AND HERE’S YET ANOTHER IN A LONG LIST OF REASONS FOR A SHELTER MONITORING COMMITTEE
I am member of the Shelter Monitoring Committee who works with the Coalition on Homelessness as an organizer for the CHEER (Community, Health, Equity and Economic Rights) workgroup. I was appointed to the SMC by the Local Homeless Coordinating Board.
On February 17, 2005 I was volunteering with the San Francisco Department of Human Services to help collect data for their customer satisfaction survey at Next Door shelter when I noticed a sign posted for upcoming Town Meetings to be held there at the shelter. The shelters regularly hold meetings where residents can voice their concerns. The supervisor on duty that day told me these meetings were open to the public.
I arranged to attend one of them as a member of the public and as an employee of the Coalition on Homelessness, and I even called the Next Door in advance confirming the date with the staff person who answered the phone. I was told these meetings were open to the public. I also know people who have attended several of them in the past as members of the public. Assuming that what I was told by employees of the shelter to be accurate, I arrived at the shelter at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, March 23 (date and time of the meeting) with my coworker Jesus Medellin and two Stanford University Student volunteers.
We were escorted into a meeting room where the Shelters Director of Episcopal Community Services and the Site Manager of Episcopal Sanctuary were seated. The director was noticeably surprised by our arrival. She told us that we had made a mistake because Town Meetings are closed to the public. When I informed her that the staff had given me the information she still maintained that it was my error.
I then asked if members of the Shelter Monitoring Committee were allowed to attend (as both Jesus and myself are part of that) and she said the Shelter Monitoring Committee was not welcome either. She said this was to protect the residents, “We have some clients in here who are mentally challenged.”
Later I spoke with the DHS official who is in charge of Single Adult homeless programs about the policy regarding this and was told that the meetings were indeed closed but the public can attend “on a one time only basis” if they get prior approval from the shelter and do not speak at the meeting. I then informed that official that I know people who have attended more than one meeting. They could not comment on that situation.
The reason I am writing this is to illustrate the lack of any consistent articulation of shelter policy among all levels of shelter staff, and among the city departments that fund and oversee the shelters. This communication breakdown and lack of accountability is one of the primary reasons the Shelter Monitoring Committee is needed. This is what we are up against.
I am in frequent contact with people staying in the shelters and I realize that while there are some serious issues that need to be addressed, there are also some good people doing great work that needs to be celebrated. We are interested in hearing from people who have concerns as to how we can improve things. Please contact me personally with questions, concerns or complaints. You can call me at 346-3740, or come by the Coalition on Homelessness—468 Turk between Larkin and Hyde.
James