New Rules Dictate When Shelters Can Boot Homeless Residents

The city’s housing agency last month set new rules on when homeless residents can get kicked out of city-backed shelters, campsites and parking programs. 

For years, city-funded shelters established their own rules and the city didn’t track how many people they forced out. Then city officials learned that one of their foremost service providers was booting more homeless residents than others and disproportionately removing Black clients.  

Now, after working with Father Joe’s Villages to significantly reduce the list of people banned from its facilities, the San Diego Housing Commission is standardizing rules across the city’s homeless service system – and says it saw reductions in suspensions even before its new rules took effect Oct. 1.  

Per the new rules, some violations such as assaults or threats can trigger an immediate suspension for up to four months while a theft could lead someone to be barred for up to 30 days. The rules also call for progressive discipline for lesser offenses and ensure homeless residents can appeal bans. 

The housing agency reports that the number of suspensions in shelters overseen by the housing agency dropped from more than 100 in July 2023 to 21 as of Sept. 30.  

“Even though it took us a while to get this out officially, the work we’ve been doing has impacted performance,” said Casey Snell, Housing Commission senior vice president.  

Snell said the housing agency and Atlanta-based consultant Equity in Action spent months meeting with providers including Father Joe’s, front-line shelter workers, people staying in shelters and formerly homeless San Diegans to get feedback. Snell said the Housing Commission plans to continue those gatherings as it tracks the impact of the new rules. 

Now, shelters are required to give homeless residents at least 30 days’ notice before suspensions for less serious repeat violations. Residents can also seek appeals via both providers and the commission.  

The rules also address common complaints from shelter residents. For example, they prohibit providers from suspending clients between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. absent immediate safety threats and require service providers to store suspended residents’ belongings for at least three days after suspensions. They also call for providers to try to help those they force out transfer to another program.   

The policies also give guidance on incidents that merit progressive discipline, how providers should try to address issues prior to terminations and how to brief residents on appeal options. 

The rules set expectations for shelter residents too. For example, residents can’t bring in drugs or weapons and shouldn’t behave in ways that disrupt others. The rules also clarify that residents should notify shelter staff if they won’t be at their bed during evening check-ins. Missed curfews have historically led many to lose their beds.  

Housing Commission staff met with service providers last week to review how the rules are playing out so far.  

Sofia Cardenas, data and compliance manager for nonprofit Alpha Project which operates five city shelters, said providers are adjusting to rules she described as reasonable and balanced.  

“Ultimately the rules are getting to what we have wanted and the whole community wanted to do all along which is remain low barrier and at the same time ensure safety standards,” Cardenas said.  

She said Alpha Project appreciates the commission’s continued interest in feedback and upcoming training to help with implementation. 

Father Joe’s, which for years had its own detailed rules, simply wrote in a statement that it “values its longstanding partnership” with the city’s housing agency and has taken part in conversations about the new policies. 

Two former shelter residents who were part of a group that provided input said they mostly appreciated the changes and the housing agency’s attempt to reduce discrimination. Both remain concerned about oversight of service providers. 

For example, former Father Joe’s shelter resident Sandy Myskowski noted that the policies have providers manage most suspension appeals and count on shelter staff using de-escalation and other best practices before taking that step.  

“There still just isn’t a lot of room for independent oversight,” Myskowski said. 

Kuni Stearns, who once stayed at the Convention Center shelter, wanted more accountability and detailed obligations for providers. For example, he said, providers should be mandated to serve meals that meet the needs of residents with disabilities or health conditions rather than simply provide two meals. 

“I’m mostly grateful that they put this together,” Stearns said. “One of the challenges I see is not everyone’s going to be beholden to that.” 

Snell said the housing agency plans to closely review discipline in homelessness programs in coming months and to provide in-person training for service workers early next year on de-escalation, implicit bias and other topics that the commission thinks will help providers better implement the new rules. 

Snell said the housing agency is also open to future changes to the new policies. 

“This is a working document,” Snell said. “We do not consider this final by any means.”