posted inEconomy & Business, Homelessness, Housing, Land use, Neighborhoods, News, Solving Homelessness: Ideas for Ending a Crisis
No Vacancy for the Homeless
Dozens of residential hotels have rooms to spare, but it is a seller’s market, and city officials cannot force owners to rent. At last count, 4,353 people were unsheltered in San Francisco, with 1,827 empty rooms in private SROs.
Posted inCity Hall, Economy & Business, Homelessness, Housing, Social Services, Solving Homelessness: Ideas for Ending a Crisis
How to Fill All the Empty SRO Rooms
Master leasing of single-room occupancy hotels in San Francisco has housed thousands of homeless people — and done so in hotels that are, by and large, a huge improvement over those of a generation ago. But hings could be better.
Posted inEducation, From the Newsroom, Homelessness, Media, Solving Homelessness: Ideas for Ending a Crisis
Brainstorming the Future to Help Resolve Homelessness
Starting this fall, the Public Press is reporting on new and creative solutions to homelessness. And because we know we don’t have all the answers, we’re engaging the community to gather fresh ideas and inspire action.
Posted inCity Hall, Homelessness, Housing, Navigating Homelessness: Which Way Home?, Public Safety
After City Clears Homeless Camps, Team Works to Prevent Return
City officials quickly learned that not long after a homeless encampment was cleared, a new one would often take hold in the same area. So they quietly added a team to keep encampments from re-emerging.
Posted inBay Area, City Hall, Education, Health, Homelessness, Housing
One Week of Homelessness Coverage, 11 Ideas About Solutions
The weeklong S.F. Homeless Project, a coordinated reporting effort by nearly two dozen outlets, offered up some ideas that could contribute to the overall aim of ending homelessness — or at least proposals that could help homeless individuals cope better with life on the streets.
Posted inCity Hall, Food Systems, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Navigating Homelessness: Which Way Home?, Neighborhoods
Nomads by the Bay: Homeless Camp Faces Cycle of Displacement
The story of Box City reflects the city’s shifting approach to homeless encampments and the impact on their residents. Many believed the navigation centers — touted as a model of moving people from “street to home” — would lead to long-term housing. But they were left demoralized and jaded about the government’s ability to help them.
Posted inNavigating Homelessness: Which Way Home?, News
A Legacy of Criminalizing Transience and Homelessness
The California Legislature enacted the state’s first anti-vagrant statutes in the mid-19th century, targeting Native Americans and Mexican-Americans. Since then, policymakers and voters have regularly acted to rid city streets of people who are homeless or indigent. This brief timeline highlights some key years and actions.
Posted inNavigating Homelessness: Which Way Home?, News
‘Quality of Life’ Citations at Record Lows
As San Francico police respond to more calls for “quality of life” volations, citations have declined sharply in recent years, and the courts have been throwing out warrants for violations, quietly decriminalizing homelessness citywide, an analysis of city records shows.
Posted inAging, Homelessness, Housing, Navigating Homelessness: Which Way Home?
As Shelter Wait Times Soar, Older Homeless in Limbo Daily
The wait time for an emergency shelter bed for homeless San Franciscans has hit a record high, as growing demand outstrips availability, city records show. Among those waiting weeks on the list recently were someone 97 years old and three people in their 80s.