Despite an effort to raise money and file a lawsuit to quash it, a homeless navigation center on a 2.3-acre South Beach parcel has started to take shape.
A freshly solidified bed of cement holding several structural beams and a massive white tarp can be seen at the parking lot at Seawall Lot 330 near the Bay Bridge and Pier 30.
Mayor London Breed tweeted a set of images detailing the new construction, saying, “Exciting to see the progress being made at the new SAFE navigation center, which will soon help 200 people at a time get off the streets and connected with housing and services.”
Breed first proposed the waterfront SAFE navigation center in March.
The creation of what will be the city’s seventh navigation center—which are different from homeless shelters in that they’re defined as transitional housing for residents without homes—sparked ire from residents inside the nearby Watermark building. In June, those residents and nearby neighbors urged to Board of Supervisors to overturn an unanimous decision by the San Francisco Port Authority Commission that granted the city a two-year lease on the parcel.
A group named Safe Embarcadero For All later filed suit against the city of San Francisco to block the incoming homeless navigation center.
Opponents claim that an August 11 attack of a Watermark resident outside the luxury high-rise proves it is unsafe. SoMa resident Austin Vincent was arrested for allegedly attacking a female resident trying to enter her building. The assault, captured on the lobby security camera, was covered by national media outlets. Vincent, who reportedly lives with mental illness, was homeless at the time of the attack, according to SFGate.
“Enough is enough. Our streets are not safe, our homes are not safe. The city wants more shelters when it cannot deal with the ones it has currently. Judges allow dangerous, most likely mentally ill and drug addicted homeless attackers back on to San Francisco’s streets. If someone is looking for the definition of madness, this is it,” said Wallace Lee, a board member of Safe Embarcadero for All.
Many groups, like the Coalition on Homelessness, and notable San Francisco residents are for the navigation center in South Beach. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff donated $10,000 to a fund supporting the legal fight for the navigation center. Jeff Lawson, CEO and founder of Twilio, also forked over $10,000 to make sure it would rise.
“The status quo on homelessness is not acceptable and doing nothing is not an option,” Mayor Breed tweeted Friday.
The status quo on homelessness is not acceptable and doing nothing is not an option. We need to continue to build more Nav Centers, more affordable housing, more permanent supportive housing, and open more treatment beds so we can help people get the care they need.
— London Breed (@LondonBreed) August 30, 2019
According to the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing Department, SFPD will patrol around the site at least four times every day. “SFPD will focus on loitering, drug use and drug sale, and tents enforcement. Guests of the SAFE navigation center will not be permitted to use drugs or alcohol inside or in the vicinity.”
The new housing complex would allow residents to bring their partners, pets, and belongings with them while providing support and services aimed at getting them into permanent housing. Pets and partners are not always allowed at other shelters in the area.
Also unlike traditional shelters, navigation centers do not accept walk-ins. All individuals or couples who end up residing in the centers “have been selected by the SF Homeless Outreach Team or a centralized referral system as good candidates.”
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