Dozens of mothers, educators and advocates gathered in front of Flynn Elementary School Monday morning to protest the scheduled eviction of two homeless families from a San Francisco shelter — part of a reinstated city policy that limits the time families can spend in shelters.
Hours after the press conference, both families were told they would receive an extension until April 10, according to Faith in Action Bay Area (FIABA), a nonprofit supporting homeless and immigrant families.
“They say that there’s no more time,” Vilma A., one of the mothers facing evictions had said earlier at the rally. “They say that our time is over.” Vilma has lived at St. Joseph’s Family Center with her husband and two young children for the past eight months.
Maria F., a Peruvian single mother with an eight-year-old son, was also set to be evicted Monday. She said shelter staff warned her that if they didn’t leave by 5 p.m., police would be called.
“We are really scared because we don’t know where we’re going to spend this night — and the coming ones,” Maria said.
• Read more: S.F. is evicting homeless families from shelters. Here’s what to know
According to FIABA, Vilma and Maria’s families are among the first to be evicted under the city’s revived policy, which limits family shelter stays to 90 days to “increase the flow of families” through the shelter system. Families who meet certain requirements can apply for 30-day extensions.
When the policy was reinstated in December, families who had already exceeded the 90-day limit received their first eviction notices, informing them they had to leave by February.
However, the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) granted all families a one-month automatic extension, pushing the eviction dates to March. This month, however, extensions are being granted at each shelter’s discretion. While some families have received reprieves until April, others still face imminent eviction.
One of the main criteria for an extension is proof that families are actively working toward securing long-term housing. But Vilma, who has an appointment later this month to discuss a housing subsidy, said that hasn’t guaranteed her more time in the shelter.
“We are in the process of securing housing,” said Vilma. “But despite that they are not giving us more time to be in the shelter.”
FIABA, alongside San Francisco’s public school educators’ union, organized Monday’s rally to call on Mayor Daniel Lurie and the Board of Supervisors to end the policy.
“No child and no family, no person deserves to sleep on the streets. We need to do something,” said Alisa Wolf, a social worker at Flynn Elementary School. “Our families deserve better.”
Giuliana Garcia, a member of FIABA’s Recently Arrived Families Homeless Committee, urged city officials to consider the toll eviction notices are taking on families.
“We’re human beings,” said Garcia. “They can’t experiment with our mental health and that of our children through this 90-day policy.”