San Francisco, CA – The number of unhoused families in San Francisco has doubled since 2022, according to the city’s Point-in-Time Count data. This crisis has remained unaddressed, leaving over 500 families currently on the shelter waitlist.
San Francisco took a step forward: the Rules Committee reviewed and approved legislation developed by the Coalition on Homelessness, in collaboration with Supervisor Hillary Ronen, to extend essential housing subsidies for families in need.
The proposed ordinance will increase the duration of rapid rehousing assistance for vulnerable families from two to five years. Currently, many families who exited homelessness through rapid rehousing assistance are being forced back onto the streets once their aid ends.
“This is a commonsense solution to the growing number of unhoused families in San Francisco. By providing long-term subsidies, families can remain housed and avoid returning to the streets. This is also a win for landlords, who will be assured that rents will be covered not just for one or two years, but for five. The most effective way to prevent family homelessness in San Francisco is to offer stable, long-term housing support,” said Jennifer Friedenbach, Executive Director of Coalition on Homelessness.
Currently, San Francisco is unable to extend subsidies for vulnerable families, even in cases where it is clear that ending access to these subsidies will lead to their return to homelessness. This policy gap has created a revolving door of housing instability for families in the city. The proposed ordinance would allow the City and County of San Francisco to provide up to five years of rapid rehousing assistance to eligible households assessed as being at risk of returning to homelessness due to a shorter-term subsidy.
“Getting into the rapid rehousing program felt like we’d finally caught a break. But a year and a half was never going to be enough for us to get on solid ground. Within five years, we could have built a stable foundation to stay housed for good. Instead, we ended up back where we started, facing homelessness all over again. Families like mine need more than a quick fix – we need real time to rebuild,” said Chariana Jones.
Additionally, this legislation mandates that the Homelessness Oversight Commission hold an annual hearing and issue a report analyzing the City’s implementation of the Rapid Rehousing Program to ensure effectiveness and accountability.
Extending subsidies has been proven by local family service providers to break the cycle of homelessness for families. For instance, Compass Family Services, which supports thousands of families each year, reported that 24% of families in their two-year program exited into unstable living conditions, compared to only 4% of families in their three-year program. This extra time and stability are crucial for keeping families housed and ensuring that children consistently attend school.
Following approval by the Rules Committee, the proposed ordinance will return to the Board of Supervisors for review on December 3, 2024, and the final vote will take place on December 10, 2024.
