AS SAN FRANCISCO LEADERS continue to look for solutions in its homeless crisis, City Supervisor Dean Preston has introduced legislation that calls on housing officials supply at least 500 people with currently available, permanent supportive housing units within 90 days.
During the Board of Supervisors’ weekly meeting, Preston requested that the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing fill half of its 1,002 vacant supportive housing units and remain at a vacancy rate below 5 percent moving forward.
Over 1000 units of permanent supportive housing in the city’s portfolio are currently empty despite over 700 units being ready for referral, according to city data.
“We just cannot tolerate any further delays in moving people who need a place to live into these vacant units,” Preston said on Tuesday meeting.
Preston considered permanent stable housing to be a “proven model” in addressing homelessness. Once people have a safe environment to live in, they can then address the external factors that led them to homelessness, he said.
“I look forward to supporting the HSH as they move — hopefully with renewed urgency — to meet this goal and provide immediate housing for at least 500 people who are currently unhoused in these currently vacant, permanent supportive housing units,” Preston said.
He also expressed in the meeting that supervisors Aaron Peskin, Shamann Walton and Connie Chan have signed on as early co-sponsors to his legislation.