From homeless to housed: October Snapshot

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  • From homeless to housed: October Snapshot
Luisa Montes October 20, 2021

Every month, we track the number of people who exited homelessness in San Francisco so we can determine if we are on pace to meet our housing goals for the year. Staying on top of this information helps us ask the important questions – of ourselves and others – to make sure we are doing everything possible to get people off the streets and into homes.

In San Francisco, 179 people exited homelessness in the month of August, marking the highest number of individuals who have moved into permanent homes so far this year. The City has been able to make progress against some of the initial barriers to housing in previous months, and the result is a 60% housing increase compared to the previous month.

Through August 2021, a total of 908 people have exited homelessness in San Francisco, and continuing this increased pace will have an incredible impact on our community. We urge the City to continue this momentum to bring an end to the homeless experience of our unhoused neighbors.

When it comes to solving the social issues of our communities, it is tempting to only think about the work that lies ahead of us; how much work we have yet to do. This has certainly been a hallmark of All In from the beginning, but as we head into the final months of the year, we think it is equally important to highlight the wins along the way. 

The City’s efforts to purchase and convert three hotels into housing with supportive services for our unhoused neighbors, explained in our Snapshot last month, was approved by the Board of Supervisors this week. While the City will no longer pursue the building proposed in Japantown, the three hotels that were approved will create 237 new homes in our city. 

Tahanan Supportive Housing at 833 Bryant Street, highlighted in our October 2020 Snapshot, is now in the process of welcoming its first group of residents into their homes. This incredible milestone proves that we can significantly reduce the time and cost of construction for new permanent supportive housing, and this innovation is key to bringing more solutions to homelessness to the table. 

We also know homelessness does not exist in isolation, and there are many intersecting situations that contribute to or result from experiencing homelessness. Behavioral health and substance use challenges commonly intersect with homelessness, so it is encouraging to see that San Francisco will create over 400 new beds, a 20% expansion, to treat individuals experiencing a combination of mental health and substance use issues. Now, street response teams have more places to send people they are interacting with on the street. 

All of these achievements have come about thanks to an ongoing commitment to innovation and community voices—and that combination is one that resonates throughout this place we all call home.

We need you! All In is a campaign built on the people of San Francisco, and here’s how you can show up for our unhoused neighbors: 

  • Share this blog with three friends/colleagues on Facebook – Twitter to start a meaningful conversation about homelessness in our community.
  • The solutions to homelessness start with YOU. Click below to sign the All In Pledge.

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