There are more than 10,000 people who are homeless in San Francisco, the highest number in the Bay Area. The homeless population in San Francisco has grown 30% since 2017, largely because of job loss and higher living costs.

In a San Francisco survey on homelessness, 63% said the reason they were homeless was because they couldn’t afford rent in the city while 37% said it was because they had no income. More than a quarter had pointed to job loss as the leading factor in becoming homeless, as many (about thirty percent) had owned or rented a home prior to becoming homeless.

World Homeless Day salutes the many organizations, including the Justice and Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San Francisco (JDC), working on helping those living on the streets.

Since 1988, JDC’s  Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) has provided legal services to individuals and families who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless. Taking a holistic approach,, social service staff work with attorneys to address clients’ legal and underlying psycho-social needs. Each year, they assist more than 1500 clients with a wide range of issues, including health related problems, poverty, mental illness and addiction.

Learn more about HAP’s impact in our community,  as well as ways to get involved.