This story about students experiencing homelessness was produced by the Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter.

On a Friday evening in the fall of 2019, Maria Flores stood waiting with her “crazy heavy” duffel bag and her teenage son outside the office of a man whose home she cleaned.

After being evicted, “every single day I was looking for a place to live”, Flores said.

The man had offered two air mattresses, keys to his office, and permission to sleep there on weekends. But on this Friday, someone was working late. If Flores and her son went to a motel, they’d have no money for food, but she didn’t want to go to a shelter.

“Everything that I heard [about shelters], it was something about drugs, it was something about people being in a quarrel,” said Flores, who asked to use one of her two surnames to protect her privacy.

When Maria Flores was looking for shelter for her and her son, the Stay Over program at Buena Vista Horace Mann school in San Francisco was the answer. Photograph: Marissa Leshnov/Courtesy the Hechinger Report

There was one other option. A few months earlier, she’d heard about a family shelter inside an elementary school gym. Every evening, after the students and teachers left, partitions were snugged to the back wall, creating three-sided squares for kids and caregivers to set sleeping pads on the floor. Cafeteria-style tables in a connected room hosted dinner and, later, homework. Only families with a child enrolled in San Francisco Unified School District could be admitted. Flores’s son, who asked to go by Mateo, his middle name, was a high school junior at the time.

“I didn’t want to,” Flores said of calling the shelter that Friday night, “but I was so tired.” Standing on the sidewalk in a neighborhood known for open-air drug dealing, with the sky growing darker, she decided she and Mateo didn’t have a better option. She took out her phone.

A shelter in a school: ‘We were the folks willing to do it’

The idea of optimizing school district property for evening and weekend use isn’t new, but Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 Community school (BVHM, for short) appears to be the first modern public elementary school to have hosted a long-term, overnight family shelter.

“As far as our knowledge in the entire country, we are the first people to do it,” said Hillary Ronen, San Francisco city supervisor, who was instrumental in advocating for the program.

Some objected: shelter should not be the responsibility of a school, they argued.

And yet, “we were the folks that were willing to do it”, said Nick Chandler, the BVHM community school coordinator.

In the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District, three blocks from the exclusive Adda Clevenger school and across the street from a restaurant serving a $16 roasted octopus appetizer, BVHM serves approximately 600 students. Just under 60% of them are English language learners, and just over 60% have been deemed socioeconomically disadvantaged. Many of the families are also undocumented or under-documented, according to the school’s staff.

Claudia DeLarios Morán, the principal at BVHM, stands with Jacqui Portillo, the Stay Over program director from from Dolores Street Community Services. Photograph: Marissa Leshnov/Courtesy the Hechinger Report

One night in 2017, a desperate parent talking to Chandler in the front lobby asked: “Can we stay here?”

The answer that night was no, but the question hung in the air. The school’s wellness team had noticed more and more families in crisis. They’d try to make referrals to the city and nonprofits, but said often nothing would come of it. Sometimes the waitlists were too long and sometimes it wasn’t clear what list a family should even be on.

“The process is so intense and it requires so much documentation and follow-through and systemic understanding,” said Claudia DeLarios Morán, the principal at BVHM. “So, it was a frustrated group of social workers and counselors and teachers saying, ‘What happened to this child?’”

BVHM’s staff had been trained in trauma-informed care, but they wanted to help kids not just to overcome, but to avoid altogether the experience of sleeping in a car, living in an overcrowded apartment, or having a parent stay in an abusive relationship to keep a roof over their heads. They knew housing families in the gym wouldn’t solve everything, but maybe it would solve something.

This is a Band-Aid. This is not a root-cause fix of the problem of childhood homelessnessHillary Ronen

“This is a Band-Aid,” said Ronen. “This is not a root-cause fix of the problem of childhood homelessness in this country.”

A vocal minority worried that a shelter would draw an unsavory crowd to the neighborhood, that the gym would be left smelling like urine, the playground littered with needles and cigarette butts.

To address these concerns, school administrators created an online FAQ document using questions submitted during and after in-person meetings.

“How will the administration guarantee … that no drugs, alcohol, or weapons will come on to the premises?”

