Reaching Families Where They Are: Compass Expands Vehicle Outreach in San Francisco

Compass’ Bilingual Policy Associate, Yessica Hernandez, and members of San Francisco’s Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) and HEART (a program of Urban Alchemy) gather for a photo at a pop-up event to support individuals living in large vehicles near Lake Merced. 

Want to help? We need multilingual volunteers, particularly those fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, to help us with outreach.  Click here to sign up. 

On a recent sunny evening, as rowers raced along Lake Merced, homeless outreach workers gathered around folding tables filled with pizza, water, and chips. Staff from Compass Family Services, the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT), and HEART (a program of Urban Alchemy) shared information with local families and individuals about the new housing and financial services that will begin in November for eligible individuals and families living in large vehicles November.  They also shared information about upcoming parking restrictions for large vehicles and the permit process that will be available to those seeking housing services.   

For months, Compass’ Policy team has been knocking on RV doors in the area, learning about the families living in the area and directly advocating on their behalf. Compass advocated for evening and weekend outreach, so that busy families could juggle work, school pick-ups and these important conversations with workers. That night at Lake Merced, all the families on the block, except for one, attended the event.  

One gentleman joyfully leapt into the air celebrating that he was eligible for services and a permit. After the event, several of the families came to Compass’ Central City Access Point to complete their housing assessment and learn more about services that are available to their families and children. 

Compass Family Services’ Policy Director, Megan Rohrer (in blue), and volunteer, jj Dollarhide (in black), knock on the door of a large vehicle in the Bayview. Compass needs volunteers to help survey and support families living in vehicles.  

The first outreach event at Lake Merced was so popular the city scheduled similar events every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday through October. Compass joined a similar event in the Bayview neighborhood, surveying and supporting the families near Carroll Ave and Ingalls Street in Bayview / Hunters Point. 100 individuals living in large vehicles, mostly Spanish speakers, attended the event.  

The mayor’s office estimates that about 60% of the 400-500 large vehicles throughout San Francisco are occupied by families with children under the age of eighteen. One family, a mother with six children living in an RV, joined the event in the Bayview hoping to get the support they needed to move indoors. In addition to housing services, participating in the large vehicle program will also give the family access to funds for surrendering their vehicle, relief from city debt and financial classes.  

Compass’ Policy Team will continue to advocate for families at as many outreach events as we are able, but we need your help. We need multilingual volunteers, particularly those fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, to help us conduct outreach.  Click here to  sign up, or contact Compass Policy Director Megan Rohrer at mrorher@compass-sf.org to learn more.