Mayor Gavin Newsom: Update on Homelessness

Homelessness has been and still is the biggest challenge facing our City. It is a moral and ethical crisis that challenges our core values as San Franciscans. Every day, we walk past men and women living and sleeping on our streets, many panhandling on median strips, barely eking out an existence.

In response, working with leaders like Angela Alioto, we have begun a revolution of solutions that challenges the status quo. We are rethinking and reinventing our approaches. Our goal is simple: We must reconnect our most needy residents with the vital services they need to get off the streets and into permanent supportive housing.

Numbers of Homeless Down
After one year, our approach has already paid dividends. In February, we conducted a citywide HUD-mandated homeless count, which revealed that there was a 41 percent decline in homeless individuals on the streets since the last count in 2002. This year's census revealed there are 5,642 homeless in San Francisco today, down from 8,640 in 2002. The most significant decline has been in the city's street population, which has declined 41 percent. Citywide, the overall number of homeless on our streets declined 28 percent. 

These numbers are evidence that what we are doing is working. The fact is, more than 95 percent of those we have placed in permanent supportive housing through our "Housing First" approach, are still housed. Placing people in housing and giving them the support they need to get their lives back on track is the right approach to ending chronic homelessness. We've got a long way to go, but these numbers tell us we're on the right track.

Since its implementation, Care Not Cash has been successful in placing 690 chronically homeless individuals in newly-created permanent supportive housing. During that time, the city's General Assistance rolls have declined 73 percent - a decrease that city officials directly attribute to the success of the "Housing First" model.

The Department of Human Services anticipates that another 100 chronically homeless people will be given permanent housing soon and anticipates that a total of 300 chronically homeless people will be given permanent supportive housing by the end of the fiscal year.

Meals for the Homeless
Responding to the growing demand for meals, we launched the "Food Stamps in a Day" program. This innovative public/private partnership will streamline the food stamp application process, making it possible for homeless individuals to receive food stamps in one easy stop. The program has already proven highly effective as a tool to feed the hungry. The SF Department of Health Services and the staff at St. Anthony's has already enrolled dozens of homeless clients to get food stamps.

Keeping Women Out of Shelters and into Homes
The launch of the first-ever permanent supportive housing dedicated solely to homeless women serves as another example of our resolve to end chronic homelessness in San Francisco. 

In February, we made 25 units available at the Mary Elizabeth Inn, which has been a women's residence for 91 years. At the same time, we are moving to close one of the most notorious women's shelters in our system. Women and seniors are considered to be among the most vulnerable of the homeless population.  This newly-established program is important because the new units are a first step toward providing homeless women a safe, permanent and stable place to get back on their feet.

Project Connect - What You Can Do To Help End Homelessness
February also brought about our "Project Homeless Connect." This third outreach effort brought together more than 500 dedicated volunteers who share our vision of eradicating chronic homelessness in San Francisco.

This extraordinary event put more than a dozen city services - on-site spot medical treatment, legal assistance and a hot meal - in one place. More than 1,000 clients were brought to the site and linked to vital services as a result of this day's outreach. We did something many thought was impossible - we brought services to the people who needed them most.

I am proud of the in-roads the city's innovative programs have made in our drive to end chronic homelessness in our City. Although there is much more to be done, we are meeting our challenge and I remain resolved in my commitment that every resident of San Francisco be afforded a quality of life that allows for personal fulfillment and a healthy mind, body and soul.

Gavin Newsom is the mayor of San Francisco.