“Will people with a criminal record … [or] mental illness be allowed to sleep in our school?”

Much of the pushback centered around, “Why us?”

For DeLarios Morán, a different question loomed: “How could we not?” the principal asked. “We have the space that’s not being used at night, a warm, dry, big enough space that would allow service, but it’s also a space that’s known and trusted by students.”

Two photos are paired together. In the photo at left, a girl is dragging a sleeping bag through a storage room filled with tables and upturned chairs at a school. In the photo at right, a child’s bear and backpack sit next to a plastic bag filled with clothes on a shelf in the gym.

The idea that schools can act as resource hubs for students and their families is known broadly as “community schooling” and has proven successful in schools across the country.

“A vast body of research shows that schools and communities can mitigate the effects of poverty by providing support to children and families to address basic needs such as housing instability,” said Pedro Noguera, dean of the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California.

Students experiencing homelessness are more likely to display symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression – even behaviors that look like ADHD, according to a report by the Learning Policy Institute.

Students without a safe and reliable place to sleep at night are more likely to be referred for discipline, including suspension. They are more likely to attend schools with concentrated poverty, and they score significantly lower on state testing than other economically disadvantaged students. Students experiencing homelessness are also less likely to graduate high school and less likely to attend college. They are more likely to change schools and be chronically absent.

“For English language learners experiencing homelessness,” the report concludes, “fewer than 9% met or achieved state standards in mathematics.”

A 2020 report from UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools, funded in part by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, found that several indicators of educational distress – including suspensions and absenteeism rates – are, on average, worse for Black, American Indian, Pacific Islander, and multiracial students experiencing homelessness. Thanks to a racial knowledge gap in the data, it’s unclear whether that pattern extends to Latino students, said UCLA’s Edwin Rivera, co-author of the 2020 study.

Maribel Chávez, a first-grade teacher at BVHM, noticed an improvement in one of her students after starting the Stay Over program. Photograph: Marissa Leshnov/Courtesy the Hechinger Report

Maribel Chávez, a first-grade teacher at BVHM, said that before one of her students started sleeping in the gym, he usually arrived late to her class and with no breakfast in his stomach. He would routinely miss the class’s opening song and the preview of the day’s schedule. She’d try to give him a quick recap and “scrounge up some snack”, but it wasn’t enough. He threw objects, tried to leave the classroom, and hit other students.

After the boy landed in the Stay Over program, with its 9 pm lights-out policy and easy access to the school’s before-care program, his teacher said, the 6-year-old had breakfast every morning and she found him “in my line and ready to go”.

Chávez noticed a shift in his demeanor (“happier”) and behavior (“so much calmer”). And soon the benefit of small group instruction and literacy interventions kicked in.

“The other day we were reading together,” Chávez said, “and I was like, ‘Wait! Wait. Wait. Did you just read that?’”

More than just a temporary home: ‘We had community’

A joint use agreement allows a Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing program to be operated on school district property by Dolores Street Community Services, an independent nonprofit. The city foots the bill.

Nationally, public schools are required to offer a handful of services to students who are experiencing homelessness by federal legislation known as the McKinney-Vento Act, after two US congressmen who championed the legislation. But the funding that comes with the mandates has long been grossly inadequate and cannot be used for housing.

We have the space that’s not being used at night, a warm, dry, big enough space that would allow service, but it’s also a space that’s known and trusted by studentsClaudia DeLarios Morán

That said, other federal funding streams are available to support a district-city partnership like this one, including money from Fema and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. State dollars are often at hand. And in San Francisco, a business tax passed in 2018, a 2020 health and recovery bond, and private donations together provide hundreds of millions more.

Ronen, the city supervisor, said other prerequisites for a Stay Over program include having a principal and staff who aren’t scared of innovation, maintain a problem-solving mindset, and see basic needs as part of their mission. But none of that is specific to BVHM, she said.

There’s a caveat for others wishing to replicate the program though: “It should only happen if that is what your community is asking for,” Ronen said, “If this was top down, if I have this idea and impose it upon the school and the school district, it would not have worked. But is San Francisco a unicorn? I don’t think so.”

