The primary election is just one week away on March 5th, and San Francisco voters are deciding on several important ballot measures. See below for positions Compass is taking on Propositions (Prop) A and F. Proposition A What is it? Prop A would issue $300 million in bonds to fund affordable housing construction for households ranging from extremely low-income to moderate-income. Presently, San Francisco faces a state mandate to build 46,000 affordable homes by 2031. In 2020, voters approved the largest housing bond in San Francisco history at $600 million, and this measure would further the city’s efforts to meet the state mandate.  What is the impact? Housing is the solution to homelessness; Prop A will effectively address the critical need for more deeply affordable housing for families experiencing homelessness. Compass encourages our community to vote YES on Prop A Proposition F What is it? Prop F asks voters whether San Francisco County Adult Assistance Program (CAAP) beneficiaries should be profiled and pre-screened for drug use to continue to receive aid.Prop F requires individuals who use drugs to enter mandated drug treatment to continue to receive this public benefit; if that individual misses a treatment appointment, the benefit will be discontinued and the individual will lose their shelter or housing.  What is the impact? Prop F punishes those who have the greatest need, and it will lead to adults living on fixed income to lose the assistance they currently receive. This proposal will continue an existing trend to move funding away from the homeless response system supporting families and youth towards punitive, short-sighted interventions for unsheltered single adults; these interventions are not evidence-based and do not lead to lasting exits from street homelessness. Prop F goes against public health best practice and is opposed by dozens of political organizations, social services providers, media outlets, and politicians—including the San Francisco Chronicle, UCSF Director of Addiction Care Team Dr. Marlene Martin, the San Francisco Human Services Network, the Homeless Emergency Service Provider Association, our State Assemblyman Matt Haney, and 6 of 11 San Francisco City and County Supervisors. Compass encourages our community to vote NO on Prop F This election will have reverberating effects on the family service system and city at large, and we urge voters to vote YES on Proposition A and NO on Proposition F. Find more information about how to vote here.

Last month, Compass officially inaugurated the first-ever Compass Family Advisory Committee (FAC), an eight member committee of parents receiving services at Compass. The FAC will meet twice per month to share feedback about Compass, advocate for committee-set priorities at the City Government, and create a community of family advocates. At the heart of the initiative is the recognition that families should play a pivotal role in improving the systems that impact their lives. Meeting Highlights Director of Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging, Rhett Burden, presented an overview of Compass and its programs, provided background on the history of housing discrimination and redlining in San Francisco, and facilitated a discussion on how family homelessness is inherently a race and equity issue. Compass Family Resource Center’s Program Director, Erica Barajas, shared the pillars of the Family Resource Center, including the services they offer, the challenges they face, and their goals for the future. Members asked the speakers questions and shared their thoughts and feedback on both Compass and the larger landscape of housing in San Francisco. Members split into groups to play Compass trivia based on the two presentations for a chance to win prizes. The meeting concluded with Compass staff asking parents what they liked about the meeting and what they would like to change or see more of in future meetings. The founding of the FAC came about during strategic planning, driven by a desire to prioritize family voices in decisions both internally at Compass and externally when advocating for policy changes in San Francisco. Compass staff conducted outreach across the organization, along with applications and interviews, to identify a cohort of parents receiving services from Compass with diverse backgrounds and experiences, and a passion for advocacy and serving their community. The Compass staff supporting the FAC have identified the following goals for the six-month initiative: Community – Regular meetings among the cohort help members build a strong community and create a space for families to connect across different programs, foster solidarity, and feel supported in their unique challenges and experiences. Learning –  Presentations from speakers will aim to provide members with comprehensive knowledge about Compass’ services, so that they can understand the organization holistically, beyond just the programs they have participated in. Speakers will additionally provide education on historical inequities and advocacy to help members build their own advocacy toolkits. Impact – The FAC was formed to listen to the expertise of families involved in Compass programs and to implement changes based on their feedback. The twice monthly meetings will provide opportunities for members to share their feedback with both Compass staff and community leaders. An advocacy day will be held in the Spring where the members will advocate for their policy priorities at City Hall.  The initial FAC cohort will convene through June 2024, at which point Compass staff will analyze outcomes and ensure that members feel they gained valuable tools, resources, and connections from their experience to be able to continue advocating in their communities. Compass is pursuing ongoing funding for the FAC to ensure that it is a long-term project that is centrally embedded into Compass’ core continuum of services. As the initiative unfolds, it promises to be a transformative journey, with families at the forefront of shaping Compass’ impact on the community.

