Homelessness Solutions: Part 2

A humanitarian crisis has persisted on our streets for years and seems to have worsened as housing prices and rents have skyrocketed. Across the Bay Area, high-profile government and nonprofit initiatives have sought more effective ways of serving the homeless. But are they enough?

These stories, from the spring 2018 issue, follow on two recent special reports: From summer 2017, Which Way Home?, which looked into city government’s efforts to clear homeless encampments from the streets by putting people into navigation centers and shelters (or more often on buses to family or friends out of town). And the fall 2017 issue, Ideas For Ending a Crisis, a package of stories exploring ideas about how to do things differently to address the humanitarian crisis on our streets, even if they are only on the cusp of mainstream consideration. This time, the focus is on city programs.

The spring 2018 print edition of the Public Press is now available at select locations.

ABOUT THIS REPORTING PROJECT

This project was made possible by donations from Public Press members and the San Francisco Foundation

Homelessness

City Rolls Out Tech Platform to Improve — and Ration — Shelter, Housing for the Homeless

03.08.2018

By Rob Waters, Freelance writer

San Francisco has begun rolling out a new technology platform that officials say will better help the homeless population by giving priority for shelter and housing to those with the greatest need. But the ONE System also functions as a form of rationing of scarce affordable housing.

Education

On the Move: One Hardworking Family’s Struggle to Escape Homelessness

03.08.2018

By Rob Waters, Freelance writer

City native Victoria Ortiz’s path to homelessness began in the East Bay more than two years ago when she was pregnant, working at a Staples and subletting a room. A housemate stopped forwarding the rent to the landlord, and everyone was evicted. This is the story of her determination to find stable housing for her family while living at a shelter in San Francisco.

Housing

Rebuttal to Beyond Chron Criticism of Public Press Report on Residential Hotel Vacancies

03.07.2018

By Joe Eskenazi

Last week on his blog, Beyond Chron, Tenderloin Housing Clinic Executive Director Randy Shaw belatedly referred to my Fall 2017 Public Press cover story about vacancies in single-room occupancy hotels as “extremely misleading” and “false.” I was disappointed, but not surprised. And I am not alone.

Bay Area

Most Homeless Families Helped by City Rent Programs Move Out of S.F.

03.06.2018

By Rob Waters, Freelance writer

A San Francisco initiative to help homeless families find affordable apartments and assist them in paying the rent is sending the majority of them out of the city because of the high cost and shortage of housing.