Housing & Other Resources

Youth seeking emergency shelter, ages 17 and younger, who may be separated from their family, caregivers, or another legal guardian, as well as youth who run away or are couch surfing, may receive temporary housing support as well. 

• Huckleberry House, (415) 567-1020
• Diamond Shelter, Larkin Street Youth Services, 1 (800) 669-6196

Youth between the ages of 18 and 27 can contact a Youth Access Point using the website below.

• Youth Coordinated Entry Access Points

Youth in Alameda County can access

• Dream Catcher Youth Services

What youth can expect:

Youth should expect to be asked additional questions to access needs and options.

Youth seeking shelter should expect a safe, youth-friendly environment and staff to help with reunifying with family and other steps to help them with safe housing options.

Families seeking immediate- temporary shelter, can self-refer to:

• Stay Over Program at Buena Vista Horace Mann by calling (628) 215-0403
• UAV Compass Family Shelter by calling (415) 340-0572
• Queen of Peace Shelter by calling (415) 550-2465
• San Francisco's Coordinated Entry Access Points by visiting a Family Access Point

Parents and caregivers eligible for public benefits under CalWorks should also inquire about housing and financial assistance. For more information, go to the CalWorks website, call or visit one of their service centers.

What families can expect:

Families should expect to be asked additional questions about their needs to access appropriate options.

Families in a shelter can expect a safe, family-friendly environment, 3 meals per day, and staff who can meet with them about their needs.

Families who may be facing eviction or who may need support with moving costs, in order stay housed and support long-term housing stability, can contact a number of organizations that can provide consultation or support dependent on the families’ circumstances

• Homeless Prenatal
• Compass SF
• Eviction Defense Collaborative
• Hamilton Families

Glide also offers rental assistance. Rental Assistance is provided Mon-Fri, 8:30am – 4:00 pm in Room 101. Emergency options for eviction, back rent and deposits are available.

• Persons applying for rental assistance must attend a housing readiness workshop. For dates more information, please contact: Danielle Cato via email or by phone at: 415-674-6012.
• Case Management is provided when available. Ask for Angela Coleman or Demarco McCall.

The San Francisco Emergency Rental Assistance Program (SF ERAP) also assists once a calendar year to SF residents who:

• Have past-due rent;
• Cannot afford move-in costs for a new unit they have identified and plan to lease; and/or
• Need limited assistance with future rent to maintain their housing.

The SF ERAP application can be found here. 

What families can expect:

Families should expect to be asked additional questions about their needs to access appropriate options.

There is a community of service providers that support eviction prevention, who will have a conversation with families about their current eviction crisis, and suggest possible next steps that can be taken to remedy the situation.
 

Families at risk of homelessness should contact one of San Francisco's Coordinated Entry Access Points.

• Housing Assistance & Problem Solving

What families can expect:

Families should expect to be asked additional questions to access needs and options.

Access Point staff discuss your needs with you. They will possibly connect you with various resources including Problem-Solving, shelter, housing or rental assistance.

Like San Francisco, many neighboring bay area counties have their own coordinated entry system to support youth and families experiencing homelessness or housing instability. 

• Alameda County

• Contra Costa County

• Marin County

• San Mateo County

• Santa Clara County

• Solano County

• Sonoma County

You can also call 2-1-1 to get immediately connected to your local resources and support. 

• SFUSD Before & After School Programs
• Children's Council SF: Childcare & Preschool Options 
• Wu Yee Children's Services
• Head Start and Early Head Start Locator Tool

City of San Francisco Food Resources

• Use the San Francisco Food Resources Map to find food resources near you. The Food Resources page on SF.gov provides additional food options, including community providers and information on public benefits.

Cal-Fresh/EBT Benefits

• Apply online or by phone at (415) 558-4700 to get the application started or for more information. You can also schedule an appointment for application assistance at 2EnrollMeSF.org.

District 10 Community Market

• For residents of those living in the following zip codes: 94124, 94107, or 94134. For more information visit their website here. 

San Francisco Human Services Agency

• Free food Map

San Francisco/Marin Foodbank

• The food bank has pop-up pantries around the city. Check the food finder link for more information.  Some sites require a simple registration. Check back often for updates.

San Francisco Community Fridge

• Led by the Mission Meals Coalition. More information can be found here. 

Food Resources for Older Adults and People with Disabilities

• The San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services (DAS) coordinates services for older adults, veterans, people with disabilities, and their families.
• Call the DAS Benefits and Resource Hub at (415) 355-6700 to apply for home-delivered meals, and home-delivered groceries, and for more information regarding their meals-to-go program.

Latino Task Force

• Food list and distribution sites. Available in Spanish. 