Too often, unhoused families and individuals do not access services they need, simply because they aren’t aware of available services. San Francisco runs a Coordinate Entry System, required by the federal government to ensure fair distribution of resources for the homeless. But what exactly is Coordinated Entry and how does it really work? So what is Coordinated Entry? Coordinated Entry is the “front door” to San Francisco’s Homeless Response System, and similar systems around the country, where individuals and families facing homelessness are assessed, prioritized, and directed toward services based on their need. Coordinated Entry is required by the federal government for any city project that receives funding from certain Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants. However, San Francisco has some flexibility in deciding how its Coordinated Entry system works. Non-profit-run Access Points scattered throughout the city run San Francisco's Coordinated Entry. These Access Points are divided into three groups: Family, Adult, and Youth (for transition aged youth). Family Adult Youth Central City Access Point Compass Family Services 37 Grove Street Dolores Street Community Services 2645 Mission Street Larkin Street Youth Services 134 Golden Gate Avenue Bayview Access Point 1641 LaSalle Avenue Episcopal Community Services 123 10th Street (at Mission) 3rd Street Youth Center and Clinic 5688 3rd Street Mission Access Point 2871 Mission Street Saint Vincent dePaul Society 545 5th Street (at Bryant) The SF LGBT Center 1800 Market Street ​ Swords to Plowshares 1060 Howard Street (at Russ) ​ Who can access coordinated entry? Any household experiencing homelessness can visit these city Access Points. San Francisco has adopted definitions for each of the three populations above. Each definition includes three elements: A description of the household type (for example, in the family system, it’s one or more adults who have custody of at least one minor child, or a pregnant adult) Their required connection to San Francisco A definition of applicable housing/homeless status Deciding who gets what kind of help, however, gets more complicated. Eligibility requirements for housing or shelter can be stricter than the general definitions. The city uses an algorithm to prioritize households, but it’s not static. The score a household may need to have in order to get housing may change based on the availability of housing options. Also, the questions asked during evaluation often center around sensitive subjects that can be triggering for some. What services can be accessed through SF Coordinated Entry Access Points? There are a few different types of resources you can access through Coordinated Entry: Permanent Supportive Housing for families or individuals who need ongoing support services. Housing Subsidies or Voucher-Based Housing Support that pay most of a household’s rent for a period of time. Problem Solving, where you do not get housing, but you can get some support, for example, a bus ticket to travel to a family member who you can live with, or money to help with utility bills so that the person you are staying with will let you stay. Emergency Shelter which includes a stay of up to 6 months in a shelter. This category also includes transitional housing which may allow for a longer, but still temporary stay. Resources that are NOT a part of Coordinated Entry: Low-income housing rentals, which households can apply to get through the city’s housing lottery program Affordable housing listed San Francisco’s housing portal Public Housing Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers Is the system working? While Coordinated Entry is a well-intentioned effort to tackle homelessness in San Francisco, how it prioritizes families in need and the limited number of places to live leaves many waiting for months if not years for the help they need. In truth, SF is still a long way from having enough beds for those facing homelessness. The city is working to improve the Coordinated Entry process to make it more accessible and Compass’s Director of Housing Programs is helping with the redesign. Visit our Policy Page to see more about how we’re advocating for affordable housing and services to better support the homeless families in San Francisco. How do homeless families access Coordinated Entry? If you and your family are facing homelessness, you can drop by any of the three family access points. There, a Housing Problem Solving Specialist will talk to you and figure out how to help. If you have questions about access points, office hours, or how to get help, you can contact Compass Family Services’ Central City Access Point at 415-644-0504 or by emailing hcartagena@compass-sf.org.

