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San Francisco Homeless Division Proposes $18.2 Housing Program

The San Francisco Homeless Department is calling for the continuation of an expensive tented camp program that would become a cornerstone of keeping people off the streets by using makeshift homes valued at $ 60,000 annually.

There are six so-called “safe sleeping villages” where non-resident residents can sleep in tents while receiving three meals a day. The locations also offer 24/7 security, toilets and showers. The sites were created in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic to maintain social distancing even among the homeless.

Massive homeless program

Currently, the city’s tenting program costs a total of $ 18.2 million for about 260 makeshift homes. And unlike San Francisco’s homeless hotel program, the tented villages are not eligible for government compensation. Several nonprofits operate the websites, including Urban Alchemy, Dolores Street Community Services, and Larkin Street Youth Services.

But now the department is requesting an additional $ 15 million from the city of San Francisco to be used to purchase a similar number of tents in the coming fiscal year. The cost was estimated at around $ 57,000 per year. If the city council approves the application, they’ll pay almost double the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment for the tents for two consecutive years.

The department announced it would close some of the sites this year, but noted that they would be looking for new areas to build new ones. Officials said they planned to significantly tone down the program in fiscal 2022-2023 with an estimated budget required of $ 5 million, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

During a budget hearing on Wednesday, several regulators agreed that the cost of the program would need to be re-examined, largely due to the suspension of the city’s COVID-19 emergency response. “Having showers and toilets is a big deal, and I don’t deny that. But the cost just doesn’t make sense, ”said supervisor Hillary Ronen during the meeting.

Most of the cost of the tenting program is mainly due to 24/7 security, three meals a day, and shower and toilet facilities, said Gigi Whitley, assistant director of administration and finance for the homeless department.

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