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UnityCare reports early success placing young people in scattered‑site permanent supportive housing
Summary
UnityCare updated the committee on a city contract to house 18–29‑year‑olds: 53 contracted slots, 47 active clients currently housed, and over half of those clients have remained in housing for a year; staff described landlord outreach, a barrier‑removal fund and options for unsuccessful exits.
San Francisco — UnityCare told the committee it has placed young people into a scattered‑site permanent supportive housing (PSH) program under a contract with the city's HSH, reporting early retention successes and operational challenges.
Rae Subber, representing UnityCare, said the agency manages a contract for 53 independent housing slots with case management and a monthly subsidy, and reported 47 active clients currently housed. Subber said "over 50% of them have been in housing for a year as of November," noting the population is "volatile" but the provider is seeing promising retention.
Program design and outcomes: UnityCare described the model as tenant‑based assistance (client signs a lease, UnityCare provides deposits, first month's rent, subsidy and move‑in support) and said the program has recorded six exits since services began, with one categorized as a negative exit and at least one successful exit into a HUD Section 8 voucher. Subber said UnityCare maintains an internal landlord list developed through relationship‑building and will work to transfer clients into family‑appropriate or other site‑based programs when independent tenancy is not successful.
Barriers and service enhancements: UnityCare said it operates a barrier removal fund to help clients with prior evictions or criminal‑record screening and has requested additional staff (a clinical position and a benefits specialist) to reduce client navigation time and better address mental health and benefits issues.
Geography and placement: Subber said placements are mainly in San Francisco and the East Bay and that the program largely avoids placing clients in the Tenderloin, though two clients were housed on the Tenderloin border after repeated refusals elsewhere with landlord assurances and program backup support.
Next steps and follow‑up: Committee members asked for additional written details, including a budget breakout for the contract, count and reason for exits, landlord mapping or heat map of placements, average rents, and descriptive data on clients' service needs. UnityCare agreed to provide follow‑up materials to the committee.
All quoted material is drawn from committee testimony recorded in the meeting transcript.