This year, Waymo showed up in myriad ways to support the families Compass serves. This holiday season, the lives of 10 children and their parents were touched by the magic of a unique experience—the opportunity to attend a Warriors game, all made possible by the generous support of Compass Family Services' corporate partner, Waymo. Waymo not only provided 22 tickets but also arranged seamless transportation to and from The Margot, ensuring that this holiday treat would be truly memorable. The excitement peaked just before the game when the children were surprised on the court by players from both the Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers, who gifted each child a  Chromebook. Throughout the entirety of 2023, Waymo emerged as a dedicated pillar of support for Compass, standing out as one of its most reliable corporate allies. In addition to substantial monetary contributions, the Waymo team rolled up their sleeves to assemble hundreds of hygiene kits and snack kits for families facing challenging circumstances. Their commitment extended beyond the financial realm, encompassing thoughtful donations of gloves, pajamas, and stroller covers—items that undoubtedly brought comfort to those in need. Waymo's team members also actively volunteered at the Compass Family Resource Center food pantry, embodying a hands-on approach to community support. Over the summer, Waymo continued their impactful initiatives by partnering with United Way. Together, they orchestrated the delivery of carloads of backpacks stuffed with school supplies, setting the stage for a confident and enthusiastic start to the new school year for Compass kids. This collaboration underscored Waymo's dedication to empowering young minds and promoting education as a catalyst for positive change. A noteworthy highlight of Waymo's involvement was their pivotal role as the official sponsor of Compass’ holiday Adopt-a-Family program. This sponsorship ensured that families in need experienced the warmth of the holiday season with thoughtful gifts and a sense of belonging. Waymo's commitment to fostering community connections was truly exemplified through this sponsorship, demonstrating a genuine understanding of the importance of support during challenging times. The partnership between Waymo and Compass Family Services commenced in 2021, and as the calendar turns to 2024, both entities eagerly anticipate a continued collaboration. The shared commitment to supporting Compass and the families it serves remains steadfast, promising a future filled with meaningful moments of joy, support, and community upliftment.

Lilliana, a single mother who sought help from Compass after a period of homelessness, has recently received her Doula certification! Lilliana is a 48 year old mother of two, one aged five and the other twenty-six. Before turning to Compass for help, Lilliana and her second child, an infant at the time, had stayed in four different shelters. Lilliana describes her arrival at Compass as feeling like an angel had come to her. Her assigned Compass case manager helped her secure placement in a new low-income housing unit, where she now resides with her son. Lilliana took classes at Compass to explore potential job opportunities when she discovered the Doula certification program. Compass not only supported her financially for the class but also provided her with a laptop to help with her coursework. Most significantly for Lilliana, she has worked closely with a Compass therapist who has been instrumental in helping her address past trauma and discover her own inner strength. Now, as a certified doula, Lilliana looks forward to supporting mothers, especially those who may lack support elsewhere. She hopes to get her GED and specialize in helping to prevent postpartum depression among the women she works with. She says she’s thankful for the support she received at Compass, where she was finally able to realize her dream of working within the nursing field and supporting mothers in her community. Congratulations to Lilliana on her remarkable achievement in earning her Doula certification! She asked to dedicate her certificate to Compass for having the confidence to believe in her, and her children for standing by her as she found her footing. We can't wait to see what her future holds. "En las terapias, que te puedo decir, me han ayudado mucho. Creo que me va a doler cuando se haga el desapego. Porque no solo me ha ayudado psicológicamente sino como ser humano, me ha ayudado a seguir luchando por lo que yo quiero y a tratar de ver el valor que tengo como mujer." - Lilliana Translated to English: "In regards to therapy... they have helped me a lot. I think it will be difficult for me when it is time to detach because it has not only helped me psychologically, but also as a human being, helping me to keep fighting for what I want and to try to see the value and importance I have as a woman."

