around veterans. i know that's been a particular concern for supervisor farrell and we need to look at what has worked and how do we make that applicable to other communities that are struggling with chronic homelessness. and i think that we need to have hearings about the criminal justice system. you're going to see that many of the recommendations in the ten-year plan were about linkages for people coming out of the justice system. i think jennifer and the coalition has done a great job reminding us as a city too often we look to law enforcement, we look to racking up citations on individuals that in and of themselves become barriers to people exiting the streets and being successful and independent. and i think that that is a struggle that we have for people that want to live in safe and clean neighborhoods and i respect that and i think every neighborhood should have that opportunity. but i think we as a city have to recognize that continuing to cite people is not citing people is not giving them an exit for homelessness. i've shared with you an outline of the ten-year plan. and if we could talk for a moment and go through some of

the recommendations and talk about where we are. barbara's tent and trent's testimony will elaborate on that, but i think it gives us a framework. so, obviously the largest recommendation was around 3,000 units of permanent supportive housing. as we've looked at the pipeline and what's been developed by the end of this fiscal year will be at about 2800. so, we'll be very close to achieving that goal with about 200 units remaining. we have been very successful in building the portfolio to the direct access to housing programs and new buildings that have been brought online on the losp program that hsa has been involved with. so, i think in large, we have achieved that goal. i think going forward, there are relatively small number of units pending in the pipeline. i think out of about 9,000, more than 9,000 units within the mayor's office of housing, there are less than 500 that are dedicated towards the homeless population. and it is very complex to deal with the issues of

affordability in san francisco and the need for affordable housing at very different levels. but i definitely do think that these hearings could lead to some consensus between hopefully the mayor's administration and the board about some additional housing investments. i mean, you saw the stories about utah going out and the state of utah renting 2000 apartments and directing people into those apartments without prequalifying them, without jumping many of the hurdles that exist in traditional housing programs. and i think that's something we have to consider if we want to do something dramatic. as someone who had been a supervisor and served during many of the lean years, it would be impossible to think about making that type of investment and bringing down the number of people on the street. i think this is a year we can consider it and look at what exists. so, yes. >> just one question. as we go through these, and i think this is something we'll be talking about today and going forward with the statistics. i think one of the successes seems we have built the amount

of permanence of housing units that were called for in the ten-year plan which is pretty amazing. >> yes, incredible. >> at the same point in time, though, the homeless population has stayed flat. >> if you look at the numbers it's 2000. according to the homeless count there's 2000 in the chronic homeless. it puts us in top 10 in the country and it was 3,000 at the time this report was done. and i think trent can elaborate on some of these numbers, but i'd say we've come down about a third in terms of those numbers with the investments we've made. >> in terms of chronickness, but the homeless count on our streetses a you stated earlier, stayed flat the last 10 years. how do you think about that or how should we think about that as a city where we have built more housing and housed people, thank goodness, but the numbers have stayed flat? are there more additional reasons? people are homeless at this stage and numbers haven't doctionv down even though we've added people into our housing? >> well, i think again, given the city's fiscal situation,

the fact that we've been able to achieve this level of new permanent supportive housing is laudable and i think amazing. i think it's unquestionable that 3,400 people being on the street tell us that we need more. the most dramatic change you've seen in the homeless count was around the implementation of care not cash and the beginning of the commitment to being a housing first city. so, you saw i think about a 2,500 reduction over a two to three-year period. and i do think we have to think dramatically about it. i don't know that there is a policy change that is going to have the magnitude of effect that care not cash and housing first have had for san francisco. i think that there are many things that we can do that are important. for example, housing ladder. one of the things has been that some people have been resistant to move into, let's say a master leased s-r-o on sixth street because they felt that's where they may be for the rest of their lives. so, their tendency has been to

hold back. it's complicated things. i think we've really come in the past few months to understand that an individual entering our housing system as homeless should have the opportunity to move into other housing opportunities. public housing is an important aspect of this. below market rate housing. other affordable housing that i don't think that we viewed housing from a ladder approach that people had the opportunity to move up into different types of housing which in and of itself creates more openings for people. and i think that that's really -- it's an important concept. i think it's really important that people not feel that they're stuck. none of us who necessarily want to move one place and live there for the remainder of our lives. also, one of the things the ten-year plan calls for and i think is best practices nationally, is to really do a coordinated assessment. are we really having people chase where there are vacancies more or are we understanding what that person's needs are to be successful?

