SAN FRANCISCO—Mayor Edwin M. Lee and Supervisor Mark Farrell announced on June 26 achievements the City has attained in its 10-Year Plan to Abolish Chronic Homelessness. Such milestone’s included the investment of over $2 billion for homeless housing and services since 2004 to decrease the number of chronically homeless individual’s in the city; the development of more than 2,699 units to support permanent housing, with an additional 407 units planned to be completed by 2017; more than 11,362 homeless individuals in permanent supportive housing programs.
According to a press release from the Mayor’s website, both Mayor Lee and Supervisor Farrell also introduced the San Francisco Inter-Agency Council on Homelessness (SFICH) to attack the city’s goals to homelessness, display accurate date metrics to show progress and to heighten all Federal, State and private contributions to eliminate homelessness.
The SFICH will be led by former Supervisor Bevan Dufty, the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Housing Opportunities, Partnerships and Engagement (HOPE) and will consist of City Department heads and Citywide elected officials with support from other relevant Mayoral staff and State and Federal partners. SFICH will work with its partners to:
• Establish and maintain effective, coordinated, and supportive relationships with every City agency working to reduce homelessness;
• Organize and support effective implementation of the five year strategic plan developed by the Local Homeless Coordinating Board;
• Continue to support policies contained in the 10-Year Plan to Abolish Chronic Homelessness that have been deemed effective;
• Develop effective portals to local programs and initiatives;
• Establish and maintain productive communications with the Board of Supervisors and other elected officials;
• Establish partnerships with public and private sector stakeholders; and
• Monitor, evaluate, and recommend improvements in serving those experiencing homelessness and disseminate best practices.
“Ending chronic homelessness in San Francisco is a bold goal and one that we are striving for every day,” said Mayor Lee. “We must do even more to help our most vulnerable residents by taking a ‘Housing First’ model and build on the effective strategies, policies and programs that have brought our City so far already. Through housing or family reunification, the City has already helped more than 19,000 people leave the streets in the past decade despite the dealing with one of the worst recessions in a generation. We know our City is moving in the right direction, by creating affordable and service-intensive permanent housing and creating a more efficient and coordinated approach, and the San Francisco Inter-Agency Council on Homelessness will build on the legacy of the 10-Year Plan. We know chronic homelessness has not been abolished, and we know more needs to be done, but we will continue to make the necessary investments in the people of San Francisco for everyone that calls our City home and keep San Francisco families in their homes.”
At the current moment it’s estimated that around 3,000 people in San Francisco are chronically homeless. Affordable and service intensive permanent housing are top goals of the City to combat homelessness. Important accomplishments since the 10-Year Plan was introduced on June 30, 2004 include:
• Between 2009 and 2013, the number of chronically homeless in San Francisco declined by an estimated 51 percent (from 4,039 in 2009 to 1,977 in 2013).
• San Francisco has created 2,699 new units of permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless adults, seniors, families and transition aged youth. An additional 407 units are planned and in the pipeline, coming open to homeless persons by 2017.
• A total of 11,362 homeless persons have been placed in the City’s permanent supportive housing programs.
• The Homeward Bound program (designed to reunite homeless persons living in San Francisco with family and friends elsewhere who are willing and able to offer ongoing support to end the cycle of homelessness) has served over 8,000 homeless persons.
• The City has increased its investment in permanent supportive housing and other services to aid homeless persons.
• A 30 percent decrease in veterans homelessness from 2011-2013, as a result of the strong federal partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
“In the City of St. Francis, we have an imperative to do all in our power to continue work to end homelessness,” said Supervisor Farrell. “Our City has made tremendous progress, but we know there are still far too many living on our streets and shelters with no place to call home. I will continue to be a leader at the Board of Supervisors in working to implement and strengthen programs, policies and services that have been proven to produce the best outcomes for those experiencing homelessness, so we can continue to reduce our homeless population in San Francisco. We must continue challenge the status quo and be bold in our approach and vision to end homelessness in San Francisco.”
The Mayor has goals of 30,000 new housing units by 2020, with one-third of those units being accessible to low-and moderate-income families. His proposed FY 2014-15 and FY 2015-16 budget allocates $11 million in new investments to raise transitional and supportive housing by 419 units.
“On June 29, 2004, we gave the 10-Year Plan to Abolish Chronic Homelessness to Mayor Gavin Newsom. It was the product of an intense six month study of proven practices in other states throughout the nation. Our job was to apply theses proven methods, add to them from our own San Francisco expertise and immediately go to work for San Francisco’s chronic homeless population,” said former Supervisor Angela Alioto. “I am delighted at these amazing successes and the housing of people we were told could never be housed. The key to housing chronically homeless people is permanent supportive housing, and supportive meaning mental health services. It works, it’s hard to do, but we, the City of San Francisco, are determined to stay on the successful path of abolishing chronic homelessness in the City of Saint Francis. Thank you to Mayor Lee, Supervisor Dufty, Federal Homeless Czar Philip Managno and to all the members of the 10-Year Plan of 2004. All I have to say is: How sweet it is!”
Mayor Lee’s proposed budget will consist of $29 million in added funds for homeless services that include eviction prevention; shelter services; housing for transitional age youth, veterans, and seniors; mental services and supports; and barrier removal and other supportive services critical to helping homeless individuals and families not only become housed, but also move towards greater permanent stability and self-sufficiency.
For more information on the 10-Year Report on the 10-Year Plan to Abolish Chronic Homelessness, go to: http://www.sfmayor.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=404.
By LaDale Anderson
