In the News
“Caseworkers with the agency from Episcopal Community Services, along with other supportive services workers, would paddle out to his boat and bring him things like candy bars and supplies, and it eventually won him over. Romanowsky said the whole process took about a month, and the caseworkers helped him with every step, even getting emotional support credentials for his dog, Toby.”
Today the Supreme Court issued a ruling that will have lasting impacts on our country’s homelessness crisis. The decision in the case of Johnson v. Grants Pass has effectively legitimized the criminalization of homelessness, thus punishing people for experiencing the most extreme levels of poverty. Episcopal Community Services (ECS) has advocated against this approach from the start; signing on to an amicus brief in opposition to this unjust and cruel policy. As both the Executive Director of ECS, and a human being, I am appalled and deeply disheartened by this decision.
Let me be clear, homelessness is not a choice. The causes of homelessness are complex and often rooted in insurmountable hardship due to systemic racism, exorbitant cost of housing, and economic inequality. Homelessness is the most extreme manifestation of poverty in American society; the experience of being unhoused is traumatic enough without being punished and criminalized with fines or incarceration for simply having nowhere safe to sleep. Furthermore, people experiencing homelessness endure significant negative impacts on their health and wellbeing. Despite knowing this, our society continues to demonize and stigmatize those we should be treating with compassionate care.
This is unacceptable.
Our fundamental approach to service is centered around proven strategies that address homelessness holistically by providing long-term affordable housing options, paired with the wraparound supportive services which empower our participants with the resources and tools they need to end their homelessness, meet their goals, and transform their lives.
Today’s decision undoubtedly marks a dark moment in our nation’s history, but we cannot let adversity set us back. ECS will continue to staunchly advocate for our unhoused neighbors and prioritize approaches which center humanity, dignity, and empathy.
In solidarity,
Beth Stokes
“Across the nation, older adults are slipping into homelessness at a rate only previously witnessed during the Great Depression. In California, seniors are the fastest-growing age group within the unhoused population.”
Read the full op-ed by ECS and The Curry Senior Center here.
“Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters, who represents the area, said one of the main differences between this effort and previous efforts to get anchor-outs off the bay is that it is more compassionate and holistic. The RBRA’s program connects participants with a caseworker, resources through the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services and a housing voucher through the Marin Housing Authority.”
“If we want to get serious about overdose prevention, we have to say the quiet part out loud: the vast majority of overdoses and overdose deaths take place inside people’s homes,” write ECS Executive Director Beth Stokes and HealthRight360 President and CEO Vitka Eisen in an op-ed for the San Francisco Examiner addressing the tragedy of rising overdose deaths. Our two community-based organizations point to proven, evidence-based strategies that are needed to put people on the path to drug recovery: universal access to Narcan (naxalone) for supportive housing sites and training to administer it for staff, residents, and peers, overdose prevention rooms within supportive housing, support for people who want to live in a drug-free environment, and properly funded, right-sized contracts enabling providers to bring critical behavioral health care resources to bear.”
“Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco will operate an overnight shelter at the Marin Health and Wellness Campus, 3240 Kerner Blvd., San Rafael.”
“Our community at large has a massive structural problem with homelessness and there are not enough place to sleep and eat,” explained Rev. Stephen McHale. “This is a little band-aid on a symptom of a massive problem, but it’s what we can do so we’re trying it.”
“The shelters are a community effort, both in terms of donations and volunteer help. Episcopal Community Services provides overnight staff, the City provides two-thirds of the funding required to keep it going, Christ Church raises the remaining one-third of the funding from donations and coordinates meals and showers. Next Level Painting prepped the shelter at no cost.”
“Each day, ECS and our partners in the nonprofit and government sectors offer housing and supportive services to thousands of San Franciscans experiencing homelessness, with great success — more than 95% of ECS’ 1,800 supportive housing residents remain housed year over year, permanently ending homelessness for the overwhelming majority of those we serve.”
Read ECS Executive Director Beth Stokes’ full SF Examiner op-ed.
“San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed unveiled the new Diva Hotel yesterday, a redeveloped facility supplying 122 homes for adults transitioning out of homelessness. The endeavor is a cooperative venture between the city and Episcopal Community Services (ECS), with funding from California’s Homekey program, as stated in the City and County of San Francisco announcement.”