Yesterday, Compass Family Services hosted a panel to discuss the release of the collaborative new report, “Voices of the Unseen: A Real Count of Homeless Families,” which was authored by a group of providers and advocates in San Francisco. An Invisible Crisis When most San Franciscans think of “homelessness,” they often picture unsheltered individuals sleeping on the streets, living with acute addiction, in tents on neighboring blocks. There is a significant amount of political pressure to fix this type of homelessness - the one that is easy to see.  While no one should be without a safe and stable home, media and administrative  attention that focuses solely on individuals experiencing visible, unsheltered homelessness can drive the plight of homeless families out of the spotlight. Unhoused families often work hard to stay below the radar out of fear of punitive responses from the child welfare or immigration systems. They’re also less often found on the streets, instead resorting to ‘couch surfing’ with friends or family, living in vehicles, or overcrowding into single rooms alongside multiple families - a pattern known as “doubling up”. While these families may stay out of the public eye, they still need services and support. Yet inadequate resources are directed toward this group, due to inconsistent and inaccurate undercounts of the population. Giving Voice to the Unheard On December 7th, Kyriell Noon, CEO of Hamilton Families, moderated a panel at Compass’s 37 Grove St. office that included Compass CEO Erica Kisch and three mothers experiencing homelessness. Following Erica’s summary of the issue and the goal of the “Voices of the Unseen” report, the mothers each shared their personal stories of fear and uncertainty navigating a response system that hasn’t served them well. Chariana Jones became homeless after escaping domestic violence with her daughter. Due to housing uncertainty, Chariana has been displaced from her daughter who is staying with family. She hopes to find a stable and secure home where her daughter and her can live together again and share family moments. “Now, my safety is more at risk … with me not being housed permanently or sufficiently. I have more of a probability of running into that same type of domestic violence situation. And that’s not just regarding me, that’s true of any man woman or child [facing homelessness].” - Chariana Jones, domestic violence survivor Liberty Henegan has six children, one of whom is just four months old. Liberty says that many programs turned her away because they aren’t equipped to help larger families like her own. Before finding shelter, she and her children lived in their car out of fear of facing violence in open cots at emergency shelters.  “There's so many people like me in my position. There’s so many people that got kids and they're scared to go to the shelter or don’t want to put in the necessary footwork to beat down these doors to say just help me please.”  “Being in the {private room} shelter has made things better for my children. They play sports, they’re able to go on field trips, they’re not missing so much school, because we have a stable foundation.”   - Liberty Henegan, shelter resident Antonella Hernandez first came to America 12 years ago without legal immigration status. She had to manage working nights while spending days in the hospital with her daughter who was facing major health issues. While she has spent the past six years in a single occupancy room, her situation is not safe or tenable for her family. There are currently as many as 10 people living in the room; Antonella and her family have recently opened their home to another family in need of a place to stay. “I’ve been [at the SRO hotel] for six years now, but the conditions are not good … There are rats, there is mold, there are cockroaches, some of the people living there have drug issues. That is not a good place for my daughter. So I want to have a better place … but it’s difficult to find help.”  - Antonella Hernandez, SRO hotel resident [translated from Spanish by interpreter Elisa Gonzalez-Garcia] Listening, Not Just Hearing Chariana, Liberty, and Antonella were asked what they would most like San Francisco to do next year to better support homeless families, and a common theme emerged:: Listen to us. See us. “Listen. Let’s start there.”   - Chariana Jones “I have a fifteen year old son and I have a twelve year old daughter. I want the city to see the future of San Francisco. I want the city to see them.”   - Liberty Henegan “I would like for [the city] to listen to us, and to see all of us and each of us as we are.”  - Antonella Hernandez [translated from Spanish by interpreter Elisa Gonzalez-Garcia] Working Together to Shine a Light The published ‘Voices of the Unseen’ report asks the city to urgently put together a Family Point-in-Time Count to accurately represent the size of the family homeless population in SF. The report and its supporters are also asking for increased services and big picture system transformation. “It is all of our responsibility to bring family homelessness out of the shadows and get real about the severity of this terrible problem, get real about the numbers, and make sure that the appropriate level of resources are being deployed.”  - Erica Kisch, CEO of Compass Family Services “Voices of the Unseen: A Real Count of Homeless Families” was produced by the Coalition on Homelessness Housing Justice Workgroup and the Family Subcommittee of theHomeless Emergency Service Providers Association (HESPA), with support from Chinatown Community Development Center, Dolores Street Community Services, GLIDE, Hamilton Families, Homeless Prenatal Program, SF City Vitals, and Compass Family Services.

