Top headlines of the week

1. California tops nation in percentage of unsheltered homelessness
2. California’s Urban “Doom Loop”
3. Crime drop in S.F. neighborhood ‘riding on the back’ of Urban Alchemy. Here’s why
4. S.F.’s drug markets have transformed: More violence, new dealers and ‘chaos’ at night
5. SF Mission St. vendors blame 90-day ban for contributing to them ending up homeless, living in van

One night last week, The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) completed its annual point-in-time count. The exercise generates snapshot estimates of homelessness nationwide — and things are not looking good. More than 650,000 people were estimated to be experiencing homelessness, the highest figure since the count began in 2007. The 12% increase since last year was partly due to the expiry of various social programs instituted during the pandemic. 

More than 180,000 of those experiencing homelessness during the count were in California. Over half of the 250,000 who were unsheltered were in the Golden State. San Francisco stood out amongst urban areas in some unfortunate ways: It and Oakland had the highest percentages of unsheltered veterans; it and San Jose had the highest percentage of unsheltered, unaccompanied youth.

In other words, the crisis continues to grow, and California remains the center. San Francisco has recently implemented more affordable housing requirements, which is good. Why not convert some of the 30 million square feet of dormant office space into housing? Low profit margins, in part due to affordable housing requirements, are apparently scaring developers off. State and city subsidies might be necessary to turn talk into action. “Left largely to the private market,” Sasha Abramsky of The Nation concluded, “desperately needed wholesale conversions of empty office spaces in cities such as San Francisco will, I fear, remain largely a pipe dream as 2024 gets underway.”

These are large, long-term solutions. In the short term, an independent study funded by Stanford has found that Urban Alchemy’s controversial model for public safety has significantly reduced crime in San Francisco. In the 40 intersections patrolled by the group’s ambassadors, crime rates fell by 52% over a year, while drug crime plunged by 80%. That drop has come with a cost: The nonprofit was found in July to have overbilled the city, which has awarded the group millions of dollars, and dozens of people experiencing homelessness have spoken about abuse received at the hands of the group’s ambassadors, all of whom spent time in prison and some of whom have faced criminal charges for their actions while in Urban Alchemy’s uniform.

The change might also be illusory. The San Francisco Chronicle recently concluded that daytime crackdowns have simply shifted much illicit activity — particularly drug-related — to the night. Urban Alchemy’s ambassadors clock off at 7 pm.

Finally, an update on the situation of San Francisco’s vendors. In late November, a city ban forced more than 100 to stop selling on Mission Street. Several of them have now blamed that ban for their ending up homeless.

Weekly nonprofit news

SHELTER, Inc

Upcoming concert

SHELTER’s “Rock for SHELTER ‘24” is on Saturday 20! Join for an evening of incredible music, fundraising, and celebration to support SHELTER’s mission to prevent and end homelessness. 

Spectrum Community Services

Sharing insights

A big thank you to the wonderful members of Niles Fremont Rotary for having our Executive Director Lara Calvert as a guest speaker yesterday. It was an incredible experience sharing insights on fall prevention and getting the entire group moving with some basic exercises. Your enthusiasm and engagement made the session even more enjoyable!

Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco

The voluntarily unhoused

Chris Callandrillo, our Chief Program Officer, provides an interesting perspective on why some people experiencing homelessness may not accept housing offers right away.

Holiday festivities

Happy New Year! Closing out our holiday festivities, residents at the Alder enjoyed delicious food and gifts with neighbors and loved ones. A huge shoutout to individual donors like you who made this holiday season special for our residents!

Larkin Street Youth Services

Larkin’s policy brief

January marks National Poverty in America Awareness Month, highlighting the crucial link between financial instability and youth homelessness. To learn more about our impact and our continued efforts, we invite you to explore our policy brief.