About the Department of Homelessness
& Supportive Housing

The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) launched on July 1, 2016. The department combines key homeless serving programs and contracts from the Department of Public Health (DPH), the Human Services Agency (HSA), the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD), and the Department of Children Youth and Their Families (DCYF). This consolidated department has a singular focus on preventing and ending homelessness for people in San Francisco.

Our Mission:

The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing strives to make homelessness in San Francisco rare, brief, and one time, through the provision of coordinated, compassionate, and high‐quality services. 

Our Guiding Values:

The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing is built on the pillars of compassion, courage, and common sense—and strives to reflect these values in its work.

Compassion: The work to end homelessness is driven by compassion. HSH recognizes diversity among the homeless population and is committed to increasing equity. The system and programs within it must recognize the dignity of all people experiencing homelessness and treat them with respect.

Courage: Change is always difficult and can be seen as threatening and unsettling. HSH will work to ensure transparency and integrity as it leads the change process. HSH will focus on the engagement of all stakeholders as we work toward a radical transformation of how San Francisco responds to homelessness

Common sense: With a common sense approach, we focus on solutions, use data to drive decision making, collaborate with others, and promote innovation.