A lawsuit against San Francisco over how it clears homeless encampments has thrust the city’s shelter system — and whether it is adequate — into the legal and political spotlight.
In December, the Coalition on Homelessness persuaded a federal judge to temporarily limit when San Francisco can remove homeless people and their belongings from public areas, saying such sweeps have in many cases violated unhoused persons’ rights. The city can still remove encampments for health and safety reasons after providing three-days’ notice, or can do so to ensure ADA compliance or to keep corridors clear for potential emergencies.
City officials insist they’re following the court order by only moving people who decline offers of shelter, which they say the order allows them to do. And while officials agree there’s a shortage of shelter citywide, they say they have enough beds for the people removed by a sweep.
Meanwhile, advocates for unhoused people note that there isn’t enough shelter for all of them, and they argue there are many reasons someone might decline a bed — trauma related to congregate settings or the inability to bring a partner or pet, for example.
Since the city’s power to sweep homeless encampments, under the injunction, is predicated on its ability to offer shelter, the Chronicle delved into the numbers behind San Francisco’s homeless shelter system. The data details how and where the city is providing shelter, as well as how many people are waiting for a bed.
How many beds are there, and where are they?
Across 50 active sites, the city had about 3,140 beds or units as of Sept. 13, according to data from the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. Shelters are defined as temporary sleeping arrangements, in contrast to the permanent supportive housing units the city also offers. The vast majority of shelter units are beds in traditional centers, though some are trailers or cabins, and a few are designated spots for people to sleep in their tents or vehicles.
The map below shows the locations and capacities of the facilities the homeless department funds, as of Sept. 13.
The map, which uses data provided by the homelessness department, doesn’t include about 60 beds or units from shelters with confidential locations, such as those for runaway youth, or programs that give temporary hotel vouchers. It also doesn’t include seasonal beds, like the ones the city offers during cold weather and storms.
How hard is it to get a bed?
On Sept. 13, more than 90%, or 2,865 beds of the 3,145 beds, were filled. But because the homelessness department reserves some beds for specific groups like families or youth, or for referrals from hospitals and city outreach teams, including those who clear encampments, shelters are functionally full to the general population.
The total number of homeless people sheltered by the city, around 3,280, is actually higher than the number of beds, since partners or a family could share a bed or unit.
That’s still a minority of San Francisco’s homeless population, however. The city tallied about 7,754 homeless people in February 2022, according to the most recent available data. While that was a 3.5% lower count than in 2019, a majority — 57%, or 4,397 — were unsheltered, including people sleeping in their own tents or vehicles. Still, that was a lower share than in 2019, when 64% of homeless people were unsheltered.
Advocates for unhoused people say finding shelter in San Francisco, especially without a referral, is often a challenge.
A pilot program the homelessness department recently launched allows homeless adults to place themselves on a waitlist for one of the city’s three large shelters. That waitlist, as of this week, had nearly 500 registrants. The department was not able to provide estimates for how long it typically takes to get off the waitlist.
The pilot program only offers shelter to people who can get on and off their beds unassisted and are otherwise “physically self-sufficient.” And homeless families and youth must call specific shelters that serve those groups to be placed on a separate waitlist, if they have one, or to request emergency placement.
The Coalition on Homeless has used the length of the waitlist as evidence San Francisco cannot currently shelter everyone who wants a bed, while the city has pointed to data from its outreach teams indicating a majority of their offers of shelter to people in encampments have been declined.
How does San Francisco compare to other places?
San Francisco appears to have a higher rate of shelter beds compared to its homeless population than some other California jurisdictions. The San Francisco Continuum of Care, which collects and reports homelessness-related data for the federal government, recorded 52 shelter beds for every 100 homeless people in 2022, higher than the 50 for the Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda Continuum of Care, and the 43 for the Los Angeles city and county group.
But that rate, which included the hotel rooms San Francisco allocated to help homeless people isolate during the pandemic, was lower than many other similar cities and counties, according to a report released this year from the city controller’s office. The New York City Continuum of Care had 84 beds for every 100 homeless people, while the Portland and Multnomah County continuum had a rate of 74 per 100.
What happens after someone gets shelter?
Once someone does get shelter, they can generally stay as long as they want, as long as they follow check-in requirements and other rules. That’s a change from pre-pandemic policy, when the longest someone could stay without an extension was 90 days.
Emily Cohen, a spokesperson for the city’s homelessness department, said the average length of stay in adult emergency shelters and navigation centers over the “past several months” has been approximately three months. Last year, the San Francisco Standard reported, the average stay in an adult shelter was 205 days.
The city does plan to add more shelter. The mayor’s budget included funding to add nearly 600 additional beds, most of which will expand capacity at existing facilities. The plan also aims to spend $12 million over two years to add 355 permanent housing units for people coming out of homelessness.
Reach Christian Leonard: Christian.Leonard@hearst.com