that is something that the health department is -- we're going to be piloting that and really understanding what are mr. jones' needs to be successful? it's not just that there's an open unit at this building. if the building doesn't have services in it and he's a hoarder, is he he going to be successful or is he going to be among the 5% of the people who are in support of public housing who get evicted? who in this equation, we're paying for the supportive housing. we're paying for the attorney that's evicting somebody. we're paying for the attorney that's fighting the eviction and ultimately paying for the services is going to need that winds up on the street. and i think that's a conversation we are having. and i think the eviction defense collaborative and other partners who are working with us have very strong feelings that we've got to get our providers to work with us and give us advance notice before people are being evicted for financial reasons or hoarding issues, when those are things we believe that the health department and i know that

barbara and her team are looking at having some roving inter disciplinary intervention teams that can go and address those issues. >> sorry. supervisor mar? >> yeah, i know you're going to get to -- supervisor dufty, you're going to get to your lift. i want to thank you for always being so responsive to our office on different issues. i know that in the past ten years there's been -- always a political question, a climate of scapegoatling homeless people whether it's care not cash or [speaker not understood] and politics, pushing them out of the city instead of more of a approach to support people and provide that ladder of housing, supportive housing, dealing with mental health issues, but also transitional aged youth as you mentioned, and lastly, drug abuse and drug treatment programs. but i'm just wondering have we moved beyond the politics of scapegoating and how under your

leadership are we changing that in our city? >> i think this is a unique time in city government. i've worked in city government for 20 years now, and i don't find the polarization within the decision-makers, the elected officials that lead our city. i know that there are differences, but they just -- i don't think that people walk into this building trying to figure out how to blunt somebody else's agenda, and i did feel that way for better on for worse on some issues. so, i'm open to any criticism and i'm open to anyone saying we're not succeeding because that person is saying they care and they want to see things done differently. and, so, i never mind -- i do ask people to think about homelessness like a fourth grader would. all of you are parents and i think when you see children look at the issue of homelessness, and i see it through my seven-year old all the time. i see how she looks at people, when we interact, which stop to

talk to people, when i give them a card to say call me, come see me. but i think for a hie they look at homesness and say, people need homes. it's really very simple. at one stage of my life i thought that was naive. i think when you get down to the policy level, that's what people need, they need homes because we're spending a lot of money no one comes up here, we shouldn't spend x amount of dollars on police services, x amount of dollars for the sheriff's department to move people's things out of their homes, x amount of dollars for street cleaning. no one ever comes and says we shouldn't spend that money, but people say this jurisdiction is a magnet for people who need services. i'm grateful the people who did the homeless count here because we can let some air out of this big room. let's look at alameda county, santa clara county, san mateo county. yes, some of them will have more success than us, but if you look at the base being parameters of the numbers, the

truth of the matter is, yes, people oftentimes come to urban areas for opportunity. sometimes those opportunities don't pan out, whether it's living with a brother-in-law, whether it's a job you come for and people wind up being homeless. and i think the numbers are fairly consistent, 40% of the people in our case, 39% of the people who are homeless have come here for an opportunity and wound up homeless in san francisco. and i think if we can be honest about it, i think it does sort of repurpose us to focus more on housing people and recognizing that ultimately the city is going to save money in having people barbara's clinics and to participate in affordable care that trent is signing people up for than it is for people to be in the emergency room. we are hemorrhaging money absolutely the wrong way. so, i'll try and move quickly through some of these recommendations. one of the recommendations is really about phasing down shelters and transitional

