On Eve of Holiday Season, Sup. Preston Demands City Step in to Prevent Displacement of Formerly Homeless Families at Oasis Inn
SAN FRANCISCO — To combat the displacement of families experiencing homelessness during the holiday season, Supervisor Dean Preston introduced legislation today urging the Mayor and Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing to prioritize ongoing operations at the Oasis Inn as emergency family shelter, including efforts to acquire the property. The Resolution is co-sponsored by Supervisor Catherine Stefani.
“Early on, the Oasis Inn served as a catalyst for our city’s Shelter-in-Place program, opening their doors to dozens of homeless families at the outset of the pandemic,” said Supervisor Preston. “The City needs to step up and make sure that we are now not turning our backs on these vulnerable residents and sending them back out onto the streets.”
The Oasis Inn is a 58-room, emergency drop-in family shelter located at 900 Franklin Street. It is currently the only drop in emergency shelter in San Francisco.
At the onset of the pandemic, there was an urgent need for homeless families to move from congregate shelters into private rooms so they safely shelter in place. Through generous community support, dozens of rooms at the Oasis Inn were rented, and dozens of families experiencing homelessness moved in. The City eventually took over the lease at the Oasis and expanded it to the whole hotel, all 58 rooms, adding this much-needed emergency family shelter to the city’s shelter portfolio.
Earlier this year, the owners of the Oasis Inn informed the City of their desire to sell the property, and informed the City and Providence Foundation, which currently operates the shelter at the Oasis Inn, that all current occupants must vacate by January 2023. While negotiations are explored, the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing started moving families, including those with young children, to other temporary shelters just a few weeks before the holidays.
“The Oasis is an important safe space for families experiencing homelessness on their pathway to stable, permanent housing, and it is my hope that this resolution gives the City and the owners the support they need to make big moves on making the Oasis a permanent part of our shelter system,” said Preston.
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