SF HOPEs to Expand Homeless Services in Bayview

From Bevan Dufty, Mayor's Office of Housing Opportunity, Partnerships and Engagement

Dear Community Members: Our City has secured $1 million in State funding to expand and improve our shelter system.  The City is considering a lease of industrial space next door to the current Mother Brown/United Council Homeless Resource Center at2111 Jennings Street @ Wallace. We look forward to doing a better job of helping individuals who are homeless, so that they are not living on the streets in the neighborhood and that we engage them to sign up for services, employment and housing to exit homelessness. BEVAN DUFTY

Community Input on Proposed Bayview Shelter

Bevan Dufty from the Mayor’s Office of HOPE (Housing Opportunity, Partnerships and Engagement) and the Human Services Agency will be at two upcoming meetings to discuss these plans and answer questions.  Please come to either meeting or call the HOPE Office (415) 554-6164 with questions:

Wednesday, February 27th 6:00 p.m. at Southeast Community Facility Commission, 1800 Oakdale (@Phelps)

Tuesday, March 5th, 6:00 p.m. at Bayview Captain’s Monthly Community meeting, 201 Williams Avenue (@Newhall)

This Bayview Shelter requires approval by the City Planning Commission.  There will also be the opportunity to participate in that process later this year and, again, there will be public notice.  If approved, there will be a competitive bidding process to designate the shelter operator.

Background

United Council of Human Services

The United Council of Human Services (UCHS) began as a meals program in the Bayview about 18 years ago. Since that time the range of services have expanded to include those of a homeless resource center offering showers, two meals each day, laundry facilities, as well as lockers and an overnight drop-in center where approximately 50 people can stay in chairs from 7PM through 7AM. UCHS provides outreach services to the homeless in the Bayview, case management linked to education, benefits eligibility, employment referral and housing referral. Recently, UCHS added transitional housing services specifically for veterans who are eligible under the Grants Per Diem program.

New Bayview Homeless Shelter

The new shelter in the Bayview will be a new two-level, 100-bed facility adjacent to 2111 Jennings divided into sections for homeless men and women.  These sleeping units will replace the need to have people stay in chairs overnight. In addition, shelter residents will have access to showers, lockers, and two meals each day at Mother Brown's.  The ability of beds instead of chairs will ease the nights for the homeless population which, recent UCHS reports indicate, include a growing percentage of the elderly.  Shelter clients will also have access to case management services currently available at UCHS and also those provided by the START team of behavioral health case managers available to all shelter clients through the Department of Public Health.