housing, transitional housing as you know is really at the federal level, become a tool i think people recognize why how somebody temporarily to rehouse them it is so traumatic for families to be homeless. so, rapid rehousing is what the city is doing and it's really the best standard. there were 1900 plus shelter beds, 1903 when this report was done, we're at 1145. i don't know if we see phasing out of shelters. i think there is some discussion that we're having about the medical needs of people in shelters. so, that's a very important element of it. we are looking at long-term shelter stairs and how to get those individuals to move successfully to housing. we're opening up a lgbt shelter which i think is very important because many transgendered individuals and lgbt individuals have been reluctant to access shelters because of being fearful. so, i definitely feel the city has become housing first. we always have to rededicate

ourselves because there are time we do put barriers to people for getting help if they qualify. i think we're substantially toward that goal and understanding where shelters fit in. the recommendation number 3, and this will be on our website and i think some more copies are coming up. the treatment program should be linked closely to housing placement. move funding away from services that are not linked to housing. and i think we have done that. i know barbara will talk about some of these issues. the next is about requiring city housing funding providers, notify an agency before initiating eviction proceedings. i think in the context of all the eviction attention received perhaps this is something to have a hearing on to really look at evictions from supportive housing. since we are funding that housing, we should have more control than we have in the environment of ellis acts and [speaker not understood]. the next is public housing.

this is an area where two years ago we would have come before you and said, gee, we're just getting start. ~ started. i think the past year the mayor and the mayor's administration have been dedicate today reimagine what public housing can be like of. again, public housing in cities that are more successful at responding to homelessness is a major tool particularly in ending family homelessness. so, it's very important, the housing authority has been working hard to pull up their lists that they've had, new practices. our nonprofit is going to be involved in, you know, managing senior and disabled properties. the housing authority commission, the level of city expertise, the phil arnolds, the joaquin torreses, the people who have gone on that commission it's changed the environment and i hope the housing authority will be a major tool going forward which we have not had in the past ten years. >> supervisor avalos? >> thank you. has there ever been any discussion about ways that we

could expand section 8? there's actually i know money from the federal government, but actually having some kind of match from the local level that could expand section 8. we can't build ourselves out as quickly as we'd like to, but services under the rubric of public housing, section 8 could be a tool we might be able to apply here. yeah, i think on the section 8 programs -- trent will touch on that. ~ >> one of the great things about losp we're able to assist undocumented families. that is one of the challenges of section 8, undocumented family can't participate in that problem. so, i think that is a difficult it. one of the big things about section 8 is you're as successful as your landlords are happy. i guess by that i mean there have been some paperwork and bureaucratic issues around processing section 8. so, when we got started in the

home to heroes campaign a year and a half ago, it was taking the vast voucher is a section 8 for veterans. so, it was taking 283 days from the times a veteran intaked it will they moved into their partv. its was taking the housing authority to go in and inspect the unit. i'm a veteran with a voucher. you looked at me a little ragtag. your dad was in the military. you're willing to rent the apartment to me at $100 less than what you would get in the marketplace. now i tell you i can't move in till the housing authority inspects. i think that's what the deal breaker had been on many occasions. why are you going to lose two months' rent for that occasion? the hsa, housing authority, hud, hope, other departments working together we were able to get inspections done between

24 and 24 a hours. sometimes section 8 holders are challenging a tenants, i don't think we've wrapped enough into supporting those families. as a result i think the number of landlords that have participated in the section 8 program has shrunk rather than expanded. we have about 10,000 vouchers, i would want to say. and one of the other things we did with the vouch program, there was a 20% cap on project basing. project basing means attaching the voucher to the living unit versus the individual having their own voucher. and i'm a believer and i think many people in the city are believer and more project basing because you're not going on the roller coaster of people having to go out, find a landlord, find the property, have all these rents changing. instead, you're basically holding onto this unit. but i think that that's -- you know, that is something. we got the cap lifted on

project basing for vash. we're able to move on, a veteran moves on, passes away, we're able to access it. section 8, there has been a lot of work bill the housing authority. they're looking at how to be customer friendly with the property owner. i met with the association of realtors, association of apartment owners. people have tough problems that has made them reticent and i think that's something we have to work on a great deal. the next -- on the next page, looking at permanent sub important i have housing and all-new a forwardable housing developments, i do think that that's something we should talk about in term of the pipeline because again there are not that many ssi advocacy. barbara is going to be able to talk about some of the incredible things that happen

