The Facts

Sixty city-owned shelter cabins have sat unused in the Bayview for nearly a year. But the proposed recovery site at 428 11th Street was not workable: it potentially needed a Pacific Gas and Electric service upgrade, officials considered temporary power and opening at partial capacity, and the landlord demanded a firm three-year lease without a short-term exit clause, reports Maggie Angst at The Standard.

The city canceled the plan after spending $219,000. GrowSF also learned that available state operating funds did not support the recovery programming intended for the site.

The Context

Mayor Daniel Lurie pledged to add 1,500 shelter and treatment beds within six months of taking office. The city’s expansion plan included transitional housing, stabilization centers, sober housing, and residential treatment, reflecting the need for placements that address the intersection of addiction and homelessness.

The cabins are one possible tool. They offer more privacy than congregate shelters, but they still require a suitable site, adequate utilities, responsible lease terms, operating funds, and services.

The GrowSF Take

We’re disappointed all around. Sixty usable cabins have sat empty for nearly a year while people remain on the street.

The 11th Street site was not viable, but that cannot be the end of the effort. Private cabins do not work for everyone, but they help some people. The Lurie administration should find a technically sound site and an operating model that puts them back to use.