Get help to pay for housing or other emergency needs

The Season of Sharing (SoS) program aims to keep San Francisco residents stably housed by providing emergency financial assistance for housing or other critical needs.

What to do

If you receive eviction documents, you should immediately seek free legal help from the Eviction Defense Collaborative at (415) 659-9184 or legal@evictiondefense.org, or visit EDC at 972 Mission St., 1st Floor, on Monday, Wednesday or Friday, 10-11:30 am and 1-2:30 pm. If you need advice about a specific situation, you can also contact the Rent Board, a mediator, or a tenant counselor listed under our Community Partners page. To learn about local protections from eviction for unpaid rent, visit our Tenant Protections page.

1. Review key information

The Season of Sharing program has updated its eligibility criteria as of April 2023. The intake worker at the Community Partner agency you are applying through will review your criteria to determine if you are eligible. Eligible applicants can apply once every five years based on the last approved application. Having received prior assistance may disqualify an applicant from being eligible at this time. Applicants will not be asked about citizenship/immigration status or be required to show proof of citizenship.

Due to limited resources, applicants may not be selected to receive financial assistance even if they meet the program’s minimum eligibility criteria below. Financial assistance is only available to households with the highest risk of homelessness or housing loss. If you do not receive financial assistance, other help may be available. See Additional Resources below. 

Types of assistance provided through the Season of Sharing program: 

  • Past-due rent or mortgage 

  • Move-in costs (security deposit and/or first month’s rent) 

  • Furniture assistance for households moving into a rental unit who do not have basic furniture or whose furniture was destroyed in a flood or fire.

  • Past-due utilities assistance 

  • Limited healthcare/medical equipment costs (restrictions apply)

2. Check if you can apply

The program is available to very low- and extremely low-income residents earning no more than 50% Area Median Income (AMI). To apply for the Season of Sharing program, prospective applicants must:

  1. Be a current San Francisco resident and meet at least one of the following criteria:

  2. Not have received Season of Sharing program funds within the last 5 years.

  3. Have applied for or attempted to receive assistance from other programs, include the San Francisco Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP).

  4. Be able to demonstrate household can afford housing cost moving forward.

  5. Apply through a Community Partner agency.

3. Apply through a Community Partner

The Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development administers the program but does not provide direct application assistance. Those who meet the program's eligibility criteria can apply through a Community Partner agency. To apply, please contact any of the Community Partner agencies included below:
 

Additional Resources

Become a Season of Sharing Community Partner

Community-based organizations (CBOs) play an essential role in the San Francisco Season of Sharing program. The Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development provides training sessions to CBO staff interested in becoming a Season of Sharing Community Partner. Only agencies that have completed a mandatory orientation may submit applications on behalf of their clients.

Interested agencies should sign up for one of our Community Partner trainings, offered virtually monthly.

Register now for an upcoming training:

About the fund

The Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund provides temporary assistance to help people living in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma counties. In addition to housing and critical needs assistance, the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund provides support to Bay Area food banks to purchase food.

Get help

For general questions

Last updated November 29, 2023