Supportive Housing 101
What is Permanent Supportive Housing?
Permanent supportive housing combines affordable housing with voluntary wraparound support services. It is a proven solution to homelessness. Residents receive permanent housing, along with on-site services like case management, mental health, educational, and vocational services, which help them achieve housing stability and improve their health.
Experts in Supportive Housing
For over 40 years, Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco (ECS) has been at the forefront of fighting homelessness in the Bay Area. ECS offers numerous client-centered programs, including high quality supportive housing, emergency shelter, behavioral health counseling, housing navigation and problem-solving via Adult Coordinated Entry, workforce development and employment stabilization, senior services, and meal programs. ECS serves over 12,000 people experiencing homelessness, extreme poverty, and food insecurity each year.
In 1994, ECS opened Canon Kip Community House, the first newly constructed permanent supportive housing in San Francisco. Today, it is responsible for operating over 2,000 PSH units, including a 256-unit PSH site in San Francisco. ECS maintains an annual housing retention rate of 95%.
Project Homekey
In 2020, the State launched an innovative new housing program called Project Homekey to protect Californians experiencing homelessness at greatest risk of COVID-19.
In the first round of Homekey, San Mateo County received more than $33 million in funding from the state to purchase the two hotel properties and provide a total of 170 rooms.
This year, San Mateo County received $13.89 million in round 3 of Homekey funding for the development of 45 permanent supportive housing units at 721 Airport Blvd.