Tell Mayor Lurie and BoS: Keep Families Housed (and Spread the Word!)
Call your Mayor
Call ONE of the Supervisors. Note: only one of these Supervisors represents you. Find out which one here.
Call Script
My name is __________. I am a constituent, and my zip code is _______. I live in District _____. I am a member of Indivisible SF.
For Mayor Lurie:
I urge Mayor Lurie to honor his commitment to the Streets to Stability plan by rescinding the 90-day family shelter limit, and to work with HSH and the Board of Supervisors on reforms that reduce family stress and expand shelter and housing options. The current 30-day extension cycles are causing confusion and trauma. I will call daily until this policy is changed.
(Shortened script if you get his restricted 14-second voicemail option:)
My name is ________. As a San Francisco resident and Indivisible SF member, I urge the Mayor to end the 90-day family shelter limit, collaborate on reforms, and stop traumatizing families with repeated extension cycles.
(If his mailbox is full, send him an email!)
For Board President Mandelman:
I demand that Board President Mandelman use his influence in setting legislative priorities to rescind the 90-day limit on the family shelter stay policy. Putting families through 30-day extension cycles is causing confusion and trauma. I will call daily until this policy is overturned.
Special Script for Supporting Supervisor Melgar (District 7), Supervisor Fielder (District 9), Supervisor Walton (District 10), and Supervisor Chen (District 11):
I am calling to THANK YOU for your commitment to overturn the 90-day limit on the family shelter stay policy. There is no reason why the wealthiest city in the nation should be forcing children and families out of housing and onto the streets. Besides calling the mayor daily, how might I help you overturn this policy?
Special Script for Supervisor Sherill (District 2) and Sauter (District 3):
I am deeply disappointed by your recent vote to continue the resolution to rescind the 90-day family shelter limit. You heard the families speaking about the trauma this policy is inflicting on them. I expect you to take action to fix this issue and keep sheltered families from returning to the streets.
Suggested Script for all other Supervisors:
I demand that Supervisor [Name] overturn the 90-day limit on the family shelter stay policy. Putting families through 30-day extension cycles is causing confusion and trauma. I will call daily until this policy is overturned. I will be calling every day until this policy is overturned.
Additional Talking Points for Emailing Your Supervisor:
If you prefer to email officials daily, here are some suggested talking points to add to the script above.
Faith in Action Bay Area Unhoused Immigrant Families Asks:
Eliminate the city’s policy of evicting families from shelters
Ensure that all Access Point and shelter workers have empathy and competence
Create more rent subsidies
Create a work program for families who do not have jobs
Create a basic income for those who cannot work
Spread the Word
An additional action is to contact ten friends, family, and community members in San Francisco and personally ask them to join this call to action. Include any influential, powerful, or courageous people who will help to amplify this call in their communities.
Suggested Text to Send for Your Community Members:
Hello, _____. Were you aware that the SF Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing currently has a 90-day shelter limit policy and is forcing immigrant and unhoused families to go through a repeated 30-day extension process that is not only ill-managed but also causing confusion and trauma to families living in unstable situations? Many families with children fear being placed out into the streets, where they would be left unprotected and vulnerable to abuse and ICE detentions. There is no reason why families should have to fight for their right to continue receiving services before they can find adequate housing. Would you join me in calling the mayor’s office every day until this policy is overturned? Would you ask five friends and neighbors to take action on this? Here’s more information on what’s going on with clear steps you can take.
Other talking points
Protect Immigrant Families
Highlight the disproportionate impact on immigrant families, many of whom face additional barriers such as language difficulties, limited resources, and fear of deportation.
Emphasize that San Francisco’s sanctuary city status is undermined by policies that force immigrant families, including asylum seekers, onto the streets.
Propose targeted support for immigrant families, such as culturally competent case management and legal assistance.
Prioritize Children’s Well-being
Stress the detrimental effects of homelessness on children’s education, mental health, and overall development. Nearly 3,000 unhoused students in San Francisco schools are already at risk.
Advocate for policies that prioritize stable housing solutions for families with children to ensure continuity in education and reduce trauma.
