Petition and plea for more shelters in SF for unhoused women

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A San Francisco nonprofit is making a call to help women experiencing homelessness off the streets and into safe shelter.

"I don't want to be on a street and be in a tent. It's my first fear is being in a tent," said Caylah DaHudi.

DaHudi is getting emergency support at Community Forward San Francisco, but COO Sammie Rayner says it's not enough.

"I'm not being dramatic when I say women on the streets will die," said Rayner, adding that on average experiencing homelessness die in their late 40's and that more women-only shelters and housing options are a must.

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"There's about 2,700 women who experience homeless in a given year in the city," said Rayner. "And there's only 99 shelter beds and there's only 157 housing units that are gender specific, so we really have a problem we need to address."

And those working closely with these women point out that oftentimes they're choosing to live on the streets over-staying in shelters because they don't feel safe. Rayner says that's because the vast majority of women facing homelessness are also experiencing trauma.

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"If you walk down a street and you see a woman, there's a 90 percent chance she would have experienced violence or abuse in her lifetime and that's probably more like 100 percent, if we're being real," she said, noting that's the reason Community Forward San Francisco is embarking on a mission; petitioning support to buy a 120-unit building just for women.

"This would be a safe space where unhoused women can come to access drop-in day services, shelter, and permanent supportive housing."

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"It would be helpful because I'd be able to just be myself," said DuHudi. "It would be motivational. I'd love it. I've had a place of my own before and I loved it."

Here is the link to the petition.