Report a problem at a shelter in SF

You can complain about safety and conditions at community or family shelters.

What to do

Tell us what happened

If you were in a shelter in San Francisco and saw something that was unsafe or unfair, you can file a complaint with the Shelter Monitoring Committee. You will need to tell us:

  • Where the problem happened
  • When it happened
  • Who was involved

We will ask for your name and contact details. You do not have to give us your name. If you do give us your name, we can let you know what happened with your complaint.

You can also file a complaint by calling, email or by going to a committee meeting. 

Shelter Monitoring Committee

Leave a voicemail and we will get back to you.

You can report problems with shelter and resource center conditions and staff. If you need a reservation or help getting a shelter bed, go to an intake center or get help through the SF Service Guide

After you file your report

After your file your report the shelter has 7 days to respond.

If you are happy with the shelter's response, that is the end of the process.

If you are not satisfied, you must let us know within 45 days. We will then investigate your complaint.

Our investigation will decide if the shelter is "in compliance," "indeterminate," or "out of compliance". We will tell the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH). HSH will make sure the shelter complies with the City's standards of care.

What we can do

Shelter Monitoring Committee takes complaints from the public about conditions at group shelters. 

We:

  • Investigate Standard of Care complaints
  • Conduct site inspections 
  • Write reports with recommendations to the Mayor’s Office and Board of Supervisors

Last updated January 30, 2024