Homelessness
SF may seize private buildings for coronavirus relief
City Attorney Dennis Herrera says there’s broad power to commandeer buildings and land during an emergency.
San Francisco to get at least 8,000 hotel rooms for homeless during COVID-19 pandemic
"This legislation will save lives," says Supervisor Hillary Ronen
San Francisco opens COVID-19 center for homeless in SoMa
"The worst is yet to come" warns mayor
SF may spend $105 million on hotels for the homeless
Lawmakers balk at $197-per-night price tag but insist they must move forward.
SF to rent over 8,000 hotel rooms for homeless, vulnerable
Mayor backs off of mega-shelter plan as lawmakers push to secure individual accommodations for residents.
SF reverses course on Palace of Fine Arts and Moscone Center homeless shelter plans
Shelterless people will instead be placed in hotels.
SF halts homeless shelter admissions over COVID-19
Health crisis "compounding scarcity" as city struggles to find places to put everybody.
SF homeless shelters told not to socially distance residents
Six feet per person is more space than most shelters have.
SF lawmakers want to move homeless population into hotels
Shelters aren’t safe during outbreak, supervisors argue, eyeing SF’s 33,000 empty hotel units.
How can SF protect the homeless from coronavirus?
Itinerant populations of often older and already ill people are a potential nightmare scenario in a pandemic.
Bay Area mayors want to tax second homes to pay for homeless relief
"An ongoing source of state funding, leveraged by local resources and partners and matched by local governments, is essential," says a joint letter from the mayors.
SF houses more homeless people than almost any other city
And yet it could—and should—do more.
San Jose opens tiny home community for the homeless
The South Bay city spent years arguing over 80 units, only half of which are done, but pilot program may yield greater results later.
SF homelessness and streets conditions reportedly not hurting tourism
Nothing to see here.
Republican-backed initiative wants to upend SF homeless navigation center plan
"San Franciscans are outraged."
San Franciscans now more worried about homeless than cost of housing
Anxiety about homeless crisis explodes in annual poll.
Plan for Polk Gulch homeless youth navigation center would cost $124 million
But that’s arguably less than the city is likely to spend on temporary facilities elsewhere.
Don’t bother building homeless centers in every neighborhood, says SF homeless official
Would building shelters across the entire city complicate homeless relief?
How Bay Area homeowners ended up paying $20K for homeless camp cleanup
As Castro Valley’s Lakewood neighborhood learned, people have to go somewhere—and whether it be public or private land, someone must foot the bill.
Berkeley votes for city-run homeless camp
"We’re all tired. We need solutions."
Oakland moms get to buy house they occupied
Despite an armed eviction, Moms 4 Housing may get a long-term watershed on contentious West Oakland property.
Location for San Francisco’s newest Navigation Center proposal announced
It will be two blocks away from another one.
State could sue SF, other cities over homelessness under new plan
Governor’s task force wants to amend the constitution to put cities in the hot seat over crisis.
Newsom claims homelessness will be his top priority in 2020
It’s an issue he couldn’t fix while mayor of SF.
SF should just give homes to the homeless, says new poll
More than three-quarters of those surveyed support housing vouchers as the most effective solution.
SF pledges housing assistance for renters with HIV/AIDS
$1 million grant allows SF housing non-profit to open up its rolls again
SF had a renaissance in homeless aid this decade—and it barely mattered
"We can’t solve this at City Hall."
At last, Embarcadero homeless navigation center set to open despite NIMBY outrage
Game-changing facility will open by year’s end.
Oakland to consider housing homeless on cruise ship
City council president says 1,000 people could find shelter offshore, but the port says idea is all wet.
The city opens parking lot specifically for the homeless
Small city-owned lot near BART may presage larger facility for car and RV-dwellers.
Oracle convention pulls out of SF over ‘street conditions’
The tech giant cites hotel costs and homeless crisis.
SF Housing Authority budget nightmare crashes promising homeless relief program
The agency spins its wheels and leaves the city’s Moving On Initiative with nowhere to move onto.
San Francisco has nearly five empty homes per homeless resident
And the Bay Area’s ten largest cities combined sport three empty homes for every two persons without one.
SF lawmaker demands city open bathrooms 24 hours
"This is not complicated," says mayor while ordering some—but not all—restrooms to open all day and night.
Embarcadero homeowners lose in final ruling to stop homeless center
Contentious center by Bay Bridge will open in December.
Homeless moms take over vacant West Oakland home
"This home was stolen from the black community in the subprime mortgage crisis, and it’s been sitting vacant for nearly two years."
Crime rates near Navigation Centers have dropped, according to the city
Three of the four open centers have seen crime rates drop.
SF homeless population may be more than double what we think
Official federal count dwarfed by city database.