San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee's recent announcement is the answer to many homeless people in San Francisco like Greg Fairrer who has been out of residence after losing his job, as reported by the San Francisco Gate.
Mayor Ed Lee is introducing a San Francisco housing project, a homeless-aid Navigation Center which is an innovative action to move homeless encampments from sidewalk to permanent homes fast. How fast are they committing to do it? In just 10 days.
Fairrer told the San Francisco Gate that he has heard the news from street counselors but to actually see the Mayor talking and touring in the Navigation Center would erase all the doubts. According to Fairrer, he felt that it is "too good to be true" but now he believes it. At 52, it was hard for him to get a job for over a year and he has been homeless ever since.
Now Fairrer is hopeful, just like the rest of the homeless -- around 400 of them -- who will be given permanent homes by the San Francisco Government, with the help of their partner nonprofit organizations. $2 million was donated anonymously and channeled to the city to fund this project, and the same donor gave $1 million more to help build aroud 500 homes for the beneficiaries.
Other residents will also feel relieved about this, especially those who complained profusely about the homeless camping along Mission District.
Innovative, Pilot Project
Millions of people will be watching as San Franciso unveils this unique project on March 16, 2015. It will be the first of its kind, a very innovative solution indeed. The project commits to continue with the housing project from 8 to 18 months, depending on how well it would go.
The Navigation Center has dormitories, counseling rooms, areas for storage and a laundry. It is located at 16th and Mission Street according to CBS San Francisco.
Advantages of the Project
The organizers say that the advantage of this project compared to others is that the homeless are brought in by groups of 75. They know each other, and that it is a good feeling unlike "sleeping next to a stranger", as Fairrer relates.
Another advantage, according to the Director of the Mayor's Office of Housing Opportunity Partnership and Engagement, Bevan Dufty, is that it has " a lot of storage." In encampments "people can't keep their pets with them, a male and female couple can't stay together", as reported by CBS San Francisco.
Hopeful
The Mayor is as hopeful in this endeavor as his homeles constituents. He is hoping that the "newness" of the idea will actually make it work.
So far, the Episcopal Community Services will be the lead nonprofit agency to manage the center and San Francisco City's Human Services Agency.
About a dozen organizations have also expressed their willingness to help, according to the group's executive director, Ken Reggio.
