This Charter amendment would lock City Hall into annual spending on services for homeless people, and on public transit maintenance and upgrades.
The Board of Supervisors voted 8-3 to put this initiative on the ballot.
Category: Homelessness
Posted inHomelessness, Media
Change of Address: Voices Humanize Homelessness
The San Francisco Public Press and Sonic SF present a collection of eight audio portraits giving voice to people who are — or are on the verge of becoming — homeless.
Posted inBay Area, Community, Education, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Labor, Media, Public Safety, Social Justice, Social Services
How Media Coverage on Homelessness Falls Short (And What Reporters Can Do About It)
In many newsrooms, “the homeless” is a well-worn catchphrase for the often-anonymous people on the street or in shelters. But many professionals who work with these populations on a daily basis find the term offensive and misleading.
Posted inCity Hall, Homelessness
Supervisor Ponders Taxing Home Sales to Fund Affordable Housing
San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim wants to help pay for new affordable housing in the city by imposing a tax on sales of luxury condominiums. But it could take a year or two for the proposal to get before voters.
Posted inArts & Culture, City Hall, Homelessness, Social Justice
No Quick Fix for Funding S.F. Homeless Programs
At a packed forum, politicians hashed out where San Francisco will find the money to build housing for the city’s current homeless population.
Posted inCity Hall, Homelessness, Homelessness and Mental Health, Neighborhoods, Public Safety
As Neighbors Decry Spread of Homeless Encampments, One Mission Resident Opens Her Home Instead
Potrero Hill and Mission District residents complain about nearby homeless encampments, which have grown in sheltered areas as winter approaches. Police and city officials say the problem is too big to solve. One resident took matters into her own hands. Part of a special report on homelessness and mental health in San Francisco in the fall 2014 print edition.
Posted inHomelessness and Mental Health, News
Thoughts on Homelessness From San Francisco Civic Leaders
Part of a special report on homelessness and mental health in San Francisco, in the fall 2014 print edition. Stories rolling out online throughout the fall.
San Francisco has struggled for more than 10 years to solve the problem of chronicl homelessness. While the current consensus endorses the principle of “housing first” — stabilizing people by getting them off the streets and into basic housing — there is little agreement about the optimal policies to pursue. We asked eight civic leaders for their ideas about how to improve the living situations of the thousands of people currently living on the streets and in shelters.
Posted inCity Hall, Health, Homelessness, Homelessness and Mental Health
Schizophrenia Diagnosis Puts People First in Line for Benefits
Homeless people with schizophrenia face abnormally high hurdles to obtaining their Supplemental Security Income benefits. But one government program has sliced their wait times to mere days, rather than months. Part of a special report on homelessness and mental health in San Francisco, in the fall 2014 print edition. Stories rolling out online throughout the fall.
Posted inHealth, Homelessness, Homelessness and Mental Health
How Homelessness Can Compromise Mental Health
Studies show insecure housing can aggravate existing psychological problems, or even create new ones. Obtaining housing has been shown to improve mental health. Part of a special report on homelessness and mental health in San Francisco, in the fall 2014 print edition. Stories rolling out online throughout the fall.
Posted inHomelessness and Mental Health, Social Services
S.F. Alternative Court Provides Lifeline
For Kim Knoble, the city’s behavioral health court kept her out of jail and helped her recover from a debilitating disorder. Part of a special report on homelessness and mental health in San Francisco, in the fall 2014 print edition. Stories rolling out online throughout the fall.