Increase Shelter Capacity and Housing Solutions
Push for expanded shelter capacity in all districts and accelerated distribution of rent subsidies to transition families into permanent housing.
Demand accountability for the $50 million allocated in 2024 to address family homelessness, ensuring it is effectively utilized to meet urgent needs.
Align Policies with Sanctuary City Values
Urge city officials to align homelessness policies with San Francisco’s sanctuary city principles by offering compassionate and inclusive solutions rather than punitive measures like evictions.
Highlight the contradiction between the city’s progressive reputation and its treatment of unhoused families.
Long-Term Solutions Over Short-Term Fixes
Advocate for a shift away from temporary shelter limits toward long-term investments in affordable housing, job training programs, childcare support, and mental health services.
Propose a family homelessness prevention program modeled after successful initiatives elsewhere, focusing on financial aid and early intervention.
Background
On April 1st, Mayor Lurie attended the Streets to Stability: Launch Event and Panel Discussion at Taube Atrium Theatre where he publicly committed to support the Streets to Stability Plan. Step 2 in the plan states, “Keep people housed.”
On Thursday, April 17th, SF BoS Government Audit and Oversight Committee met to discuss item 250237, a resolution sponsored by Supervisors Fielder, Chen, Melgar, and Walton, urging the Mayor to rescind or drastically reform the family shelter length of stay policy and work with the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) and the Board of Supervisors to develop reforms that avoid placing undue stress on families, while improving flow in the system, including increasing shelter and housing options to address family homelessness.
There was an hour-long presentation by the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing and a Q&A with Supervisors Fielder, Sauter, and Sherill. HSH stated that extensions to the 90-day limit were not limited and that families or case workers could ask for continued extensions as long as they worked towards stable housing. HSH said the policy existed to 1) encourage families to be active in their cases and 2) make space for families still on the streets and unable to find housing due to SF’s shortage.
During public comment, many families described the trauma of repeatedly having to prove their efforts every 30 days to avoid being forced back onto the streets. They highlighted that finding stable housing and employment within 90 days in San Francisco is unrealistic. They reported a confusing extension process, a lack of empathy from case workers, and extension denial notices. Advocates and experts gave testimonies on the negative impact on families’ physical and mental health. HSH noted that most extension denials are overturned by them, raising questions about the necessity of the policy. Fielder and advocates argued that the policy primarily instills fear without providing real housing solutions, and questioned why a limit exists if extensions are always possible. The reduction in the waitlist touted by HSH was also called into question, as it was partly achieved by narrowing eligibility and removing families living in SROs or overcrowded apartments from the list.
Steven Sherrill and Danny Sauter challenged the necessity of Fielder’s resolution, arguing there was no evidence families were being evicted. Fielder and several families testified otherwise, highlighting communication failures and the trauma caused by the policy, especially among recent immigrant families who primarily speak Spanish. Even the conservative supervisors conceded that the city had failed to adequately explain the policy, leaving families afraid of losing shelter..
A video of the proceedings and testimonies can be viewed online.
Despite Chair Fielder’s strong call to end the 90-day shelter policy and hours of public comment—mostly from distressed families—Supervisor Sherrill moved to continue the resolution “to call of the chair,” effectively delaying a decision. Ultimately, Sherrill and Sauter refused to advance Fielder’s resolution to the full Board of Supervisors, effectively stalling it unless Fielder can gather enough support to bypass the committee. While the resolution would not have been binding, it would have forced a public stance from the board and potentially pressured the mayor and HSH to reconsider the policy.
Fielder emphasized that the city has the resources to do more, noting that providing $3,500 monthly housing vouchers to all 500 homeless families would cost $21 million annually—a small fraction of the city’s budget. She argued that San Francisco’s homelessness crisis is a matter of political will, not resources.
For more on the history of this campaign, please visit this initial action.
References
Fielder proposal to protect unhoused families runs into opposition from ‘moderates’:
Breaking the cycle of homelessness in San Francisco
Supervisor Fielder wants to extend homeless shelter stays
SF Supervisor urges increased stay limit for families at homeless shelters