San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed and the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) today announced plans to acquire a new building to provide permanent supportive housing (PSH) for young adults exiting homelessness. This new building will expand the City’s portfolio of housing and services for young adults experiencing homelessness.
Today, the Mayor will introduce a resolution to allow the City to apply for a State Homekey grant to support this project. HSH will engage in a robust community engagement process over the summer in advance of its purchase of 42 Otis. The property will provide 24 units of ongoing affordable housing with onsite social services, with the goal of supporting tenants to maintain housing and stability. The building will have 24-hour desk coverage, professional property management, and support services provided by a selected nonprofit provider.
"In San Francisco, we are investing in not only offering our youth experiencing homelessness with a place to call home but also providing them with the resources they need to feel supported and will help prevent them from becoming unhoused in the first place,” said Mayor Breed. “I thank HSH, our local funders, and the State for working together to make a long-lasting impact in the lives of people experiencing homelessness in our City.”
Mayor Breed’s homelessness response has prioritized increasing shelter, housing, and services for young adults experiencing homelessness. This includes adding buildings dedicated for youth housing at Casa Esperanza, the Mission Inn, and 1174 Folsom. 42 Otis would be the fourth building added in the last 1.5 years. These projects have received support from both local funding and Project Homekey, the state funding program created by Governor Newsom to support housing for the formerly homeless.
In addition, HSH has expanded access points designed to engage and connect youth experiencing homelessness to resources, opened the Lower Polk Youth Navigation Center to offer shelter and services, and added dedicated rental subsidies for youth. In the last two years, this work has created 400 new housing and shelter placements and expanded problem-solving and rental assistance for youth struggling with homelessness.
While the City is pursuing Project Homekey funding, this purchase is supported by the Mayor’s proposed two-year budget currently before the Board of Supervisors. In addition to funding the purchase of 42 Otis, the Mayor is investing significant resources to address homelessness among young adults which includes investments in new housing, homelessness prevention, and 24/7 drop-in center.
“The stabilization that housing provides in combination with critical supportive services is key to ending youth homelessness,” said Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing Executive Director, Shireen McSpadden. “This addition to our portfolio will not only move us that much closer to meeting our goals, but will create a safe and stable home and community for these young folks at a critical point in their lives.”
The Department will also host a community meeting about the Mayor’s proposal on Wednesday July 12, 2023. More information may be found on this page.
Between 2019 and 2022, San Francisco saw a 15% decrease in unsheltered homelessness and a 3.5% decrease in overall homelessness. The acquisition of this property will build on the City’s efforts to help more people exit homelessness as part of the Home by the Bay strategic plan, which includes the goal of cutting unsheltered homelessness by half over the next five years. To learn more about the plan, visit this page.
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