San Francisco's efforts to address homelessness seems to have been kicked into high gear in recent days, and the City is now promoting a new direction with Mayor London Breed's recent announcement of the "Journey Home Executive Directive," claiming to be aimed at reuniting more individuals experiencing homelessness with their families outside the city. Some might otherwise term this directive as a proposal to bus homeless people out of the SF. According to the City directive, relocation services are to be prioritized over other services like housing and shelter, amidst increasing numbers of homeless individuals arriving from outside the county.
The directive mandates that all city departments and non-profit workers engaged with the homeless population must offer relocation assistance before providing any other service. This includes first responders who will now carry handouts detailing relocation services. Additionally, a tracking system will be established to measure program effectiveness.
The Office of the Mayor noted, "Since 2005, San Francisco has been providing relocation services through its program, previously known as Homeward Bound, which only offered bus tickets for individuals in need," adding that such programs have evolved over time.
Data from the 2024 Point-in-Time Count revealed that 40% of those surveyed were from other counties or states, up from 28% in 2019. The number of people who had been in San Francisco for less than a year before becoming homeless also increased, reflecting a rise from 15% in 2019 to 37% in the latest count. Conversely, the percentage of individuals who had been long-term residents before becoming homeless dropped significantly from 43% in 2019 to 14%.
“San Francisco continues to be committed to investing in effective programs that offer services to help reconnect people living on our streets with their homes,” said Mayor Breed. “While we will always lead with compassion, we cannot solve everyone’s individual housing and behavioral health needs,” she added. The mayor's initiative is part of a broader strategy to alleviate the homelessness crisis by ensuring that city resources are effectively utilized.
The Journey Home program, which includes the Problem Solving Relocation Assistance and the County Adult Assistance Program (CAAP) Relocation Assistance, offers comprehensive support including travel expenses back to an individual’s home community. This program builds on previous efforts, such as the Homeward Bound initiative, expanding its scope to provide more flexible, and coordinated relocation services.
This directive comes at a time when the city has been actively conducting what has been termed as "very aggressive" sweeps of homeless encampments. Recent operations in areas like the Central Freeway and the Tenderloin district have faced criticism for their abrupt and forceful nature, despite officials stating that offers of shelter were made.
As recounted by an SF Standard video about which Hoodline SF previously reported, city workers began dismantling encampments without prior notice, leaving many homeless individuals scrambling to gather their belongings. Nisha Kashyap of the Coalition on Homelessness labeled the city's conduct as "alarming and unacceptable."
The expanded sweeps, like those carried out by Encampment Resolutions Teams in the Tenderloin, are part of Mayor Breed’s assertive strategy to manage the homelessness crisis. As reported by NBC Bay Area, these actions come in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling that bolsters cities' authority to remove encampments. Public reaction remains mixed, with some advocating for stronger measures and others calling for more humane solutions.
Mayor Breed's comprehensive directive and its subsequent enforcement reflect San Francisco's multifaceted approach in dealing with homelessness, balancing immediate relocation assistance with the ongoing challenge of providing shelter and support to all residents in need.
