After retiring from the San Francisco Fire Department due to a back injury sustained inside a blazing building, Couper met her wife, whom she was with for 10 years. A sudden diagnosis of ovarian cancer and subsequent hysterectomy stole Couper’s ability to have children. This led to her eventual divorce, rejection by her family, and homelessness.

“The most hurtful experience of my life on the streets happened when I was sitting on the sidewalk, fixing a bike. This woman saw me and walked out into the oncoming traffic, rather than share the sidewalk with me. You know, it’s not like I’m going to bite and give you homelessness. I am a strong, smart, educated woman. But that thing she did… it’s the opposite of what I had learned working as a firefighter and talking to people in need.”

Couper, San Francisco resident experiencing homelessness, former firefighter

Photography by Juli López, provided courtesy of Stories Behind the Fog  

While homelessness is now the leading concern among San Franciscans, the modern-day homelessness crisis did not develop overnight nor in San Francisco alone. A series of policies have had a direct impact on the rise of homelessness.  

Beginning in the late 1970s, the federal government slashed funding for public and subsidized housing. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s budget has dropped by more than 60% since 1978 and federal rental assistance has helped a dramatically shrinking number of additional families. Meanwhile, subsidy for homeowners, in the form of mortgage interest and property tax deductions, increased. Today households with incomes of at least $200,000 receive four times more in federal housing subsidy than households that earn less than $20,000. In other words, federal support for housing is poorly matched to need.

Source: Center on Budget & Policy Priorities         

Furthermore, the 1960s saw the beginning of deinstitutionalization of mental health patients in California. While the policies were well-intentioned, they did not provide for adequate housing and healthcare for community reintegration. This led to the discharge of thousands of patients and ultimate closure of state mental health hospitals.

We can point to other contributing factors, such as the loss of manufacturing jobs, a rise in drug use, mass incarceration, rising health care costs, and the economic recession in 2008. In short, achieving an income that allows a family to afford housing in San Francisco, where a $117,400 annual income is considered the “low-income” threshold for a family of four, has become increasingly difficult, while federal support for those most in need has become more scarce. This creates a perfect storm for the rise in homelessness.

Addressing systemic inequities will take sustained efforts at all levels and pressure from voters to enact change in policy. While the work of righting these imbalances is larger than the scope of our theme, there is ample opportunity for Battery Powered to assist the populations most impacted right now. There are key moments in a person’s life when individuals and families are at greatest risk of homelessness. Intervening at these moments can interrupt a fall into homelessness in our community.

Economic Stressors

Low unemployment does not necessarily mean that a community is economically healthy. In fact, 13% of individuals experiencing homelessness in San Francisco work. But in a city where an hourly wage of $48 is needed to afford the fair market rent of a 1-bedroom apartment without being cost burdened, simply having a wage does not provide a vaccine against homelessness.  

For those managing housing on a low income, an unplanned car repair bill or a health emergency, not to mention job loss, can cause them to fall quickly into arrears. Loss of employment has been cited as the primary cause of homelessness among San Franciscans.  

Source: San Francisco Homeless Count & Survey         

Many people facing an economic stressor that threatens their housing can be supported and diverted from becoming homeless through short-term assistance to help them maintain their housing or quickly re-enter housing. Rapid assistance with eviction prevention, family reunification, move-in assistance, or flexible grants to address issues related to housing and employment may solve the problem and prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place.

Foster Care

Youth aging out of foster care are at high risk of homelessness. Twenty-six percent of homeless youth in San Francisco reported foster care involvement.

These neighbors of ours are particularly vulnerable due to a host of emotional, psychological, and even physical factors. But perhaps the greatest single challenge they face is that they must quickly become adults, on their own.

“UNLIKE MANY OF THEIR PEERS WHO CONTINUE TO LIVE WITH OR RECEIVE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THEIR PARENTS, THESE YOUTHS OFTEN STRUGGLE JUST TO KEEP THEMSELVES HOUSED.” 

- AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

To ease the transition for youth exiting foster care, housing should be “backed-up” to the exit from foster care to prevent a fall into homelessness for these young adults. Additionally, wrap-around services bundling employment services and education assistance can support these youth on their path to self-sufficiency and determination.

Criminal Justice

Nationally, 50,000 people exit directly from correctional facilities and into shelters every year. This population faces many barriers to employment and stable housing due to legal restrictions and discrimination against those with a criminal record. As such, they are highly susceptible upon release to a spiraling cycle of unemployment, homelessness, and hopelessness, while increasing the likelihood of reoffending.

In San Francisco, 13% of people report being on probation or parole at the onset of their homelessness. Even a minor offense could land them back in prison. While those experiencing homelessness are no more likely to commit violent crimes, they are at increased exposure to arrest due to laws that criminalize their lack of stable housing, such as sitting or lying in a public sidewalk. Criminalization of drug use also heightens the risk of re-incarceration for those with a substance abuse disorder.

"Addiction is one of the only health conditions I’m aware of that is criminalized. You wouldn’t put a diabetic in jail for eating A donut, would you?"

Dr. vitka Eisen, President & CEO, HealthRIGHT 360

 

Breaking this cycle of incarceration and homelessness is possible with support targeted at those with the greatest risk factors. Housing should be “backed-up” against an exit from the criminal justice system to ensure that those at risk of homelessness secure permanent housing upon release. Additionally, employment and treatment for mental health, as well as substance use disorders, can help these individuals toward self-determination and sufficiency.