Mayor Considers Lottery System For SF's Homeless Shelters
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – Complaints about San Francisco's homeless shelter system have prompted Mayor Ed Lee to look at ways to change the registration process, hoping to use technology to help the homeless find a bed for the night.
Last week, supervisors held a lengthy hearing on homeless shelters, and heard from over 50 people about how hard it is to get a bed for the night.
On Tuesday, Mayor Lee went to the board for question time and was asked to fix the problem. He said that he's working on a solution.
KCBS' Barbara Taylor Reports:
"My office is in discussion with clients, HSA, about shifting the current line-based system to a lottery that could be easily accessed by phone, perhaps even through 311," said Lee.
The city's registration system forces the homeless to wait in long lines and travel from shelter to shelter in the hope of getting a bed. It's so complicated and frustrating that many homeless give up and just sleep on the streets.
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