Domestic violence is the leading reason women in San Francisco end up homeless, according to a new report from the San Francisco Women's Housing Coalition.
Key findings
- 57% of respondents said domestic violence contributed to their homelessness. That put it ahead of mental health challenges and job loss, the San Francisco Examiner reported.
- Nearly 3 in 4 said they had experienced violence or abuse while unhoused.
- Half reported experiencing sexual violence.
The report, "Understanding Women's Homelessness in San Francisco," is based on interviews and focus groups held last year with more than 400 women living unhoused in the Mission, Bayview, SoMa, Tenderloin and Fillmore. It is the coalition's second report. The first came out in 2024.
Why advocates did it
About 3,000 women are living unhoused in San Francisco, according to San Francisco SafeHouse, a founding member of the coalition. SafeHouse wrote that shelters often don't meet women's hygiene or safety needs, and that women with children face extra hurdles that can split up families. Advocates said they lacked local data to back up what they see every day.
"This population largely remains unseen in the larger scheme of the issues," coalition co-chair Rebecca Jackson told the Examiner.
What's next
The survey is done every two years alongside the city's Point-in-Time homeless count. The coalition planned a citywide retreat to discuss the findings with representatives from supervisors' offices, state lawmakers' offices, city departments, foundations and the Sheriff's Office. Early results from this year's count showed a 4% drop in homelessness since 2024. The city hasn't released the full results yet, and some advocates question them because the counting method changed.