Oral Communications 9-16-20 HCFrom:Kerri Heusler
To:Beth Ebben
Subject:FW: Written communication, Housing Commission meeting, 9/16/2020
Date:Wednesday, September 16, 2020 9:07:32 AM
Attachments:SF_housing_policy_report_48hills.pdf
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For the record for the meeting today. Kerri
Kerri Heusler
Housing Manager
Housing Division
KerriH@cupertino.org
(408) 777-3251
From: Liana Crabtree <lianacrabtree@yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2020 8:54 AM
To: Connie Cunningham <CCunningham@cupertino.org>; Tessa Parish <TParish@cupertino.org>;
Sanjiv Kapil <SKapil@cupertino.org>; Sue Bose <sbose@cupertino.org>; Siva Gandikota
<SGandikota@cupertino.org>
Cc: Kerri Heusler <KerriH@cupertino.org>
Subject: Written communication, Housing Commission meeting, 9/16/2020
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Written communication, Housing Commission meeting, 9/16/2020
Dear Housing Commissioners:
I have attached a copy of the 9/3/2020 published in 48 Hills by Tim Redmond entitled "A
Dramatic New Report Sheds Light on Homeless Policies".
The article describes a recent study "involving 584 unique individuals". While the study
participants were residents of San Francisco, likely the findings are informative for anyone
concerned about ensuring that vulnerable people can find and keep safe, stable, and
sustainable housing anywhere in the Bay Area.
The article begins:
"The Coalition on Homelessness released a dramatic new study today that – unlike most
reports on the unhoused – relies on data collected directly from the people on the streets.
The study shows that 25 percent of the people who are homeless today had a place to live in
San Francisco within the past year. Most of them lost their housing because they couldn’t
afford to pay for it.
Many of the people who have been in government-sponsored affordable housing – 18 percent
— wound up back on the streets, in part because they couldn’t pay the rent.
The study, backed by researchers at academic institutions including UC Berkeley, Harvard,
and Santa Clara University, surveyed a total of 584 unique individuals. The researchers also
did a series of focus groups.
It’s a critical, and unusual, example of asking the people who are facing homelessness to
participate in designing solutions:
You will see in this report the voices of those experiencing homelessness. You will hear
their suffering, but also their brilliance. There are also many themes that arise and collectively
paint a picture of a revolving door that churns people through, and too often, spits people back
to the streets where they start over, with more trauma and less hope. The picture painted of a
treatment system that when it is serving, and accessible to people, is serving them well. The
picture painted of gaping holes through which people fall from housing into homelessness, but
holes that are easily fixed with appropriate investments.
Among the most important conclusions: Most people who wound up homeless lost their
homes because, for a variety of reasons, they couldn’t afford the rent...."
Please see the attached document for the full article.
Sincerely,
Liana Crabtree
Cupertino resident
HOUSING HOMELESSNESS
NEWS + POLITICS
A dramatic new
report sheds real
light on homeless
policies
Ask people on the streets what they need,
and you get credible answers. The city
ought to be paying attention.
By TIM REDMOND -SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
The Coalition on Homelessness
released a dramatic new study today
that – unlike most reports on the
unhoused – relies on data collected
directly from the people on the
streets.
The study shows that 25 percent of
the people who are homeless today
had a place to live in San Francisco
within the past year. Most of them
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A dramatic new report sheds real light on homeless policies | 48 hills https://48hills.org/2020/09/a-dramatic-new-report-sheds-real-light-o...
1 of 9 9/16/20, 8:39 AM
lost their housing because they
couldn’t afford to pay for it.
Many of the people who have been in
government-sponsored affordable
housing – 18 percent — wound up
back on the streets, in part because
they couldn’t pay the rent.
The study, backed by researchers at
academic institutions including UC
Berkeley, Harvard, and Santa Clara
University, surveyed a total of 584
unique individuals. The researchers
also did a series of focus groups.
It’s a critical, and unusual, example
of asking the people who are facing
homelessness to participate in
designing solutions:
You will see in this report the voices of
those experiencing homelessness. You
will hear their suffering, but also their
brilliance. There are also many themes
HOMELESSNESS
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crisis
Strong support for bold
measures, including $2 billion
in spending, in new poll.
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Prop. C in major victory
for SF homeless
advocates
Ruling shows that the odious
Prop. 13, which devastated
schools and local government,
is starting to crumble.
Tim Redmond -SEPTEMBER 9, 2020
A dramatic new report sheds real light on homeless policies | 48 hills https://48hills.org/2020/09/a-dramatic-new-report-sheds-real-light-o...
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Among the most important
conclusions: Most people who wound
up homeless lost their homes
because, for a variety of reasons, they
couldn’t afford the rent.
Rent subsidies — a very inexpensive
solution — would have made a huge
difference for thousands of people
who are now on the streets.
