Board of Supervisors Unanimously Demands City Stop Displacement of Homeless Families at Oasis Inn

SAN FRANCISCO — The City committed today to prioritize ongoing operations at the Oasis Inn as emergency family shelter weeks before its scheduled closure, following a unanimous vote by the Board of Supervisors. The Oasis Inn is a 58-room, emergency drop-in family shelter located at 900 Franklin Street.

“No child should have to face homelessness or housing instability, especially in the cold of Winter and during the holidays,” said Preston. “I’m proud that the Board of Supervisors showed united support for taking care of San Francisco’s most vulnerable families. We will not allow this crucial family shelter to be shut down.”

Parents and young children currently living at the Oasis waited until the early evening to share their stories during public comment. “It’s overwhelming and mentally draining,” said Cheyanne Tate, whose 2-year old daughter, Makayla, joined her at the podium. “Families shouldn’t have to suffer the consequences of the owners wanting to sell the building without any consideration of making backup plans for all the Oasis families.”

At the start of the pandemic, Supervisor Preston’s office launched as a pilot what was effectively the City’s first Shelter in Place Hotel at the Oasis Inn, working with Providence Foundation and the operator of the Oasis to move families experiencing homelesses from a congregate shelter with sleeping mats on a floor to private hotel rooms with support services. Through generous community support, dozens of rooms at the Oasis Inn were rented so unhoused families could safety shelter in place. This model was an inspiration for the city’s Shelter in Place program, a critical piece of the City’s successful early response to Covid.

Currently, the Oasis Inn is the only emergency drop-in shelter for families experiencing homelessness, a crucial necessity when there are thousands of people sleeping on the streets and months-long waitlists for shelter.

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 resolution passed today urges the Mayor and city departments to prioritize ongoing operations at the Oasis and acquisition of the Oasis by the City or a nonprofit service provider.

“For families like mine, Oasis is the last option and for many, a safe haven making the name ‘Oasis’ very fitting,” said Yaasmeen Williams, a current resident at the Oasis. “This shelter is one of many first steps toward our liberation from a life destined for many unhoused people, and has provided the means to protect us from abuse. Without this shelter, we’d have nowhere to go and I’m confident that there are thousands who can relate.”

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