Homelessness Archives - Page 6 of 28 - San Francisco Public Press

A young Black man stands on a San Francisco sidewalk. Down the sidewalk behind him sit tents and strewn clothing.

Community, Homelessness, Housing, Neighborhoods, News, Public Safety

SF Fires Linked to Homeless Surged as Pandemic Set In

by Yesica Prado and Jenny Kwon February 1, 2022April 10, 2023

Fires associated with homeless encampments in San Francisco rose by more than two-thirds during the first year of the pandemic, according to a Public Press analysis of the narrative texts from San Francisco Fire Department reports.

Fires are an ever-present fear for people living on the streets, where an errant spark could send flames ripping through a tent or other temporary shelter, sending its contents quickly up in smoke. Unhoused residents who have suffered through this experience report receiving little of the help available to those assisted after fires in buildings.

“Civic” Podcast, Community, Homelessness

Photographer Captures Homelessness Crisis in ‘Division Street’

by Laura Wenus January 6, 2022April 10, 2023

In search of a project, photographer Robert Gumpert started wandering around San Francisco. He began talking with and photographing people he encountered who were living on the street and in shelters. The resulting book “Division Street,” named after a street in the city where homeless people have often established encampments, will be released this year.

“Civic” Podcast, Government & Politics, Homelessness

SF Encampment Clearings Mostly Fail to Connect Residents to Services, Report Alleges

by Laura Wenus November 4, 2021February 22, 2022

A report from the Coalition on Homelessness alleges that the city’s encampment clearing practices are illegal and often fail to connect homeless people to the services they need.

Two doctors protest outside Mayor London Breed's house on April 30, 2020, calling for more hotel rooms to be opened for people experiencing homelessness to safely shelter during COVID-19. The one in front holds a sign reading "this is a public health nightmare."

Coronavirus, Health, Homelessness, Housing

As COVID Cases Surge Among SF’s Homeless, Shelter Options Narrow

by Nuala Bishari August 18, 2021August 20, 2021

As cases of COVID-19 surge in San Francisco, advocates question whether the city can prevent another outbreak in the homeless community. Between June 30 and July 31, confirmed cases among homeless people quadrupled from 18 to 78. But as the delta variant of the coronavirus sweeps across the city, there is a growing shortage of safe places for homeless people to go.

Tantay Tolbert surveys the street for parking options from the driver’s seat of her recreational vehicle. On this morning, Tolbert received a 72-hour notice to move the vehicle or it would be towed. She parks in an industrial part of Bayview-Hunters Point in San Francisco’s District 10, which is home to an estimated 45% of vehicle dwellers citywide.

“Civic” Podcast, Bay Area, Homelessness, Housing

Advocates Sue Mountain View, Calling its RV Parking Ban ‘Inhumane’

by Laura Wenus July 22, 2021July 28, 2021

A group of civil rights organizations filed suit against the city of Mountain View over an ordinance that restricts oversize vehicle parking on most city streets, describing it as unconstitutional and inhumane.

Outreach workers stand at a Tenderloin intersection wearing reflective vests and pulling a rolling cart with a sign reading “free COVID-19 vaccinations here.” This team administered 23 single-dose vaccines during an afternoon shift on Jul. 15, 2021.

“Civic” Podcast, Community, Coronavirus, Health, Homelessness

Outreach Effort Brings Vaccines Directly to Tenderloin Streets

by Laura Wenus July 20, 2021July 20, 2021

During the pandemic, Code Tenderloin has distributed everything from water to masks to food. With the arrival of the vaccine, they have collaborated with health care providers from the University of California, San Francisco and the nonprofit service provider Glide to try to overcome barriers to vaccination by walking the streets, offering immunizations on the spot.

A vehicle home is parked in Bayview. In San Francisco, biennial counts have tracked a rise in people living in vehicles. In 2015, 13% of the homeless were observed living in vehicles. That fraction rose to 28% in 2017 and to 35% in 2019.

“Civic” Podcast, Community, Homelessness

Nonprofit Leaders Reframe Homelessness as Systemic, Not Personal, Problem

by Laura Wenus June 21, 2021June 21, 2021

With the state emerging from a pandemic that prompted emergency action and investment to bring people living on the street indoors, and after recent pledges from state and local officials to invest in solutions to homelessness, local nonprofit leaders discussed what long-lasting solutions might look like.

Category: Homelessness