SF launches program to support families on brink of homelessness
A homeless encampment is seen in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco, California, United States on June 6, 2023. ((Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images))
SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco on Tuesday launched an 18-month pilot program intended to provide support and resources to families who are at risk of losing their homes.
The new Family Homelessness Prevention Pilot will provide "tailored" financial assistance, employment support, legal services and other safety net resources such as childcare to help families in San Francisco stay housed. It also aims to create a more seamless experience for families seeking housing assistance, as well as provide support beyond rental assistance by connecting families to additional resources such as employment support.
Specifically, the program will identify families most at risk of homelessness and provide customized services, including financial aid and access to employment support and legal assistance.
Big picture view:
Five long-standing community organizations have been selected to participate in the pilot program, with each providing unique expertise and knowledge to ensure the program meets families where they are already receiving support. Compass Family Services will serve as the lead organization, working with APA Family Support Services, Booker T. Community Service Center, Mission Neighborhood Centers and Mission Economic Development Agency.
"For at-risk families in San Francisco, successfully preventing homelessness requires more than just financial support," said Erica Kisch, CEO of Compass Family Services. "It requires childcare, stable employment, and ongoing wraparound support. Compass is thrilled to be collaborating with our partner organizations, Tipping Point, and the city to establish a prevention safety net model that keeps children and parents out of homelessness wherever, and whenever, possible."
Tipping Point Community, a San Francisco-based nonprofit group founded and formerly run by Mayor Daniel Lurie to advance poverty-fighting solutions, has also invested $11 million into the Family Homelessness Prevention Pilot, which city officials said will fund direct financial assistance for 1,500 families and will help develop new solutions to address obstacles that families may face when they attempt to navigate San Francisco’s network of services.
The monetary investment will also help cover costs for partners to create coordinated systems and a database specifically focused on prevention efforts.
"This investment assists families in crisis today while we develop and scale a model to support families in need for decades to come," Lurie said. "Tipping Point’s investment, along with their commitment to rigorously measure the pilot’s impact, will help us ultimately reach more families in need and prevent homelessness before it begins. Creating lasting change in San Francisco requires all hands on deck, and I’m proud to launch this critical public-private partnership with Tipping Point."
What they're saying:
City officials said the Family Homelessness Prevention Pilot differs from other San Francisco homelessness responses by looking beyond simple financial assistance and addressing barriers such as employment, legal issues and access to safety net resources.
The new program also aims to improve coordination between service providers by increasing collaboration between traditional housing providers and organizations with expertise in other services and programs that have not historically been focused on homelessness programs, such as childcare and benefits support.
"Preventing families from falling into homelessness is not only a moral imperative, it’s absolutely critical to achieving better outcomes for kids and the entire community," said Sam Cobbs, CEO of Tipping Point Community. "This effort will improve coordination across providers and deliver a more seamless experience for San Francisco’s families. Once we demonstrate success, we’re excited to partner with Mayor Daniel Lurie to scale this solution and reach even more families."
What's next:
The 18-month program’s planning phase began in January 2025, with the first three months dedicated to planning with the five implementation partners as well as the city. Implementation will run from April 2025 to June 2026.
After the program's conclusion, officials will perform a "rigorous" evaluation of the pilot's impact, with the intention of having the entirety of San Francisco adopt the model across its homelessness response system if successful.