Mission Advocates Propose “Community Connect”
Homeless Advocates of the Mission (HAM), a group of residents and organizations advocated for just and effective homeless policies in the Mission District, is pressuring City officials to consider a “Community Connect” policy as a neighborhood alternative to Project Homeless Connect and the Homeless Outreach Team. HAM is keeping a close eye on these two new Mayoral homeless programs as they make plans for expansion to the Mission and Castro neighborhoods. The community is frustrated that they haven’t been included in the planning discussions and there is also a growing concern that while the Mayor is creating exciting new programs, the existing fabric of services is being neglected or dismantled. HAM wants the City to ensure that these new programs reflect the assets, needs, and wants of the Mission community and are used to strengthen existing services.
HAM is advocating for Project Homeless Connect and the Homeless Outreach Team to adopt a “Community Connect” policy that protects, supports and collaborates with neighborhood services and offers a chance to educate the public about how to truly enhance systems of support for the homeless in San Francisco. Many members of HAM are organizations that, together, make up the lifeline of services and community centers for homeless folks in the Mission District. Outreach organizations, drop-in centers, advocacy groups, shelters, drug treatment programs, mental health services, soup kitchens, churches, mobile medical services-these organizations provide everyday support and a strong community for the homeless of the Mission. They are an important resource to the neighborhood, not only for providing crucial services for poor and homeless individuals and families, but also for providing meaningful jobs to neighborhood residents and community-oriented solutions to the problems of poverty and homelessness.
These programs, similar to other services across the city, need more support to continue and improve their work. South Beach Resource Center and A Man’s Place are drop-in and shelter services slated to close down on June 30. Central City Hospitality House, a drop-in in the Tenderloin, is fighting to stay open after their funding was cut. The Mission Neighborhood Resource Center is reducing services due to lack of funding.
A “Community Connect” policy would mean a departure from the City’s current strategy of paring down community services such as drop-ins, shelters, and residential treatment programs and redirecting those resources only into housing and would recognize that communities cannot afford to lose services in an effort to create housing. “Community Connect” honors the local expertise of neighborhood organizations, values community participation in planning and is enthusiastic about directing city resources, volunteers, financial donations, media, and resources to a wide range neighborhood services.
HAM promoted “Community Connect” at the June 3rd Project Homeless Connect by inviting Project Homeless Connect volunteers into Mission organizations to learn about how homeless services work on a daily basis. After spending half a day with local organizations, PHC volunteer and philanthropist, Mark Zuckerman, embraced the idea in a letter to HAM, “It seems to me, that for future success, the Project Homeless Connect coordinators need Mission groups like yours to be part of the planning process.” He continued by saying, “As a member of my company’s philanthropy committee, I certainly will encourage them to donate money and time to other groups like yours. I have decided to wait a bit before recommending Project Homeless Connect until I hear a clear connection with groups like yours and other groups’ participation and see better coordination by the City’s program. You both need to be on the same page and hopefully not vying for the same money and services. Good luck. You did open my eyes up and hopefully you can do the same with Project Homeless Connect.” The success of creating solutions to homelessness depends on good working relationships between community and government. HAM is advocating now for the first step in “Community Connect” which is to make sure that homeless folks and service providers from the Mission have a strong voice in these new city programs as they expand to the neighborhood.
Questions about “Community Connect” or Homeless Advocates of the Mission? Please email micocosf@aol.com
HAM