The surveys showed that 81 percent
that arise and collectively paint a picture
of a revolving door that churns people
through, and too often, spits people back
to the streets where they start over, with
more trauma and less hope. The picture
painted of a treatment system that when it
is serving, and accessible to people, is
serving them well. The picture painted of
gaping holes through which people fall
from housing into homelessness, but
holes that are easily Kxed with appropriate
investments.
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Tim Redmond -SEPTEMBER 7, 2020
HOMELESSNESS
A dramatic new report
sheds real light on
homeless policies
The Coalition on
Homelessness released a
dramatic new study today that
– unlike most reports on the
unhoused – relies on data
collected directly...
Tim Redmond -SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
A dramatic new report sheds real light on homeless policies | 48 hills https://48hills.org/2020/09/a-dramatic-new-report-sheds-real-light-o...
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of the people living on the streets
have either used shelters or tried to
get shelter in the past. Most of the
people, it turns out, are not “service-
resistant.” The study found that 64
percent tried to get into shelter, but
there were no beds available. Thirty
percent were forced to leave shelters
against their will.
Access to shelters is complex and
difficult.
The thresholds for access to the
shelters were a constant complaint.
Half of the participants said that
drug-treatment programs that did not
Given the conditions in the shelters, 58
percent said they would rather be in a
legal camp than in a shelter. Respondents
said that there is a need for both clean
and sober shelters and shelters where
people who use alcohol and drugs can do
so in a safe setting.
The majority of respondents currently
staying in shelters reported that they had
tried and failed to access a bed in the
past: 64 percent reported having tried and
failed to access shelter in the past due to
a lack of available beds, 37 percent due to
excessive waits, 29 percent due to Knding
it too complicated, and 29 percent from
missed check-in for the strict curfew.
A dramatic new report sheds real light on homeless policies | 48 hills https://48hills.org/2020/09/a-dramatic-new-report-sheds-real-light-o...
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require abstinence and focus on
harm reduction were more effective
than programs that mandate a
complete halt to all drug and alcohol
use.
Cesar Espinoza, one of the
researchers, said that the stigma
attached to substance abuse is a
major obstacle to treatment. “Many
individuals who are homeless are not
ready for substance abuse
treatment,” he said. But harm-
reduction programs and street-level
outreach – including housing that
can stabilize people’s lives – is a
critical part of the system.
The study also showed that
transgender people suffer particular
problems in the city’s homeless
system.
Enforcement of binary gender norms in
San Francisco shelters makes transgender
women particularly vulnerable to
experiencing gender-based violence in and
eviction from homeless services.
Qualitative studies have shown how
gender policing by shelter and transitional
housing program staff puts transgender
women at risk of carceral system
involvement, as staff call the police to
respond to transgressions of gender
norms. Most (52 out of 72) people
surveyed had used shelters in San
Francisco within the last Kve years. Forty-
A dramatic new report sheds real light on homeless policies | 48 hills https://48hills.org/2020/09/a-dramatic-new-report-sheds-real-light-o...
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The policy recommendations start
with the concept of preventing
people from losing their housing –
which means changing state laws.
four of these shelter users left shelters for
a variety of reasons. The primary reason
for departure from shelters was to escape
mistreatment (39 percent), compared with
30 percent of the overall population; 36
percent left because they timed out, and
16 percent were kicked out, sometimes
following con‘icts related to gender
identity or sexuality. Fifty-two percent of
transgender shelter users had been asked
to leave or forced to leave shelter. This
indicates a need for improved policies for
con‘ict resolution and institutionalization.
Fully repeal the Costa Hawkins Rental
Housing Act, a California measure that
was passed in 1994 that limits
municipalities’ ability to implement
vacancy control in rental units. This will
reduce landlord incentives to displace
existing tenants and prevent rents from
spiking when a tenant moves or is forced
out.
Support local and statewide measures
that expand tenant protections and
expand rent control.
Support a California constitutional
amendment recognizing the Fundamental
Human Right to Housing in California.
Fully repeal the Ellis Act, a statewide
measure that allows landlords to evict
entire buildings.
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(Newsom has successfully pushed for
a $600 million fund to turn empty
hotels into housing for homeless
people, and that’s a great idea, if
limited. But he has, so far, not made
it a priority to end the Ellis Act and
Costa Hawkins.)
There is so much here, and it’s going
to take a while to analyze it all. But
the Coalition has put out a study,
backed by solid data, that shows why
so much of what the media report on
homelessness is wrong – and why so
many city policies have failed. And
everyone needs to pay attention.
This is critical: The real-estate lobby has
outsized in‘uence in Sacramento, and
while everyone from the governor on down
talks about addressing homelessness, the
Krst step has to be defying that lobby and
keeping people in their homes.
A dramatic new report sheds real light on homeless policies | 48 hills https://48hills.org/2020/09/a-dramatic-new-report-sheds-real-light-o...
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TAGS ACT berkeley
California
Coalition on Homelessness
Ellis Act Eviction
governor
Homelessness Housing
Landlords Media
Moves Newsom
Police Policing Rent
Rent Control
Sacramento
San Francisco Shelters
Tenants Transgender
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Tim Redmond has been a political and
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