people. also for herself personally, she is being helped with subsidies. after that is over, she will be back on the streets. she would like to speak for all other people that are in danger of being homeless and she thanks everyone today for their attention. >> [speaking spanish] >> i would like to add one more note. i want to thank the coalition for release supporting me and my time of need.

i felt real support and i wanted to say thank you again. i would like to speak for myself, i am representing an sr o collaberative. i am in support and i agree that there should be something put in for progressive revenue for tax corporate profits. i think it is important that san francisco provide the funding that we are losing from the obama stimuluses because i know that the city once on the other great things to happen for families in the homeless situation. this is stepping stone will be a big part that we will be missing. i don't think without it we could do any of the things we are planning to do for our communities.

>> for those of you that don't know, i am the wife of reinard greyson. june 21, 2011, i was brutally beaten, sexually assaulted, and set on fire. i woke up to find that my life was worse than any nightmare i have ever had. my life was a stunning loneliness. i was stripped from my identity. returning to work october 19, 2011, after starting a, a program -- a trauma program, i

found myself in prison facing a five-year sentence of something that happened during the time of the attack. the death of services i have received from hospitality house and the episcopal community services has helped me fight through the shame and the trauma of being a shadow of a person who i once was.

without the support of these services, i wouldn't be here speaking to you all today. thank you so much. thank you. [applause] supervisor avalos: thank you for being here and sharing your story. >> i am the director of shelters for the episcopal community services. we're part of the shelter and reservation services association. the proposal is over the cost of doing business. what we want to highlight is that since 2004, we have hue were shelter beds. they have closed their doors, we

are the largest shelters had i am director of next door of this insurer shelter where we are at 99% capacity. we are seeing increased need and increased security with a staff to deal with the issues. we stand before you would we say that our residents deserve the substantive care. they deserve the legislation that says the deserve clean sheets, blankets, nutritious food. our residents deserve a safe environment. a safe environment is enough staff to be on the floors to make it safer they don't have to worry about their safety and they can live comfortably. our residents deserve case management. it is mentioned that the city

has focused on permanent housing and we all believe the permanent housing is the solution to homelessness. in a shelter for years, our residents deserve an of case management to get through the system. also at our staff. or we have wonderful and committed staff that really need intensive and ongoing training. they need support and conditions at the shelter. in order to help them to deal with the issues that we face. >> good afternoon, supervisors. thank you for speaking with us throughout the week at the previous couple months. a thank-you for all of your work to ensure that san francisco remains healthy. my name is deborah hamilton, i

am the director for family center. as you heard today, when someone is bleeding, the solution is to stop the bleeding. the best solution is to prevent the bleeding in the first place. therefore, i feel is imperative that the city supports the save and dignified emergency services system that both shoulders, those in crisis, those that are bleeding, and prevents more of our fellow san franciscans from becoming homeless. as you have heard many say today, having a safe home is key to having a healthy community. homeless prevention and rapid rehousing funding through president obama's recovery and reinvestment act brought 8.7 $5 million to the city the past five years. yet prevented or and

homelessness for more than 2400 households in san francisco that were vulnerable. the assistance provided for families living in shelters, parents who had recently become homeless due to domestic violence, individuals with aids and hiv, other extremely low and come at a vulnerable households in san francisco. without this funding, the continuation of this funding, many more san franciscans are at risk of becoming homeless and putting more and more pressure on a system that is already high and cannot provide safe and dignified shelter. thank you. supervisor avalos: next speaker, please. >> good afternoon, supervisors. i'm derek hayes form market

streeet youth shelter. i think what is important is that without the funding, i want you to see who you hurt and i want them to come up and speak for you. >> my name is bradley anderson. i am also a client. without the shelter, i would currently still be outside committing numerous monstrosities and atrocities just to be able to provide basic needs for myself. without them to show me there is something better, i would still be doing all of those things. i think you for your continued support. >> my name is ariana holland. i'm currently a resident. my mom suffers from severe

