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.
Category: Social Services
Posted inHomelessness, Housing, Social Services
How Pacific Northwest Cities Have Made Space for Homeless Encampments
San Francisco officials have been skeptical of sanctioning homeless encampments as transitional housing, but local activists note that the model has a long track record in Seattle, Portland and Eugene, Ore.
Posted inCommunity, Elections, Homelessness, News, Social Services
Lack of Shelter for Homeless Collides With Voters’ Wish to Clear Tent Encampments
San Francisco voters narrowly passed Proposition Q, creating new policies for how the city clears tent encampments where homeless people live. But that law may be a nonstarter, because there is virtually no indoor shelter available to get tent dwellers off city streets.
Posted in2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide, Aging, Elections, Health, Social Services
Proposition I: Creating a ‘Dignity Fund’ for Services for Seniors and Disabled Adults
This Charter amendment would create a “Dignity Fund” dedicated to annual, mandatory spending on services for seniors and adults with disabilities.
The Board of Supervisors voted 9-2 to put this initiative on the ballot.
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 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.
Posted inElections, Homelessness and Mental Health, Law & Justice, Social Services
Sentencing Reform Side Benefit: Behavioral Health Court Expansion
A state law approved by voters on Election Day will reduce tough sentences for some felonies. But it could also provide a financial windfall to local community courts, which divert people with mental illness out of the criminal justice system. 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 inCommunity, Homelessness, Housing, Social Services
Homeless People of San Francisco Speak Out
The San Francisco Public Press interviewed people living in the city without housing as they gathered at the Mission Resource Center and the S.F. Night Ministry open cathedral Sunday service at United Nations Plaza. They shared their experiences about lacking a permanent place to live.
Posted inCity Hall, Domestic Violence, Law & Justice, News, Open Government, Public Safety, Social Justice, Social Services
Q&A: The Role That Culture Plays in the Response to Domestic Violence
Orchid Pusey, interim director of the Asian Women’s Shelter in San Francisco, says cultural differences can have a big influence on the attitudes and responses to domestic violence. She talked with San Francisco Public Press reporter Ruth Tam about the challenges facing service providers in the city. This story appeared as part of a special report on domestic violence in the Fall 2012 print edition of the San Francisco Public Press.
Posted inCity Hall, Domestic Violence, Law & Justice, News, Open Government, Public Safety, Social Justice, Social Services
Mirkarimi Case Brought Spotlight to Domestic Violence in San Francisco
As the city’s Ethics Commission debated whether Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi was fit to hold his elected position this past June, the complex game of personality, politics and procedure eclipsed larger policy questions about the city’s approach to handling thousands of cases of domestic violence each year. But advocates for victims said the hearings generated wider awareness of the problem of domestic violence.