Two San Francisco families who were set to be evicted from their homeless shelters on Monday night have won a reprieve following protests by advocates and several press stories highlighting their plight, according to Matt Alexander, an advocate working with the families.
The families of Vilma Arias and Maria Flores, two in a group of some 30 families who are facing eviction after San Francisco reintroduced a cap on the number of nights families can stay in city-contracted homeless shelters, were told to be out of their rooms at St. Joseph Family Center by 5 p.m. tonight.
If not, shelter staff told the families, the police would be called.
But both families now have until April 10 to find new homes, after advocates held a press conference on Monday morning that drew at least 10 reporters and TV crews and resulted in several stories, including from Mission Local.
The group of families had, late in February, pleaded with Mayor Daniel Lurie in a one-on-one meeting for reprieve. According to attendees, Lurie and his team told the families that as long as they were making “positive progress” towards finding housing, they could stay. But just days later, at least nine families received the first eviction notice.
The families have already received several extensions since entering shelters last year. In November, the city reintroduced a pre-pandemic policy that caps shelter stays at 90 days, with two 30-day extensions as needed. The families had already received those extensions, and got an extra 30 days today.
Still, the city did carry out three evictions of homeless families on Monday. As of Friday, six families had been told to leave their shelters this month, and none had housing lined up or qualified for an extension, according to the department. Three of them — including Arias’ and Flores’ — were able to get additional 30-day extensions after a review of their cases.
But the three other families were “exited from shelter” on Monday, the department wrote.
Catholic Charities, a city-contracted nonprofit that runs the shelter, did not respond to requests for comment.
Even for Arias and Flores, the additional 30 days is only a temporary fix. Both women and their children, as well as some 24 other families that Faith in Action Bay Area is in touch with, will now have to find permanent housing before they are pushed back onto the street on either April 10 or 12, depending on the family.
Others have shorter timelines: Six families that are working with Faith in Action are set to be evicted in two days, on March 12. They are now wondering if they will be forced out, or if they too will be offered a last-minute extension.
“Two women and their children.”
Where are the fathers?
Do you know their names and care? Then investigate, junior racist journalist!
“have won a reprieve following protests by advocates and several press stories highlighting their plight” – Protesting and journalistic protections are RIGHTS and this is why. The will of the people is the immutable voice of America.
You are cheering on illegal immigrants getting free housing at city expense while legal residents sleep on the streets.
I agree with you 100%. We need to take care of and house our own people before we can use resources to house others. You wouldn’t feed the neighbor’s kid before you fed your own baby. When you get on the airplane, they say to affix your own oxygen face mask before helping others. Show me housing that is specifically for Americans in need that are living in Mexico, I dare you to. There isn’t any.
Zero SF public housing is designated for Mexicans, derp.
What exactly is the exit strategy here? How much longer do they expect to get free family housing when there is such a long waiting list?
We all know the families’ worries are far from over until much better solutions to solving homelessness are found. Thank you Mission Local for covering this story so well!
Excellent. I hope the mayor is given all the credit for this development as he was getting the blame for the evictions. (I know – he had nothing to do with either)
He’ll take what credit is offered either way and max it out. The problem is this is just 2 families of the X.
Journalists can make a difference, great work Xueer and Mission Local!
It must be hard ; however, the babysitting and free hand outs
Need to Stop.
I guess everyone should not work and then demand housing where they are ?
How about moving to a place where you can try and get a job and pay for yourself ?
Im going to pitch a tent in Beverly Hills .
I demand a house with a pool.
Mr. Mayor,
Your advisers here should be Sam Dodge and Alex Tourk.
Of all your present options I personally would put these families in the school facilities where their kids go to school.
SFUSD has had a successful program along these lines for several years and with a boost from you they’d certainly make room for a hundred families or so.
Yes, I am a retired Special Ed teacher and I still work around the this population in my Volunteer trash pickup work in the Mission.
You watch, folks, while my politics are very different than the Mayor’s, he’s a very reasonable person and while he won’t do a ‘Trump 180’ move I’m convinced his legacy will be for the impacts of his Progressive reforms in the City’s work with the Homeless and in Judicial System reforms.
go Niners !!
h.