Coalition on Homelessness, San Francisco

The Coalition on Homelessness is a homeless advocacy and social justice organization that focuses on creating long-term solutions to homelessness, poverty, and housing issues in San Francisco, California. The Coalition was founded in 1987 by a collaboration of San Francisco service providers, homeless people, and activists.

The best recognized project of the Coalition on Homelessness is San Francisco's homeless newspaper, the Street Sheet, but its work has resulted in many changes to the City's policies with regard to homeless people (such as the Shelter Grievance Policy, which gives homeless shelter residents legal recourse when ejected from shelters), and in the creation of new services in San Francisco (such as the Community Housing Partnership), which provides long-term affordable housing for formerly homeless individuals).

Some of the Coalition's efforts have been controversial, such as its outspoken opposition to Mayor Gavin Newsom's Care Not Cash program.

The Coalition operates on a bottom-up grassroots organizing model. It participates in Federal policy advocacy through the Western Regional Advocacy Project, of which it is a founding member.

External links

• Coalition on Homelessness Website
• Two-part interview with co-founder and long-time executive director Paul Boden: Part 1 2