The Coalition on Homelessness is an American homeless advocacy and social justice organization that focuses on creating long-term solutions to

homelessness Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...

poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...

, and

housing Housing refers to a property containing one or more Shelter (building), shelter as a living space. Housing spaces are inhabited either by individuals or a collective group of people. Housing is also referred to as a human need and right to ...

issues in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. Founded in 1987, the group also founded the newspaper '' Street Sheet'' and the Community Housing Partnership. It is based on Turk Street in the Tenderloin district.

History

Origin and early years (1987–1990)

The Coalition was formed in 1987 from a collaboration of San Francisco service providers and homeless people. It was created in reaction to cuts of social service programs by the Reagan administration. The original idea for the Coalition on Homelessness was shared at Hospitality House and the Tenderloin Housing Clinic. In 1989, the '' Street Sheet'' was founded.

1990s

In 1990, following the

Loma Prieta Earthquake On October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. PST, the Loma Prieta earthquake occurred at the Central Coast of California. The shock was centered in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Santa Cruz County, approximately 10 mi (16 km) ...

, the Coalition created the first supportive housing for homeless people in San Francisco as Community Housing Partnership, providing permanent affordable housing and services such as employment opportunities, job training, and case management. In 1996, the Coalition fought against the city's “Matrix Program,” an initiative of Mayor Frank Jordan’s aimed at addressing homelessness through police and criminalization, including getting 39,000 tickets dismissed in court and the eventual end of the program.

2010s

In 2015 the Coalition released two reports: “The Roadmap,” a five-year plan to end homelessness.

References

External links

Official website
*Two-part interview with co-founder and long-time executive director Paul Boden

{{US housing by state Homelessness organizations in the United States Housing rights organizations in California Organizations based in San Francisco Organizations established in 1987 Homelessness in the San Francisco Bay Area Housing organizations in the United States