Two peer providers talk about 20 years of a changing San Francisco.

Two peer providers talk about 20 years of a changing San Francisco.

Categories: Community

“To bring a piece of humanity back to people.”

Maurice, Marriage and Family Therapist, Center for Harm Reduction Therapy

Two peer providers talk about 20 years of a changing San Francisco.

No matter where you stand on the issue of gentrification, it is undeniable that San Francisco has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. Due to a series of factors, including two tech booms, an influx of new residents with rising incomes, and policy changes, the cost of living has skyrocketed. This has made it increasingly difficult for lower-income residents to get by. Here is a snapshot of a few of the ways that the cost of living has increased in San Francisco since 1998 (not adjusted for inflation):

Median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in San Francisco

1998: $2,000 [1]
2018: $4,000 [2]

Price of a Muni Ticket [3]

1998: $0.35 (youth), $0.70 (adult)
2018: $1.35 (youth), $2.75 (adult)

Price of ¼ lb Cheeseburger at McDonald’s

1998: $1.95 [4]
2018: $5.79 [5]

At The Crossroads invited two peer providers, Mary Howe and Maurice Byrd, to discuss their experiences in a changing San Francisco and how they’ve seen their work with homeless youth change as a result of gentrification.

Mary Howe is the founding Executive Director of the Homeless Youth Alliance (HYA), which supports youth on the streets of Haight Ashbury and Golden Gate Park. Like At The Crossroads, HYA aims to meet youth experiencing homelessness where they are, and to help them build healthier lives. HYA uses a harm reduction approach, which consists of non-judgmental outreach, one-on-one counseling, and medical and mental health care, as well as creative and educational workshops, syringe access and disposal, and referrals and information.

Maurice Byrd is a licensed marriage and family therapist with the Center for Harm Reduction Therapy in San Francisco and Oakland. Maurice partners with many organizations, and works as a therapist for clients of Homeless Youth Alliance. For the last seven years, he has also worked closely with counselors at At The Crossroads to provide training and support. Maurice is a published author, and his most recent work can be found in Decarcerating America, From Mass Punishment to Public Health, which advocates for the use of a harm reduction approach to ending mass incarceration.

From 2001 to 2013, HYA operated a drop-in center on Haight Street which was renowned for the sense of acceptance, safety, and belonging that they were able to provide to youth who entered the building. For Mary, HYA’s drop-in was a place where homeless youth could “come in exactly as they are” and access a range of services, all while experiencing safe haven from the street. Anywhere from 45 to 150 youth would visit HYA’s drop-in on any given day, and from their home base, they helped youth transition permanently off the streets. Some of their participants have been hired as staff members, others have gone on to college, launched their own careers, or started families of their own.

Mary and Maurice describe the drop-in center that HYA ran on Haight Street.

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A typical day at HYA’s drop-in center on Haight Street. [Photo Credit: KQED]

In 2013, HYA’s landlord refused to renew their lease, displacing the nonprofit. While losing the drop-in did not stop HYA from doing their amazing work, it has forced them to move their operations out-of-doors, offering services on a “mobile outreach basis.” They still provide medical and mental health services, workshops, needle exchange, and more, but without the sense of privacy and safety of their drop-in center. In 2016, HYA was able to secure an administrative office, but they are still on the hunt for a permanent home for their services where youth experiencing homelessness can be welcomed.

Losing the drop-in center is just one of the ways that Mary and Maurice have witnessed San Francisco change over the last 20 years. As San Francisco has become increasingly expensive to live in, it’s become much more difficult to help youth transition off the streets. Many people who have lived in the city for years have left because they have no other choice. Maurice, who was born and raised here, talks about how there’s been “a huge black flight out of San Francisco,” as well as what he describes as a surge in “hostility towards poor folks.”

Mary and Maurice describe the ways they’ve witnessed San Francisco change over the last two decades.

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In 1970, San Francisco’s population was 13.4% African American. By 2016, it was under 6%. [6]

In the eyes of Mary and Maurice, as the population of San Francisco changes dramatically and the number of new residents grows, day-to-day life has become harder for people who live on the street. There have been specific policies passed that target people experiencing homelessness, like the sit/lie ordinance, which passed in 2010 [7] and made it illegal to sit or lie down on the sidewalk. Not to mention, an increase in outright antagonism of homeless people by the police and by housed residents of the city.

Mary and Maurice talk about the increased trauma experienced by people on the streets.

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69% of homeless folks in SF lived in the city before becoming homeless, and 55% have spent more than 10 years here. [8]

When asked what keeps them in this city, both Mary and Maurice cite their work as one of the main reasons. Maurice says that he’s passionate about San Francisco because he’s from here. He talks about how through his work, he hopes to “bring a piece of humanity back to people.” Mary describes how lucky she feels to love her job and to get to work with such “amazing and hilarious and resilient” people who make the work “fun, even in the darkest moments.” In their work, they’ve seen firsthand what is possible when you provide unconditional support to youth on the streets. They’ve also witnessed how even the smallest acts can sometimes have a huge impact on the lives of young people experiencing homelessness.

Mary and Maurice talk about the importance of acknowledging and talking to people on the street.

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Over the next 20 years, Mary and Maurice would like to see a lot of changes in San Francisco. They’d both like to see housing for everyone (who wants it) and more spaces where people can feel safe—like drop-ins and shelters. Maurice says he’d like people in the city to move away from an “us and them attitude” and towards a more community-oriented approach. Mary describes a similar vision, “We have to learn to exist together and to help each other at every point, or else we’re never going to get out of this.” And even with all of the negative changes they’ve seen over the last 20 years, they both hold onto hope that San Francisco can become a place that is inclusive of all of its residents, not just some.

Sources:

Two peer providers talk about 20 years of a changing San Francisco.

“To bring a piece of humanity back to people.”

Two peer providers talk about 20 years of a changing San Francisco.

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In 1970, San Francisco’s population was 13.4% African American. By 2016, it was under 6%. [6]

Read Transcript 15

69% of homeless folks in SF lived in the city before becoming homeless, and 55% have spent more than 10 years here. [8]

Read Transcript 16