at dsh and qualify for ssi. when i came into this i saw more people getting on ssi which is disability assistance as being an important step. but i have to say because of care not cash, those individuals on g8 are on a defined housing path. oftentimes people on ssi are not. it can be challenging and there are people that are lost and i think wind up being homeless and not having, you know, the success in securing housing that they might be able to otherwise. and i think as we look at long term shelter stayers, it's going to help us identify those individuals. also in the area of ssi advocacy, there are many advocates that are looking at the possibility for structured employment for people who are on ssi who might be able to work to supplement their income, might make them more successful in the private market. give them a little wherewithal

to give them opportunities, i'm great to work with the homeless collaborative funded through mc kinney dollars through the [speaker not understood], heck as we call it, in conjunction with many employment development agencies that include tool works that works with individuals with disabilities, mission hiring hall, a number of different agencies, the hospitality house, episcopal community services. we are really in this era where some of the hack leadership a trying to engage around homelessness. we'd like to see this because much of the jobs that come into san francisco are not relative to people who [speaker not understood] homelessness. [speaker not understood] and help connect with it. the next recommendation is around expanding reunification of individuals and trent has tremendous amount to be proud of. there's been a program home

ward bound which has existed for anyone years now. we have close to 8,000 individuals and our city does a good job making sure and confirming people who are returning home are being rejected with family or friends that are going to support them so that we're not seeing people dumped, but it has been overwhelming successful, handful of people have come back to san francisco. police officers, a lot of -- all the agencies that work with homeless individuals really know to ask people if they're not being successful in san francisco, to reunify. the next point is around an oversight committee. i think that is the local homeless board. they'll want to dialogue about what their role is in term of the next recommendation about behavior health and outreach, we do have i think some incredible work going on.

kelly hiramota who works with barbara garcia. she work in director of placement. we've worked with challenging individuals who have been on the street or been chronically homeless and they have devised very thoughtful plans that also involve the adult protective services and other partners in housing, challenging individuals. the centralized information system, the hmis system, there is a recommendation about staffing problems and it really talk about staff and pier council recruitment and selection. and i think that's something trent and i do talk about, about investments. supervisor kim and the budget committee supported new investments in our shelter system to make them better and cleaner and more case management and support. and i do think we talk about up lifting the people that work in that environment so make sure they are healthier and more welcoming. the next is treatment garden spots and i'm going to let

barbara speak about that. next is case management for people exiting the jail. wendy still has done an outstanding job of thoughtfully thinking through how adult probation should occupy this realm of working with homeless individuals. they do have case managers. they are funding stabilization units and housing. and again, i think the justice system coming here and talking about their role -- one of the things i think we can be proud of is that 10 year ago, 40% of our jail population identified as homeless and that's down to 20%. and i think that that -- you know, as we brought down the overall jail population, i think that that is an important element. our recommendation about diverting repeat offenders into treatment. i think that gets involved in our therapeutic court system and more residential treatment and care. i'm going to defer to barbara to talk about. crisis intervention resources,

and then chronic mental illness. and this is around the area of laura's law. i am very supportive of the cipp court that the health department and our courts, our public defender and our da have been involved with. i think it is a very important model. there is push for more tools in the tool box which i think are appropriate. i think the tools in laura's law that allow family and friends petition when they're concerned about the well-being of a loved one failing in and out of the mental health system is very important. there are other tools around intensive case management and also our mobile crisis team. you know, our health director is not able to ask for more resources because of the difficult budget environment. i've got to say for me, the mobile crisis team which obviously struggled during the different year for the city is

an area we can staff better. i would estimate from their high point they're maybe at 50% right now. they've got a grant application for a couple of vehicles because they only have one vehicle that's got a cage in it where someone who is dangerous to others can be placed in. but, you know, i think that mobile crisis is an important part of this. i think the police officers and see whoctionv who is in severe psychiatric crisis. i think at this stage it is not a robust as we would like it. if we are going to focus on a better tool box for responding to this population. >> supervisor avalos? >> thank you. just on this issue, i think it would be really good to see how the mobile crisis team has -- the staffing levels have changed over the years and if there is any correlation to what we see [speaker not understood]. i know there was a time -- when you were on the board, i believe -- we we actually put in several new stanching

