The first Shelter-in-Place (SIP) sites opened in April 2020 to provide temporary non-congregate shelter for people experiencing homelessness who were most vulnerable to COVID-19. At its highest capacity, San Francisco’s SIP Hotel Program provided 2,288 rooms across 25 sites. The program has served over 3,700 guests, including adults, families, and Transitional Age Youth (TAY) ages 18-24.
San Francisco used a centralized referral system to place guests in the SIP hotels. To reach especially vulnerable populations, the City partnered with the Office of Transgender Initiatives, the Department on the Status of Women, and other community partners for guest referrals.
SIP Guest Information
The visual below shows the total guests currently staying in SIP hotels and total guests served through the SIP hotel program since the program opened in April 2020.
The dashboards below show the demographic information of all guests served through the SIP Hotel Program. Scroll for information on population type, race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, and prior living situation.
Services at SIP Hotels
SIP hotels offer a variety of services, including:
- Wellness checks and health screenings
- Harm reduction services
- In-Home Support Services (IHSS) and nursing support services
- Referrals and linkages to Coordinated Entry Access Points and public benefits
- Laundry and janitorial services
- Meals
- Security and de-escalation
The SIP program model has onsite wraparound services from the Department of Public Health and the Human Services Agency, such as medical and behavioral health, in-home support services, and benefits enrollment. This combination of services has helped many guests stabilize. Drawing on best practices from the SIP hotels, HSH is expanding similar collaborations with city partners across our system of care.
The Department is also committed to expanding new shelter models, including semi- and non-congregate shelter. Visit HSH’s Proposed Projects page for more information.
SIP Hotels – Next Steps
As part of Mayor Breed’s Homelessness Recovery Plan, the City offers stable exits to guests as the SIP hotel program ends. Learn more about the SIP hotel program’s wind down and next steps for guests.