More resources can be found on the SFUSD's Student Nutrition Services webpage for more information about school meals, the SF-Marin Food Bank, Pandemic-EBT, and other food resources.

St. Anthony’s runs San Francisco’s largest free clothing program, providing new and gently-used clothing to individuals and families experiencing homelessness and poverty.

• Students and families that are in immediate need of clothing can schedule an appointment in person at 121 Golden Gate. 
• Staff are available Monday through Saturday from 7am to 3pm to assist.

Glide also offers access to hygiene items, clothing, and other household items as available.

• Monday through Friday: 8:30 am – 2:00 pm
• DMV vouchers are given 8:30 am – 4:00 pm (no exceptions)
• Blankets are available at 4:00 pm

Hype Center -

• On site laundry & shower services
• Address: 198 Portrero Ave., San Francisco, CA
• Email: hypecenter@freedom-forward.org

Mission Fiesta Laundry - 

• Free laundry the last Wed of every month, 4p-8p (laundry soap provided)
• Address: 5756 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94112; Tel: (415) 584-6691

Mission Neighborhood Resource Center -

• Shower & laundry services provided at drop in center - must be 18 years or older
• Showers 7a-11:45a, 2p-5:30p (last call for showers at 5p)
• 1st time laundry service is free, 2nd+ laundry costs 25 cents, 2nd shower costs 25 cents
• Address: 165 Capp Street, San Francisco, CA 94110; Tel: (415) 869-7977

St. Anthony's Hygiene Hub

• Free shower & laundry services
• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday 7:30ap-3:30p
• Address: First floor of 150 Golden Gate Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102; Tel: 415-241-2600

WeHope Dignity on Wheels (DOW) Program

• Mobile laundry & shower services in Alameda, Marin, Santa Clara, & San Mateo Counties
• View DOW Schedule here
• Contact information

Youth with a Mission San Francisco

• Shower services only
• Tuesdays & Wednesdays 1:30-4p
• 15 minutes per person
• Address: 357 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94102; Tel: (415) 885-6543

Youth

• The SFMTA has expanded the Free Muni for Low- and Moderate-Income Youth to all youth 18 years and younger, regardless of household income level. No application or proof of payment/Clipper card is required to ride Muni vehicles, with the exception of Cable Cars. Simply get on and ride.

Adults

• SFMTA offers an Access Pass which is a Muni-only pass for individuals experiencing homelessness. The pass provides free access to Muni vehicles for the pass holder for 24 months. More information and the application can be found here.

Any Family in need of home Internet connectivity should visit getacp.org to learn more and apply for services through the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a long-term program administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). With the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program, families can save on their bill and may be able to get high-speed Internet for free!

Paper applications are available in both English and Spanish. Families are responsible for mailing their completed application to the address listed on the application. 

You can call the ACP Support Center at (877) 384-2575 or email them at ACPSupport@usac.org

7 days a week, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for more information.

• Feeding Pets of the Homeless 
• Vet SOS 
• Pets Are Wonderful Support/Shanti Project

• SF Firefighters Toy Program - (application available in the menu)
• SF Police Department Toy Program - staff and/or families can visit their local police station & ask for their toy drive program
• Project Homeless Connect (PHC)  Available Services Guide 
• Support for Families: SF Holiday Meals, Toys, & Assistance
• SAFEH Community Resources
• Navigating SF’s Shelter System
• SF Family Access Points
• SF Youth Access Points

Hotlines: 

• National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 988
• The Safe & Sound TALK Line: (415) 441-KIDS (415-441-5437)
• Huckleberry Youth Programs/ Crisis Shelter Hotline: (415) 621-2929
• Trevor Project: (866) 488-7386
• Call 311 for additional food resources and public benefits available in San Francisco
• 24-hr Child Crisis: (415) 970-3800 only de-escalation and hospitalization (no welfare checks)

Housing and Community Resources Guide (created by Oakland Unified School District)

• Access Here

The California Department of Education maintains lists of all homeless liaisons at school districts and county offices of education in the state. The lists can be found here. 

Homeless liaisons for nearby bay area County Offices of Education are:

• Alameda County Office of Education: Elizabeth Tarango, lizt@acoe.org

• Contra Costa County Office of Education: Alejandra Chamberlain, achamberlain@cccoe.k12.ca.us

• Marin County Office of Education: Amy Carrera, acarrera@marinschools.org

• San Mateo County Office of Education: Mary McGrath, mmcgrath@smcoe.org

• Santa Clara County Office of Education: Joann Vaars, jvaars@sccoe.org

• Solano County Office of Education: Akon Walker, awalker@solanocoe.net

• Sonoma County Office of Education: Debra Sanders, dsanders@scoe.org

Please contact these liaisons for more information regarding county resources and education supports for homeless students and families.