San Francisco May Prioritize Locals for Homeless Housing
Officials in San Francisco are considering a proposal to prioritize city residents with established local ties for homeless housing assistance. The plan would give locals an advantage in securing support. If enacted, this would represent a significant shift in the city's approach to managing its homelessness crisis.
- This policy shift is part of Mayor Daniel Lurie's "Breaking the Cycle" initiative, which aims to reform the city's approach to homelessness with a greater focus on accountability and outcomes. - The 2024 count of the homeless population found that 59% of respondents reported their last stable housing was in San Francisco. This is a decrease from 2019 when 70% of the homeless population reported becoming homeless while living in the city. - To qualify for some existing financial assistance programs for housing in San Francisco, such as the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, applicants are already required to be current residents of the city. - The city's "Coordinated Entry" system is the primary gateway for individuals experiencing homelessness to access housing and services; any new prioritization policy would likely be implemented through this system. - Mayor Lurie's administration has also focused on increasing shelter capacity, with a goal of adding 1,500 new shelter beds to provide an immediate alternative to street encampments. - Concurrently, there is a separate legislative effort from Supervisor Bilal Mahmood to ensure a more equitable distribution of homeless shelters and services across all of the city's districts. - The proposal to prioritize locals comes as San Francisco's overall homeless population saw a 7% increase between 2022 and 2024, reaching a total of 8,323 individuals. - Critics of the mayor's broader strategy have expressed concern over proposals to redirect funds from permanent supportive housing to temporary shelters, arguing it could undermine long-term solutions.