Unfiltered: Stories of Professionals of Color at Compass As our organization works to foster transparency, facilitate deeper conversations, and drive action toward creating a more equitable community, we've launched the Unfiltered series as an essential component of that mission. Before coming to the United States and San Francisco, Bolor grew up in Mongolia and spent much of her early adult life there. Bolor remembers being around three years old, seeing her mother spend her nights studying for medical school. This was a career shift for her mother, switching from an engineer to a psychiatrist. After her mother would work and put Bolor and her brother to sleep, she would study at the kitchen table. Bolor has vivid memories of her mother opening Russian medical books spread out all over the table, drinking a glass of water with the dim table light on, and a blanket covering her to warm her from the chilly nights in Mongolia. Eventually, all the studying paid off, and her mother opened her home to those in the community needing support, specifically elders and children. Bolor says, “My mom never hesitated to support others less fortunate than her.” Growing up and seeing her mom helping and supporting people in their local community, Bolor knew she wanted to be like her. Bolor also went to medical school in Mongolia – studying to become a psychiatrist. Bolor saw many things during her training in the ER – noting the broad spectrum of human life. Bolor says: “Human beings are remarkable; I’m mesmerized by people’s will and strength to live. I love people.” In 2009, Bolor and her husband moved to Idaho for her husband’s education. Once her husband graduated, they moved to Fremont, California. Bolor felt like she was treated differently when they moved because of the way she looked and because she did not speak English. She also noticed that her peers treated her unequally because she couldn’t work due to the limitations of her immigration status. When Bolor moved to Idaho, it was the first time she was ever asked the painful question, “What are you?” Bolor says: “People would guess where I was from. They were curious, which I understood, but the question was hurtful. What am I? I am human.” Having taken classes with a variety of others who also didn’t speak English, it was apparent to Bolor that she was being singled out because she wasn’t white. However, due to Bolor’s strong foundation of who she was, she says: “Knowing who I was, helped lessen the pain.” Although Bolor was a psychiatrist for two years before moving to the US, her degree from Mongolia would not allow her to practice in America. She didn’t want to leave the field, but as a lifelong learner, Bolor decided to study and take English classes. Bolor’s English teacher saw something in her and encouraged her to pursue a master’s degree to become a Marriage and Family Therapist. To enroll in the master’s program, Bolor had to pass many prerequisite courses, including statistics, which were all in English. Bolor channeled her mother’s determination often and mustered the energy to study, while working full-time and caring for her child. Bolor fears societal injustices and their harmful impact on kind people. Bolor recently became a US citizen so she can vote and have a political voice, hoping to effect positive change in her community. Bolor is inspired by her fellow Compass co-workers. She believes Compass attracts compassionate, dedicated, full-hearted people, saying, “All the kind people from the Bay Area have come to Compass.” Bolor’s experience of immigrating to the US prepared her to feel better equipped to help her daughter navigate some of the same experiences she had. Bolor advises her daughter to “be confident with her skin, accept who she is. Confidently say, ‘I am Mongolian-American,’ and I am from the United States of America.” The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely Bolor Purvee's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Compass Family Services or its personnel. Interview by Ashley Ante

The experience of homelessness is traumatic in and of itself, and the vast majority of the families we serve at Compass also grapple with significant additional trauma. For that reason, we have long held that behavioral health services are a critical piece of the puzzle in helping families to achieve lasting stability and well-being. Guided by this premise, we have always provided critical behavioral health support to our client families, but in early 2020 we received a sizable grant from the San Francisco Department of Homelessness & Supportive Housing to extend these services beyond the Compass umbrella, to families facing or exiting homelessness in programs throughout San Francisco, using a mobile or roving model. The model we proposed was innovative and interesting enough for Google to award Compass one of their prestigious Bay Area Impact Challenge Grants in November 2021, bringing an additional $500,000 to this work two years after we were awarded an initial $500,000 by Google as an Impact Challenge finalist. When the pandemic hit, the planned mobile - and even in-person - therapy became impossible. Deploying our trademark flexibility, our behavioral health team pivoted to the provision of these much-needed services largely via teletherapy, a modality that, for many therapy participants, actually shows a great deal of promise for the post-pandemic era. Last year our team of therapists provided individual, family, couples, and child play therapy to more than 300 parents and children each month, and 80% of these realized a positive change in their scores on the Global Assessment of Functioning - an assessment used to determine how much an individual’s symptoms affect their day-to-day life. Specifically, we saw an increase in housing stability and feelings of well-being in our adult participants and positive movement in the attainment of developmental milestones in the youngest therapy recipients. At the same time we noted a reduction in negative outcomes, such as homelessness recidivism, domestic violence, and child abuse. Our goal has always been therapy on demand, which means being able to provide these critical services in the moment that a family needs them, rather than putting a family in crisis on a potentially months-long waiting list. These findings linking behavioral health services with family stability have been exhilarating and validating, substantiating with data what we have always known intuitively. Staying on top of the need is tremendously challenging, but we are committed to doing so.

