As government budgets tighten across the nation, local mental-health service providers and advocates say steep cuts may cost The City far more in the long term than the price of maintaining services. They worry recent progress made on San Francisco’s homeless problem could quickly regress if funding for mental-health services is further slashed. Read More

Aging, homeless war veterans will have a new place to call their own under a project that will shutter a seasonal SoMa homeless center. A grand, nine-story, city-owned building on Otis Street north of the Central Freeway will be converted into affordable housing for 76 senior and homeless veterans in need of medical care. Read More

With considerable fanfare, The City launched a campaign two years ago to clear out an influx of homeless campers — many of whom were substance abusers — from Golden Gate Park and direct them to social services. Uncontrolled homeless encampments had taken over pockets of the park, and city officials implemented a routine patrolling policy of park rangers, social workers, homeless advocates and police officers. Read More