mental ellis and i ran away at an early age. i moved out on my own. otherwise i would be on the streets right now. they not only provided me shelter but i entered a work program and they helped me enroll in school. i am in the process of getting into a transitional housing and i am thankful for larkin and the services they offer. without them, kids like myself as well as adults would not have an opportunity to better their lives. gotten good afternoon, supervisors. my name is george more, i was born on some november 21, 1992. at the age of 16, i was kicked out of my home. i have been couched surfing,

but to no avail. five months ago, we relocated back to san francisco and the doors were opened up to me at no cost. since then, i have been involved in different employment agencies such as you force, jrc, and ccsf. it is important that we fund these programs because they do make a difference. their life changing. thank you. >> good afternoon, my name is george galvez. i am coming off a 16-hour shift. i don't envy you. i have been here all afternoon, and i have been hearing everybody speak.

it is overwhelming. when i was 24, i was at a crossroads, completely lost. a kick out of my home at the age of 16. never imagined that would have happened to me. no hope. found using services not expecting anything. did not know what was going to happen. i am 35 years old now, a college graduate. i own my own i.t. business, and i've fathered a beautiful 7- year-old daughter. i had no idea that at 35 this is what it was going to be. the impact that youth services made on my life prompted me to

continue my education and seek direct employment with services that really make a direct impact. i hope you make a wise decision. >> i want to thank you all for coming. i have come to be of support for those that are supporting this budget and for those that are not. this is why. i came here from san francisco intuitively. i am from a small town and want to let you guys know that i know who i am and i am thankful for this opportunity to be here in this huge city. i have the opportunity to get into a film production internship. it shows, again, what they have

shown me, consistent teamwork. what it has been showing me is that right when i got in, i have been here for about six days not knowing what to do. his dream has opened the door for an opportunity to work with this person. as i said, this opportunity as a decision. the bottom line and a consistency is yet again, teamwork. these folks have showed me the compassion and i want to thank you all for the time and interest. >> hello, i'm karmark kyle henderson. i am here to speak in defense of myself and on behalf of youth services.

larkin street is always busy helping kids get off the street for good. with a shelter that provides three meals a day and a basic personal hygiene items, and a bed, we can start to change that we believe in. i am able to find an internship or a job, to continue pursuing an education. these are all positive changes that not only help me right now, but they continue to open up opportunities for the future. if i need medical attention, how they provide a clinic that i can use for a checkup. please continue to be a helping hand not only for myself, but the staff and clients of the youth services.

>> my name is meghan johnson and want to start by saying i have been homeless since december of 2011. i was depressed by not knowing where i would sleep or eat, things that people take advantage of every day. i gave up the idea of regulating, but i came out and i tried to reach out to larkin. i am working on my ged and they're helping me with housing. a lot to say that these people i am around right here, i have lived with them for months, and we need help. we don't need this budget to be cut. thank you. >> my name is matthew banks. i have only been in san francisco for five months, but i came from a really bad family.

my mom did not want to me and sent me to san francisco. i had absolutely nothing. they open their doors to me and they were really kind people. i have so many problems and issues, and without them, i would be on the street. it probably stealing, doing drugs, probably even dead. none of these beautiful people behind me would be here. please don't take away the funding. >> my name is james, larkin street has been an immense help for me. since i dropped out of college in late 2011, they helped me get the chief medical care that i need and case management. they helped me learn how to do

jobs interviews and right resonate -- write resumes, things like that. and just changed my life. now i have the prospect of getting a job. >> and i am the client of larkin street and the came to san francisco with a school schedule and a dream. they have provided me with safety, food, bed, shower, and i am one of the many success stories. i continue to receive services from the clinic. there are many young adults that have gained and grown from the community. cutting our funding means to cut our life expectancy. it means putting more of us on the street in harm's way.