DeLarios Morán was more bullish: “They just have to follow the blueprint,” she said. “We’ve done it now. So, it’s not like they have to create the wheel.”

The Stay Over program has several features that make it especially appealing to families with school age children. There is no limit on the number of nights families can stay, absence for a night or two doesn’t result in removal, and families can reserve spots rather than needing to line up for first-come, first-served entry each night.

These policies might be responsible for the program’s unusual continuity. A January 2020 evaluation by the San Francisco controller’s office found that families stayed a median of 20 days, more than six times longer than those at San Francisco’s most comparable shelter. But it could be the site. Of the families surveyed by the evaluators, 79% said it was “very important” to be able to stay somewhere familiar, like their child’s school or another school in the district.

The Stay Over program allows families with school age children stay as many nights as they need. Photograph: Gail Cornwall/Courtesy the Hechinger Report

One of the program’s core components is to do more than offer temporary shelter. Walking through the door brings with it entry into a robust case management system. When she first arrived at BVHM in fall 2019, Flores wanted nothing to do with attempts to find new lodgings – she thought she’d just be shuffled to another shelter. But she appreciated having a reliable place to stay. Her headaches started to subside. She was sleeping again.

“We were making jokes,” she said, “We had that community.”

In some ways, it felt like a home. But it wasn’t, and eventually Flores welcomed case management help from Jacqui Portillo, the program director from Dolores Street Community Services.

“The way she talks,” Flores said, “that’s what convinced me that I can trust her. Jacqui is like an angel for me.”

A trained nurse in El Salvador, Portillo came to America with her three children and had little money after separating from her husband. They stayed, for years, in one half of a garage. For newcomer families especially, Portillo offers empathy, not sympathy. And empathy is what fuels her determination to make the program’s small budget stretch as far as possible.

Soon after Flores agreed to accept Portillo’s help, she was placed in a residential shelter with a private room for her and Mateo. It wasn’t what she’d envisioned. “When I saw the room, it was like what’s in the military,” she said. “A small room, and it has – what do you call it? – bunk beds.”

Maria Flores eventually welcomed help from Jacqui Portillo, the director of the Stay Over program, who eventually got an apartment for her and her son, Mateo. Photograph: Marissa Leshnov/Courtesy the Hechinger Report

Disappointed, she sat down and cried. So did Mateo. “I felt like I was so abandoned,” Flores said.

She had kept all her meetings, done everything right, and still had so much further to go to reclaim the type of home she’d had prior to being evicted.

Flores’ experience is a reminder that the stability and community offered by the school-based shelter is temporary. The path to stable housing is as long and frustrating for each individual family as the pursuit of eliminating homelessness has been for San Francisco and the nation.

“We will not fix homelessness until the federal government believes that housing is a human right,” said Ronen, the city supervisor. “Hopefully we will not need [a program like] this in the future, but right now we do.”

Flores and Mateo hadn’t been abandoned, though. They continued to get help from caseworkers and moved into a subsidized studio apartment in November. There are no more creaky bunk beds. They have a bathroom they can access any time and showers without a time limit. They got boxes out of storage. “I have my furniture,” Flores said, “my vacuum!”

Mateo is getting the sleep he needs to focus on his classes at the City College of San Francisco: math, English, and criminal investigation. But he still doesn’t have his own room, and Flores said they won’t stay here permanently.

“It’s another stop,” she said. “We are getting closer.”

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Concerned that the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus could wreak havoc on San Francisco’s economic recovery, Mayor London Breed announced Thursday that the city will require proof of full vaccination in indoor restaurants, bars, gyms and entertainment venues, to keep business open.

“This is to protect the children, to protect those who cannot be vaccinated, to make sure we don’t go backwards, to make sure that I never have to stand up in front of you and say, ‘I'” I’m sorry, I know we just reopened and now the city is closed again because too many people are dying, “said Breed.

The mandate will be stricter than announced last week by New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio. San Francisco requires proof of a full COVID-19 vaccination for all customers and employees, while New York requires proof of at least one dose for indoor activities.

