(a) Findings.
(1) As of the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing’s 2019 “Point in Time” Count measuring the prevalence of homelessness, there were approximately 8,035 unhoused individuals in San Francisco. To combat homelessness and assist these individuals, San Francisco has developed a portfolio of shelters ranging from traditional models to more recent innovations like navigation centers and safe sleep sites. Each shelter establishes rules governing shelter client conduct and, if a shelter client breaks a rule, the shelter can either issue a warning and impose a non-immediate denial of service, or impose an immediate denial of service. If a client is denied service, this may result in an unhoused individual losing the individual’s place in the shelter, often exiting back to the street.
(2) To prevent unnecessary exits to the street, and to define the rights of shelter clients, the Human Services Commission adopted the Shelter Grievance Policy on April 23, 1992, and, since August 25, 2016, the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing has administered this policy. The policy consists of a two-stage appeals process that allows shelter clients to dispute their denials of service. These appeals often result in an agreement between the shelter and client—remedying the underlying denial of service, allowing the client to remain in the shelter, and reducing the likelihood of a repeat rule violation.
(3) The Shelter Grievance Policy helps keep the City’s unhoused individuals in shelters and off the streets, while also providing a dispute resolution process for clients accused of violating shelter rules. Although this Shelter Grievance Policy has been incredibly successful in accomplishing both goals for three decades, the policy itself has not been codified in the Municipal Code.
(4) Ensuring each shelter that receives City funding has a transparent set of rules and rights for their clients, including the right to a fair and speedy appeals process, creates accountability and increases the quality of the shelter system.
(b) Purpose. The purpose of this Article XVIII is to codify the Shelter Grievance Policy with appropriate revisions and establish transparent standards by which shelter clients may appeal a denial of service.
(Added by Ord. 69-22, File No. 220090, App. 4/28/2022, Eff. 5/29/2022)