Clients

“Homeless just means you don’t have a stable house, it defines nothing else about you.”
- Rob Gitin, ATC Co-founder

Everything about our work is client-centered; we shape our services around the specific needs of young people on the streets. We support them through ups and downs, help them overcome obstacles, and empower them to create the lives they envision. We want to help every client thrive, not just survive. We are continually amazed, inspired and humbled by our clients, so we made this video to help you see them the way we do.

We Work with the Most Disconnected Young People

ATC serves the young people on the streets in the Downtown/Tenderloin area of San Francisco who will be passed over, kicked out, or are unaware that these programs exist. Through street outreach and one-to-one counseling, ATC will work with over 600 unduplicated youth this year. In a client feedback survey, we conducted last year, 55% of clients reported that they are not accessing services outside of ATC.

Currently, the city of San Francisco is investing unprecedented resources into homelessness services. According to this year’s Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, the overall number of people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco increased by 17% over the last two years. Homelessness is not only a symptom of a lack of available and affordable housing but other key etiologies—unaddressed barriers to mental health services being one of the most. Youth experiencing homelessness who were surveyed in the PIT Count cite some of the primary causes of their homelessness to be emotional abuse, mental health issues, and sexual abuse.

Despite the range of services for San Francisco’s homeless youth, many young people are not connected to the existing service network. We believe that two of the main reasons why vulnerable individuals do not access the services that are available to them are (1) they do not trust providers or feel comfortable taking that first step in asking for help and (2) the bureaucracy of helping systems is overwhelming and demoralizing. These barriers are amplified for our clients who have mental health issues.

Our Clients By the Numbers:

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African-American
65%
White
15%
Latinx
8%
Other backgrounds
12%
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Male
65%
Female
32%
Transgender or Gender Non-Conforming
4%
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of our clients are between the ages of 16 and 24
36%
are between the ages of 25 and 29
40%
of our clients have been involved in the foster care system at some point in their young lives; very few of our clients were in a foster home when they turned 18
43%
“I think At The Crossroads is all about self-care and helping oneself. They make suggestions, they find resources for me—and I open my eyes to bigger goals.”
Chazz
ATC client for 13 years

In Their Own Words

In celebration of our 20th anniversary, we interviewed more than 30 people who have played an important role in our story.

Listen Now