April Fool's Protest Against Mayor’s Shelter Re-Design

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 27, 2001 Coalition on Homelessness
Contacts: Allison Lum, Jennifer Friedenbach, Paul Boden
(415) 346-3740

City Tries to Pull Joke on Homeless People for April Fools Day!
HUNDREDS PROTEST CITY’S PLAN FOR SHELTERS

March 29, 2001
City Hall, Polk Street Side
April Fool's Protest Against Mayor’s Shelter Re-Design

SAN FRANCISCO [Thursday, March 29] City to implement Shelter Redesign Plan on April Fools Day, 2001. A rally and speak out to protest the program changes for Multi-Service Center North and Multi-Service Center South Shelters will take place on the Polk Street side steps of City Hall, 2001.

The City’s two largest shelters are to be changed dramatically on April 1, 2001. Part of the City’s proposed changes include subjecting homeless people to sit up-right in chairs (instead of current floor mats) at MSC South. This practice will have an adverse effect on the health of homeless people; adding to sleep deprivation and restricting blood flow in legs. The plan includes adding 100 men to an overcrowded floor of 200 men, as well as reserving MSC-North for the "upper crust" of homeless people, and moving "less desirables" such as disabled and women to MSC-South.

The Coalition on Homelessness issued a report in September 2000 titled "Sheltered Lives" -- documenting needed changes for the shelter system -- as a part of a community process to re-design the shelter system with officials from City Hall. 407 homeless people responded to the survey to identify areas that needed to be addressed in the shelter system. The City has ignored most of the concerns raised.

Homeless people and advocates know the most serious problems with the shelter system -- dirty facilities, poorly trained staff, and Inaccessibility -- will not be solved by this restructuring.

"When it is cold and raining at 7:30 at night, we have to stand outside and wait until 9:00 pm to get in." -- anonymous 50 year old African-American male shelter resident.

We are outraged that the City has not made program changes for MSC North and South based on the many documents laying out ways to improve the shelter system. The City has ignored months of planning by the Local Board, as well as focus groups conducted, and survey of 407 homeless people. We demand that the City stop the implementation of a plan that does not reflect the needs of homeless people.


The Coalition on Homelessness brings together homeless people and front line service providers to create permanent solutions to homelessness, including; housing, treatment, employment and child care, while working to protect the human and civil rights of homeless people forced to remain on the streets.

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