Program Director Joanna Garcia prepares a bedroom in a family apartment. When families move in, the Margot team provides them with a welcome package with new bedding, household goods, and other essential items to make their new apartment feel like home. Since family homelessness began to emerge as a serious and growing social problem in the early 1990s, Compass has developed and continually expanded a continuum of initiatives to address the temporary and long-term housing needs of the ever-increasing number of families affected by this most unfortunate phenomenon. For decades, we have provided emergency shelter, transitional housing and rapid rehousing programs and services, with the goal of helping families facing homelessness to achieve stability, self-sufficiency and well-being. We are now very excited to be rounding out our portfolio with the addition of a sleek new Permanent Supportive Housing program located at the corner of Mission & 9th Streets, just a few blocks from our Service Hub. The Margot is a partnership between Compass, Delivering Innovation in Supportive Housing (DISH), and UCSF Citywide Case Management, with funding from the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. Families experiencing homelessness have already started to move into the building’s forty modern, comfortable and efficiently designed three-bedroom apartments, which will become, for many, their forever homes. Residents of The Margot will enjoy a large communal event and working area, an expansive rooftop deck with panoramic views of the City perfect for celebrations and gatherings, and a warm and welcoming children’s activity space. On-site bilingual case managers will meet weekly with resident families to address goals, needs and challenges, and match them with needed services, including behavioral health, childcare, employment support and more. Our resident children’s activities coordinator will provide a menu of children’s programming and ensure that the particular needs of the program’s youngest residents are met. Working in lockstep with our DISH and Citywide partners, the Compass team is proud to ensure that any family walking through the doors of The Margot with a key in hand will know that they matter, not only to the Compass community, but to the San Francisco community at large. We know that, at The Margot, families will have every opportunity to build stable lives, raise healthy and happy children, and grow in the direction of their dreams.

Connie Swain is the C-Rent Program Director. Connie has worked tirelessly over the last year to support families and build the C-Rent team. She is excited to continue growing the program to further assist families in stabilization and provide support of all kinds, from financial literacy to reaching their education goals. Since the earliest days of the pandemic, San Francisco families experienced unprecedented job loss and housing instability. Although eviction moratoriums were eventually enacted in order to provide a barrier to housing loss, many families remained at-risk for imminent homelessness. Long before the pandemic, we provided rental assistant through our Rental Assistance Project (RAP), but the COVID crisis and overwhelming influx of families seeking rental support prompted us to pivot to a standalone rental assistance program. Compass C-Rent was carved out in 2021 to better serve the unprecedented number of families coming through our doors at risk of eviction. Being on the verge of homelessness is a volatile and terrifying experience, the traumatic impacts of homelessness are well known, and once a family loses their housing unit, it is extremely difficult to bounce back. First and foremost, C-Rent helps vulnerable families to avoid becoming homeless in the first place. The program provides client families with back rent and assistance with utility payments and moving expenses, as well as case management to address the factors contributing to their vulnerability. Dedicated case managers help families work on goals around financial independence, building credit and establishing savings. C-Rent’s Housing Search Coordinator offers housing application workshops, helping parents navigate the complexities of the low-income housing landscape, as well as workshops focused on reducing barriers to securing and maintaining stable housing. For so many families, information surrounding state and citywide eviction moratoriums was confusing and constantly changing, making it difficult for our housed families to know the fate of their housing unit, day to day and month to month. Between April and June 2022, as the statewide moratorium sunset but the San Francisco moratorium had yet to be extended, families were left in confusion and in fear of eviction. All along, the C-Rent team helped many anxious families to wade through the confusion and navigate the system. C-Rent’s small but might team helps to prevent homelessness before it happens, and we are excited to see these critical services continue to grow and expand as we help more and more at-risk families to avoid falling into homelessness.