Moving homeless people from streets to shelter isn't easy, San Francisco outreach workers say
Outreach workers in San Francisco visit homeless people living in tents to match them with shelter
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Outreach worker Edgar Tapia hit a San Francisco neighborhood on a mission to find people to take eight available shelter beds, including a tiny cabin perfect for a couple.
He approached a cluster of tents in the Mission District, calling out greetings and offers of snacks and water bottles. He crouched to chat with tent occupants and asked if anyone was interested in moving indoors. He reminded them city street cleaners would be by to clear the sidewalk.
“Do you have any more hygiene kits?” asked a woman inside an orange tent with five friends. “Can we get some socks?”
The job of Tapia and others on San Francisco’s Homeless Outreach Team is to match eligible people with vacant beds. But it's not a straightforward process as was clear on this September day, despite more shelter beds than ever before and a mayor who says she will no longer tolerate people living outdoors when they've been offered a place to stay.
