By Christin Evans, HANC Board Member

Prop C has passed but the funds won’t be released to build shelters until any potential legal challenges are resolved. That means it could be 2-3 years before real solutions of increased shelter and housing capacity are implemented. Mayor Breed aims to open 1000 more shelter beds but that will barely scratch the surface of the real need and there is a real concern what quality of shelters will be provided.

In the meantime, an inquiry at the Community Police Advisory Board this past month confirmed that Park Police Station continues to aggressively enforce Sit/Lie despite legal questions. Captain Bailey said that Police continue to cite individuals for sitting or lying on public sidewalks despite quality shelter beds being unavailable.

The challenge was illuminated for me by former To the Streets participant and homeless youth Leo recently. She sleeps in Haight street doorways and the neighboring parks, and is frequently roused from sleep in the wee hours of the morning by patrolling officers. She says she isn’t offered a shelter space “in a safe neighborhood” where she can take her longtime canine companion, her pack, and her partner with her. Essentially, she receives citations for refusing temporary shelter which she has assessed as being unsafe and hostile to her retaining her support network.

That begs the question what shelter beds does the Mayor have in mind? There has been discussion of a 700-person megatent with mats on the floor where pets wouldn’t be welcome and partners might have difficulty staying together (often people are separated by age and gender when offered temporary cots or mats in large-scale shelters like the Mayor might envision).

But before that question has been settled, there is already new legislation which Supervisors Brown and Safai have introduced to clamp down on people sleeping in their vehicles, as described in an SF Chronicle article, 11/13/18 “City to address residential RVs, cars”:

“… Breed and two supervisors, Ahsha Safai and Vallie Brown, have laid out a multi-pronged strategy. First, they will direct the city’s Department of Homelessness to form a new team in January to disband clusters of vehicles and offer services to people living inside. Then they will set up a triage system, diverting some people into shelters and providing fuel or repairs for others.

Officials may open a temporary RV storage facility for people who accept shelter — because it’s easier to coax them out of their vehicles if they can retrieve them later, Kositsky said.”

With an estimated 400 vehicles being used for habitation, it seems the city is poised to make homeless folks lives harder before they make them better.

With the threat of confiscating vehicles, and without quality shelter or housing to offer in lieu of vehicles, the city is set on a course to face off with homelessness advocates again, much like they have with tent encampment sweeps. All the while, being homeless is just getting tougher.