please be compassionate as i know you are. a look at the faces and see the struggle. the that staffing cuts should be the last in san francisco. we are future members of this committee, artists that will be displayed in your room. the one day, your son or daughter could possibly fallen to our situation no matter how hard that you try to prevent it. we need our staff, we needed beds, and we need funding. supervisor chu: thank you. thank you. >> my name is jeffrey primm. i came to california with a dream, the foster care from new

york city, once the money ran out, there was no need for me to be there. i lost my job and to me and my girlfriend had nowhere to go and no family. i never knew a place like this even existed. i came here with word of mouth, i came here and the opportunities have provided me with safety. i am actually enrolling in college for the fall semester. the possibility of transferring to become a dental hygienist. it all starts here. i can be like georgia and 35 upset of was on us, but look at

me now. thank you. supervisor chu: thank you. next speaker. >> i'm here to speak, too. i waited like everybody else. supervisor chu: go ahead. >> was that recorded? ok. in the united states of america is number one. a great leaders running a great nation. i love it here in san francisco, california. it is a public-relations allows me to say, hello, mother. government officials, by faith is with you as is each city, state, our nation. thank you, government.

>> i am susanna anderson, the program director at compass connecting point. you have been hearing about the proposal for $5 million had visions of supplemental and a much needed staff as well as replacing some of the hprp funds that we are losing. increasing and drama continued -- in the last few years, we have seen the family shelter a waiting list trouble. the high point last november was 267 families. the planes to the big show of attention, we did see the waitlist go down. we are now creeping back over 200. 209 families waiting for

shelter, six-seven months of waiting for families. we absolutely need the services that have such a huge impact that some of the previous speakers have spoken to. please consider that in the midst of all these other very worthy causes today. >> good afternoon, supervisors. i am working for the coalition on homelessness. today, i want to say that 18 years i have been working. at every single year, we have had to come to these members hawking about cuts. the position on homelessness and the members, we propose to do a

proposal. we request $5 million to dedicate to the homeless people and replace the money from barack obama. for example, we want $3 million to dedicated to the shelters. including the youth shelter. and a bunch of other organizations will need the money. we are asking to replace the money. it is $2 million. they say homeless people, low- income people. because we have lost this money, we want it to be replaced.

please support the $5 million. thank you so much, have a good day. supervisor chu: if i can ask people to hold the applause, it would be great so we could move through public comment. >> good afternoon, supervisors. my name in malley. good afternoon, supervisors. thank you so much for lending your ears. thank you. >> the jesus -- my name is jesus, i am here for you guys to support the shelters that you have been cutting and i hope you put the $5 million back. thank you very much. >> more immigrant families are becoming homeless man because of

the loss of jobs. we should continue to fund the program for homelessness and rapidly housing. -- rapid rehousing. we need the funding so we can help people becoming homeless of that they can have more services to survive. i urgently bed of you, the supervisors, not to cut any of the -- at let's have at the homeless shelters, he medical, the use and that needs our diets. this is all we beg of you. please don't cut anything. that is all i can say. thank you very much.

>> next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors. i'm elvis byrd, program manager of these health services center. i asked you to support the proposal for the shelter and resource centers. i know $5 million as a lot, but we are at the point with the level of need or we can really use. i am usually more eloquent but i really want to bring home a point that we need that money. myself and my staff team, we are our own security. we are really at a critical level where it is not becoming safe to operate our programs. like people have been saying, i think it is only fair that we can provide safe and dignified services to the folks most in

need. when it comes to government, if you want to break it down, city government or federal government, the basic functions are to protect your property at to keep you alive. they are still living people and i think we can do a little bit better at being able to keep folks alive. they pass on to natural causes, we have tons of people that died on the streets each and every day. >> i am employed as a senior peer advocate. it we tend to think of all the negative aspects the loss of budget revenues cause.

the increased homelessness, men and women forced into prostitution, mentally ill and abuse -- the physically ill and disabled and unable to get care because they don't have transportation, a time piece, or a phone. the cold has turned into an ammonia. the job search may have faded away, but let's look at another side of the picture. what else do non-profits do for the