It goes into effect on August 20, but companies still have two months to review employees’ vaccination status “to keep jobs while giving time to comply”. The mandate does not apply to individuals who are ineligible for vaccines, including children under the age of 12.

The Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors basketball team, responded to the news by asking ticket holders for a rock concert on September 15 to provide proof of vaccination. AEG Presents, the giant concert and live events promoter, also announced Thursday that as of October 1st, proof of vaccination against COVID-19 will be required to attend its shows and festivals.

In addition to the paper cards from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention people get vaccinated, California has set up an online registration with a barcode that people who have been vaccinated can use to prove their status. Breed said a photo of the CDC card was sufficient and it was up to companies to enforce the requirement. Vaccination certificates from foreign governments are also permitted.

The aim is to increase the vaccination rate in a city where 78% of the eligible population are already fully vaccinated, she said. San Francisco was among the first to ban large gatherings and close schools at the beginning of the pandemic, and was on the forefront of other COVID-19 restrictions, including requiring all city workers to be vaccinated without the option of regular testing.

Los Angeles is considering a similar vaccination requirement, with people needing at least one dose before visiting indoor restaurants, bars, gyms, movie theaters, and other venues. The leaders there voted on Wednesday to ask the city’s lawyers to work out the details.

On Wednesday, Governor Gavin Newsom said all public and private school workers in California are required to provide evidence of vaccination or weekly tests.

Breed announced the mandate on Thursday at the historic Vesuvio Cafe in North Beach, a popular hangout for beat poets. The cafe is one of many San Francisco companies that already require a vaccination card indoors.

“Most people were really happy that we started politics. It took patience from everyone. The people who were impatient or didn’t like the policy just walked away, ”said Janet Clyde, co-owner of Vesuvio.

“The weight of the government in the back, science, the Ministry of Health” makes enforcement easier, she said.

Bar owners who are already struggling to find enough staff want to protect their employees and stay open, said Ben Bleiman, president of the San Francisco Bar Owner Alliance.

He said he was forced to close his bar one night after the bartender got infected on another job.

A group representing nearly 100 gyms said the mandate would help avoid the capacity limits or further possible closures that had hurt their businesses over the past year.

“We support the city’s indoor fitness vaccination policy as it provides our customers with greater confidence that they will experience the mental and physical benefits of fitness in a safe, healthy environment,” said Dave Karraker, board member of San Francisco Independent Fitness Studio Coalition.

Thursday’s ordinance also extends vaccination requirements for certain health care providers, including adult daycare workers, nursing homes, dental offices, home nurses, and pharmacists who are not covered by the state vaccination health ordinance.

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A new MMA training center will be coming to South San Francisco after the planning commission approved a use permit on August 5th.

The new center, the El Niño Training Center at 1 South Linden Ave., will include kickboxing, jiu jitsu, muay thai, boxing and wrestling.

Owner Gilbert Melendez, a professional mixed martial artist, professional trainer, and ESPN analyst, has been running El Niño in San Francisco for 12 years and is moving to South San Francisco.

“We had a successful model in San Francisco and we look forward to moving to South San Francisco,” said Melendez. “I have a solid community that will follow me down here. And we also want to attract a lot of new members and really enjoy the city of South San Francisco. “

The training center operates entirely indoors from Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where there is mainly private and small group training, and from Monday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., which consists of three classes, a children’s class and a strike class for adults and a grappling class for adults. The membership price is $ 150 per month.

There are three employees and a maximum of 24 students at the same time.

Precautions that are required include taking people’s temperatures, cleaning the room between classes, setting up multiple hand sanitizing stations, wearing masks for all staff and instructors, and asking students to wear masks when entering that they can put down as soon as they are on the mats.

“We will support you. It is a great effort for the community, especially our youth. And it is needed in South San Francisco, ”said Vice Chairman of the Planning Commission, Sam Shihadeh.

The size of the facility is 6,000 square meters. Apart from a few interior renovations and tenant improvements, there are no other suggestions. Based on the number of students and staff, the project requires 15 designated parking spaces in Unit # 7 of Building 1 South Linden Ave.

The project is categorically exempt under the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act, CEQA.

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