positions for the homeless [speaker not understood] team, is that right? >> yes, we've expanded that to 24/7. >> if we look at that expansion again, i'd like to see what's been done in the past and what we can look at in terms of results with that expansion. >> you bring up a great point. sf hot wasn't focused on in the 10 year plan to end chronic homelessness. the sf pot team has gone 24/7. there have been positive things that have resulted from it. there are 15 outreach staff and i think 30 plus case managers that are there. but when you look at this very difficult population that's on our street, people that are dual and triplely diagnosed, we have people that are oftentimes at a peer level responding to this person that's in real crisis. and i think that there is agreement with trent and barbara and myself that for s.f. pot that if we wanted to be successful, we need to up

lift the clinical component. we probably need more psychiatric social workers leading the peer based teams to be able to deal with these situations and then i think that, you know, i met with mobile crisis last week. i think at the high a few years back they were up to 15. i think they're down to 9 right now, but i think that, you know, that notion of what's the interface between mobile crisis and hot would be a good area for discussion because that's what people are looking for. they're looking to be able to reach out. and the difficulty is just today i ran the numbers on our shelter availability last night. our shelters were 94% full yesterday. that meant that they were 68 vacancies. of those 68 29 were at prove against. ~ providence. providence is a place you have to leave at 6:30, 7:00 in the morning. people are sleeping on matts on the floor. there is an organic outreach

and exits for having people to go to. i definitely think the discussion about the clinical component of s.f. hot and mobile crisis would be an excellent discussion point. >> i was president clear of the distinction between the two. if you could summarize that. >> mobile crisis is people 51/50. those who are a danger to themselves or others. they're in extreme psychiatric distress. s.f. hot does respond to those individuals. mobile doesn't operate on a 24-hour basis. it doesn't operate on sundays. so, s.f. hot will respond to that. but i do think that overall, that having jason albert son like the lead clinical social worker for outreach, i think having 4 or 5 people of his skill set leading these teams would probably make it more effective if we also have housing to place people into. so, and the last point is about engaging the public and

supporting solutions to chronic homelessness and barbara is going to be able to talk about project homeless connect which i think is amazing. everyday connect has been another dynamic tool that we're using to respond to people. but i think that the most important thing is to be unafraid to talk about homelessness. i think the city has a tremendous amount to be proud of in terms of having compassion, having desire to be a housing first city, having a desire to recognize that, that even though family homelessness is not as visible as single adults, getting involvement with sales force, for example, has been transformative in how our family homeless system has been responding. and i think that only results in being engaged. i mean, just a story that appeared in the chronicle about a child in public school and what they are experiencing, not knowing where they went home at night, motivated [speaker not understood] to make an investment which has led to the

investment of star community. i know supervisors mar and farrell have been involved with, and their own neighborhoods where a convent has been repurposed for 12 homeless families. and this past year we added three mom with newborns not to have them be in shelter environment. just to briefly touch upon as we continue to look at these issues and hear what department colleagues have to say and what our advocates and service community, clients have to say, redesigning street outreach is a very high priority. i'm hoping for some members of the board and departments to go and look -- philadelphia has been cited as a model of having overnight outreach that pulls people into a navigation center, focusing on long-term shelter stay and housing resistant individuals and families, making sure, again, about preventing evictions from supportive housing. one housing i think is vitally important and i'm making a push right now for another building

that we need to do, and i think in areas where our city treasurer has distinguished himself which is around financial empower many. me ~ empowerment. when you're interacting with families exiting homelessness, individuals, helping them untangle credit situation, untangle debts is important for people being successful. the reason people get evicted for nonpayment of rent they go into court and get a stipulated agreement which doesn't change any of their credit situation. but just getting someone who is skilled as a credit counselor, get on the phone with some of their debtors and say they're not paying this interest. this $200,000 you're dunning them for, you're getting $200 and it's going to away. new york city has used that tool and it is an important tool. i have not focused a lot for lgbt homelessness. this is a passion for me. we've done well having lgbt connect. these numbers are staggering.