san francisco unified & hamilton family center 1

San Francisco Unified & Hamilton Family Center

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What We Do

Hamilton Family Center was established in 1985 and has become one of the largest providers of shelter, eviction prevention assistance, rapid re-housing, youth programming, and support services to homeless families in San Francisco.

Mission Statement. Hamilton Family Center’s mission is to end homelessness for families and individuals in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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What We Do

• Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing

• Emergency and Interim Shelter

• Transitional Housing

• Permanent Supportive Housing Services

• Children and Youth Services

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Hamilton’s Outcomes

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Last year Hamilton Family Center served approximately 1,300 people, including more than 600 children.

Hamilton’s Outcomes

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Over 80% of the homeless families who came through our doors found housing

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Homeless and Marginally Housed Students in SF

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2006 2008 2010 2012 20140

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Waiting List for Family Shelter in San Francisco

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11/7/2

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Impact of Homelessness on Children

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Children experiencing homelessness … • Are sick four times more often

• Go hungry at twice the rate of other children

• Have three times the rate of emotional issues

• Have an 83% chance of exposure to a violent event

• Are 4 times more likely to show delayed development

• Are likely to transfer schools at least once a year

Impact of Homelessness on Children

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Children who experience long term homelessness are five times more likely to become homeless

as adults

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Identifying Homeless Students

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Role Group Indicators to Look For

Administrators and teachers

May notice if a student is suddenly falling behind in school; coming to school fatigued, hungry, or wearing the same clothes; hoarding belongings; or having uncharacteristic discipline problems.

Social workers, counselors, and nursesMay encounter students who are experiencing academic, behavior, health, or hygiene problems that may be related to homelessness.

Identifying Homeless Students

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Role Group Indicators to Look For

Secretaries and registrars

Often are the first people in a school to meet a family, child, or youth who may be experiencing homelessness when enrolling a student; they often see mailing addresses or multiple school enrollments that could indicate a homeless situation.

Cafeteria workers

May see a student who is not eating because he or she did not bring lunch or did not have money to buy lunch, seems inordinately hungry, is asking peers for food, is taking large portions, or hoarding food; may overhear or be told a student is homeless.

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Shelter

Family Emergency Shelter Call-in SystemThe Hamilton Family Emergency Center, 260 Golden Gate Avenue, provides emergency one-night beds for families. All families are required to call the

Hotline Phone Number: 415-292-5228 at 11:00 am SHARP.

Can call back at 5:00pm for unclaimed beds.

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Shelter

Alternate Shelters

First Friendship Family ShelterThe shelter is open from 3:00 pm to 7:00 am501 Steiner Street at Oak Street.

Providence ShelterThe shelter is open from 9:00 pm to 7:00 am1601 McKinnon Avenue at Mendell Street.

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Shelter

Family Shelter Waiting List System

Compass Connecting Point is the centralized intake agency for the Family Shelter System. Families are requested to call the following number for placement on the family shelter waiting list:

1-855-234-COMP (2667)

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Shelter

Family Shelter Waiting List System

Current wait time for a 3-6 month family shelter room is 6-8 months.

While waiting, families stay in one of the three emergency shelters, in their car, or couch surfing.

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Project EveryChild

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Hamilton Family Center has implemented Project EveryChild – our plan to reduce the waiting list for family shelter to zero by

2017

Project EveryChild

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Through Project Every Child we will scale our

homelessness prevention program and our rapid

re-housing program

Project EveryChild

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Hamilton’s Eviction Prevention Program provides families facing eviction with counseling, financial support and other assistance so they can keep their housing..

Project EveryChild

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Hamilton’s Rapid Re-housing Program provides families who are homeless with a rent subsidy, move-in assistance and other support.

Project EveryChild

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We have already raised close to $1

million in new public and private funding to

support Project EveryChild

Project EveryChild

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…..but we need your help

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SFUSD and HFC Partnership: Goal

To help at least 75 families who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness find or maintain their housing this school year.

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SFUSD and HFC Partnership - HFC will:

– Send an HFC staff member to a school within 3 business days when SFUSD staff identify a family as homeless or at-risk of eviction.

– Provide eviction prevention services for up to 24 families referred by SFUSD each year.

– Provide rapid rehousing services for up to 48 families referred by SFUSD each year.

– Coordinate with SFUSD staff on how to best identify and assist families who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless.

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SFUSD and HFC Partnership - SFUSD will:

– Contact HFC as soon as a family is identified as homeless or at-risk.

– Allow HFC access to school facilities for meetings with families as appropriate.

– Arrange for HFC to train school social workers, nurses, and counselors.

– Help HFC disseminate information to SFUSD staff and families.

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SFUSD and HFC Partnership: How

• Look for signs of a housing crisis or homelessness

• Ask students and their parents if they are facing eviction or currently homeless

• Contact us when you have identified a family in need and help us arrange a meeting

• Disseminate information to parents and staff that you are available if they are facing eviction

• Call us with your suggestions and concerns

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SFUSD and HFC Partnership: How

Call us and we will be at your school within 3 days:

Mariana Estrada: (415) 614-9060 x103, mestrada@hamiltonfamilycenter.org

Julie Millman: (415) 614-9060 x111,jmillman@hamiltonfamilycenter.org

Jeff Kositsky: (415) 409-2100 x115,jkositsky@hamiltonfamilycenter.org

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SFUSD and HFC Partnership: How

This presentation is available at:

http://hamiltonfamilycenter.org/latest-news/publications/

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Questions, Concerns or Comments?

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Every Child Deserves a Home

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