San Francisco, CA – In the last year, San Francisco helped a crucial number of people exit homelessness through City programs – a 70% increase compared to the year before Mayor Breed took office.
In the 2023 fiscal year (July 2022-June 2023), 3,600 people were placed in permanent supportive housing, accessed rapid rehousing, or benefitted from problem-solving programs like relocation assistance and financial assistance. This is a 70% increase from the year before Mayor Breed took office, when just over 2,100 people exited homelessness in San Francisco.
In the current fiscal year (July 2023-June 2024), San Francisco remains on pace to continue this progress in the current fiscal year. Since Mayor Breed took office in 2018, San Francisco has helped over 13,000 households exit homelessness through City programs. This does not include the thousands of people that access temporary housing through shelter programs and other support every year.
“Helping people exit homelessness is essential in our work to change lives and make our City even stronger,” said Mayor London Breed. “While we continue to stay focused on helping people off the street and into shelter and treatment, we know that housing and long-term stability are needed to continue our progress on reducing homelessness in San Francisco. I’m grateful for the work our City staff and non-profit partners have done in helping people out of homelessness, and we remain committed to the work ahead.”
Efforts under Mayor Breed have expanded housing options, launched new programs to fill vacancies faster, and expanded relocation and financial support programs including:
- Adding thousands of new housing slots: In July 2020, Mayor Breed launched the Homelessness Recovery Plan, which included a goal of adding 1,500 new housing slots in our permanent supportive housing programs. Not only did the City meet this goal, but doubled it, adding 3,000 new slots. This effort was supported by local funding as well as state funding from Governor Newsom’s Project Homekey.
- Launched innovative programs to fill vacancies: San Francisco has implemented numerous strategies to fill vacancies in its permanent supportive housing portfolio, including its new Street to Home program, which expedites the housing placement process for people moving directly from the street into housing. Thanks to these improved strategies, San Francisco has seen a 32% decrease in the number of vacant units in its site-based permanent supportive housing portfolio.
- Expanded relocation assistance and problem solving: San Francisco used to only provide transportation support home to a narrow group of people. Now, it’s offered through two Departments to a broader group of people. This relocation assistance is also offered alongside financial assistance programs, so people are more encouraged not only to take a ticket home, but to have financial support to succeed when they get there. All of these programs are designed to offer targeted support for those who need direct interventions to exit homelessness.
“Under Mayor Breed’s steadfast leadership, San Francisco has achieved this remarkable milestone moment of successfully transitioning thousands upon thousands of individuals from homelessness into sustainable housing solutions,” said Executive Director of San Francisco’s Homelessness and Supportive Housing Department, Shireen McSpadden. “Though a dynamic combination of compassion, innovation, and unwavering commitment, the City has provided stable homes that restore hope and dignity for people struggling to exit homelessness.”
More About the Data
The City Controller tracks exits from homelessness through City programs. Exits are when households receive assistance from the City to exit homelessness. This includes both individuals and families. These programs provide permanent solutions to homelessness through permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and problem solving.
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