Influx of migrant families taxes region's supportive housing services
Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother, 1936. Image in Public Domain
SF says there's been a dramatic increase in migrant families arriving in The City since last year, and it doesn't have the resources to house and support them adequately. SF Standard investigates.
A total of 372 families were in line for shelter as of Tuesday, according to the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, representing a dramatic leap since December, when 238 families were on the waitlist. Staff at the shelter have told The Standard they’re forced to turn away several families every night due to a lack of funding.
In a statement, the department attributed the surge to an influx of migrants, admitting the city’s homelessness response system is ill-equipped to help the families.
“The Homelessness Response System is not always the most appropriate system of care for migrant families,” the department said in a statement. “While it is crucial to respond to newcomers, the City must also balance the existing demand for shelter.”
The homelessness department said it’s speeding up its rate of moving families out of the shelter and into housing to free up space. The department said it funds nearly 1,000 housing units for families, along with 540 long-term rental vouchers and over 800 subsidies for those who were recently homeless. It also noted that a portion of the families on the shelter waitlist are staying in hotels funded by the city.
The department said it’s working in collaboration with the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs and the Department of Human Services to “develop and implement a citywide strategy for meeting the legal, service and housing needs of these newcomers.”
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