Assembly the youth experiencing homelessness in San Francisco: Their tales
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – My journey to understanding the homeless problem in San Francisco took me to Fisherman’s Wharf – where I found a young man sniffing the sidewalk with a stuffed animal under his arm.
His name is Cory Harris. He is 25 years old.
“I’m from San Diego, but the coronavirus and cleanup have just moved away.”
I asked him how long he’s been homeless. He pretty much tells me his whole life.
“Just a shame … moving from house to house, no real parents who could take care of it.”
At some point he was a foster child.
But now: “I sleep outside … I have a sheet.”
I asked if he was trying to get any services … any help.
A closer look at the homeless crisis in San Francisco
“I tried, but they didn’t really want to help me, they refused me.”
Cory says the last place he went for help was on Larkin Street Youth Services.
So I decided to go next and find out why it didn’t work out with Cory.
It turns out that it might be because he’s just a bit too old to qualify for her help.
They let me and my camera in one of their shelters on Ellis Street on the edge of the Tenderloin known as the Lark Inn.
This is reserved for young people between the ages of 18 and 24.
Those who qualify will receive welcome kits of toiletries and linens.
Once inside, colorful murals with uplifting messages greet you.
While a sunny landscape cheers this hallway, the actual bedrooms are a bit bleak.
There are cement floors, replacement furniture, plastic bins, and metal lockers for storing items.
Some beds are currently not sleeping because they are only half full due to the pandemic.
“My experience is that it’s a place where you can lay your head at night when you have nothing else.”
This firsthand perspective is from Dale Jones, a resident of the Lark Inn.
I met the 22-year-old, originally from Contra Costa County, while he was at the Youth Services Access Point on Larkin Street on Golden Gate Avenue.
Dale didn’t want to go into details about how he got homeless in San Francisco, but rather described what his life was like before he found a place at the shelter.
“Couch surfing, house-to-house bouncing in the year before I came here, I lived with seven different family members, a couple of different houses in a hotel, a couple of times on an Airbnb.”
Now he tells me that he is making optimal use of the resources available to him and that he reports to his clerk here once a week.
“I’m already on the waiting list for basically cheaper apartments that will help me pay, so just go through it.”
The access side vibe is more of a college student cafe than a bureaucrat’s waiting room.
Even 12-year-olds can stop by here and have warm meals.
You have access to laundry and showers, a wardrobe and toiletries.
Below are resources to get a GED, college financial aid, or job search help.
Dale is now enrolled in a job program hoping to work as a security guard and then enroll in college.
He likes knowing that he can visit this place every day.
“At least I know they let me work Monday through Friday. At the moment I have a set program, before which I was literally from house to house, from couch to couch, day after day. “
Larkin Street Youth Services says the work to end young people’s homelessness is rare, brief and one-time.
Sherilyn Adams is the executive director.
“We know that around 50% of people over the age of 18 who are homeless had their first experience between the ages of 18 and 25, right? So we know the faster we intervene to prevent chronic homelessness. The other bit is, the longer you are outside, the more damaging it is to your health and wellbeing. “
While at the access point, I met a familiar face.
“What’s the matter with you since I last saw you? Just to survive. “
Cory was there to shower and get something to eat.
However, the 25-year-old will probably find it more difficult to find a place to sleep than it was a year ago.
“We don’t have a great system in San Francisco for the 25-35 year olds in general. Because the age range of people who are homeless is 70, 75 … and we prioritize people based on how long they have been homeless.
“And it is sometimes very difficult for people who are newly homeless and live in this way from 25 to 35 years.”
Meanwhile, Cory continues to try to get the help he needs.
“I’ve looked around [for housing]… no luck yet. “
Larkin Street Youth Services would not confirm whether they would assist Cory in finding help, but said they are able to assist those who join the system before they are 25 and will continue to receive after they are 25 .
They say they have accommodated over 400 young people so far this year.
KRON4 will continue our efforts to investigate the situation on the streets, but we also need your help. If there’s anything you think we need to see or hear, email OnTheStreets@KRON4.com
