District 2 Supervisor Mark Farrell is proposing legislative changes to the city’s Care not Cash housing assistance program for homeless people that seek to reduce evictions and housing instability among program participants.
The changes would affect participants who currently can end up homeless as a result of repeated failures to comply with the program rules; their money is cut off, but that also eliminates their ability to pay rent, so they often lose housing. According to Farrell’s office, dozens of people face eviction every year this way. The proposed changes would still impose a suspension of benefits to the individual, but rental payments would still be made, thereby keeping the person in stable housing while the city’s Human Services Agency tries to bring them back into compliance.
“Keeping the formerly homeless housed will continue to save our city valuable resources in the long-run and stop individuals from cycling back into homelessness,” said Farrell in a statement. “This ordinance reaffirms San Francisco’s commitment to keeping people housed through our Care not Cash program.”
The bill is expected to get an early February hearing by a Board of Supervisors committee.
