Chanel Kennedy, former shelter resident, speaking about conditions in San Francisco’s municipally funded shelters.

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This month’s issue of the Street Sheet focused on recent research undertaken by the Coalition on Homelessness’ Right to a Roof workgroup concerning human rights abuses in shelters. Today, at noon, the report Shelter Shock: Abuse, Cruelty, and Neglect in San Francisco’s Shelter System (1.3 MB PDF) will be released at a 12:00 noon press conference in front of City Hall.

Mayor Newsom announced when first elected that shelters were not fit places for humans to live, and that he would work toward the day when shelters would close. He announced plans for housing through his Care Not Cash program, promising homeless people keys and arranging several photo opportunities snapping pictures of him handing an impoverished individual a key. Four years later, the homeless population of the city is rising, but we’ve lost 370 shelter beds.

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The January stabbing to the eye of a former resident of the Next Door homeless shelter, located at 1001 Polk Street, has raised great concern within the homeless community, and ranks a top issue to be pursued and addressed by leaders whose organizations are designed to assist homeless people on their journeys to reliable resources and positive resolution to complaints and concerns.

Residents’ concerns became evident in the early morning hours of Friday, January 5, as the graveyard shift was coming to an end, when suddenly the assailant brought the third floor sleeping quarters for men to a state of chaos and panic. The attacker surprised the men of the floor as he produced a steel knife while attempting to pin the victim against a wall. The erratic and unstable behavior the men so adamantly tried to alert staff of was in full swing, but staff were nowhere to be found. It was at this point that the stabber succeeded in stabbing the victim in the eye. He also attempted to stab another just-waking man who held a blanket up to block the blows. The other residents, with no staff to help, continued to struggle with the aggressor until they were able to subdue him. The paramedics and the police eventually arrived at the scene, where the victim was administered immediate care and transported to San Francisco General Hospital, where he was treated and later released. The perpetrator was arrested and charged.

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Transgender people continue to face persistent harassment and abuse within San Francisco’s shelter system, despite clear anti-discrimination laws at both the city and state level that should protect trans clients. Explains one transgender client who had her arm broken while waiting in line for the showers at a local shelter, “It’s City money that’s paying for this.”

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It is a sad state of affairs when one of the city’s best shelters has failed to address poor hygiene in its facility. In a site visit conducted by the Shelter Monitoring Committee on November 26, 2006, Hamilton Family Shelter—a shelter which had been one of only six that met basic health and hygiene criteria—was found to have bathrooms in which, “the majority of shower curtains had or smelled strongly of mold.” Because of this, the Committee strongly recommended that these shower curtains be replaced.

In an interview I conducted on April 12, 2007, this recommendation had obviously not been taken into account: “I have noticed that in a couple of bathrooms the shower curtains have been really dirty,” said one of the residents at the shelter. “Some of them even have mold on them.”

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According to the Larkin Street web site, “The mission of Larkin Street Youth Services is to create a continuum of services that inspires youth to move beyond the street. We will nurture potential, promote dignity, and support bold steps by all.” The website proudly claims to have 75% of its former clients successfully stay away from the streets.

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