Angela Alioto Outlines Homeless Plan
May 12, 2003. This letter was sent to members of the Board of
Supervisors this afternoon. It is an outline of "San Francisco Cares,"
Angela Alioto's homeless plan. Her complete plan will be presented within
the next week.
The events of the last week have made it very clear that San
Franciscans want a comprehensive homeless plan, one that can be
implemented immediately and that can effectively attack the root causes of
homelessness as well as its effects. After many months of analysis, I will
be introducing San Francisco Cares, a comprehensive homelessness plan,
within the next week.
As we all know, Care Not Cash provides part of the answer, extending
its limited reach of service to about 2,554 of San Francisco's 8,500
-15,000 homeless people. Implementation of a plan that affects a fraction
of all of San Francisco's homeless population is not a real solution nor
is it the best. San Francisco needs a comprehensive solution to the
homeless problem that will be supported by the citizens of San Francisco
and passed by the Board of Supervisors.
San Francisco Cares is a plan that builds on the effective concepts
of Care Not Cash but is more encompassing, inclusive, and effective
because it can actually be passed and implemented. It calls for a
citywide, community based commitment. Here is what my plan entails:
| - The implementation of a comprehensive Outreach Program to
enable homeless persons to seek the nearest of 22 triage centers. |
| - The utilization of two triage centers located in each
supervisorial district locate"i on City, State or Federal property
(cost neutral) to support each homeless person before placement. |
| - Case-by-case evalutions to determine the proper program(s)
from which each homeless person would benefit most. |
The root causes of homelessness shall be addressed at the triage
centers:
| 1) mental illness; |
| 2) alcoholism and drug addiction; |
| 3) lack of job training; |
| 4) veterans; |
| 5) women and children; |
| 6) low-cost housing -- a funding component to assure affordable
housing is fundamental to the plan. |
San Francisco Cares constitutes:
| - A results-oriented plan that holds city departments, agencies,
servirce providers, community-based groups, churches, and non-profit
organizations accountable to meeting quantifiable goals. |
| - A progressive, verifiable, and accountable plan that will be
audited and assessed on a regular basis. |
San Francisco Cares has unflinching support for law enforcement
agencies to fully enforce existing laws that deal with the portion of
individuals who engage in dangerous or violent illegal behavior,
I
would be very grateful if you would review the San Francisco Cares
chart enclosed and meet with me as soon as you have reviewed the plan. I
shall be contacting you for an appointment. Thank you very much for your
consideration.
Sincerely,
Angela Alioto
