Committee urges plan to move hotel shelter guests into long‑term housing and improve grievance procedures

Supervisor Matt Haney presented a resolution July 2 asking city departments to ensure that people brought into the COVID‑19 response (hotels, congregate shelters, RV sites) are placed into shelter or housing after the emergency ends. He described the scale of the emergency response — temporary hotels and sites that sheltered more than 1,800 people — and urged use of those investments to build longer‑term housing solutions, including converting hotels into permanent supportive housing.

Haney asked HSH and HSA to apply the city’s shelter grievance policy to shelter‑in‑place hotels, to publish clear intake and referral procedures, and to ensure all shelter‑in‑place guests receive coordinated entry assessments and are entered into the Homelessness Coordinated Entry System. He singled out three priorities: grievance process parity, transparent referral/intake, and conducting coordinated‑entry assessments for all shelter guests.

Emily Cohen of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) described the Advanced Planning Working Group that includes HSH, HSA, the controller’s office and community stakeholders. Cohen said HSH created an alternative three‑tier complaint process for SIP hotels and an emergency exit and immediate readmittance policy designed to be faster and public‑health informed; she reported 85% of SIP guests had been enrolled in the 1system and that 60% had completed coordinated‑entry assessments (HSH aims for 80%). Cohen said working‑group community engagement sessions were scheduled for July to refine plans.

Public comment emphasized urgency, with speakers saying vulnerable people are being released to the street and demanded timelines and accountability. Supervisor Haney offered two amendments to require the Housing & Shelter Work Group to incorporate the resolution’s goals; the committee approved the amendments and recommended the resolution to the Board.