Homeless Youth Agency Holds Open House

A San Francisco nonprofit that provides basic medical care, syringe access, and other services to homeless youth in the Upper Haight district recently invited neighbors to discuss concerns about its new office space.

More than two years ago, Homeless Youth Alliance had to move out of its drop-in center at 1696 Haight Street after the landlord decided not to renew the lease.

Since then, the agency has continued providing services, but without a building in which it could welcome clients. A supporter has allowed staff to use her home for office work.

In recent months, HYA has been working on moving into 607A Haight Street in the Lower Haight to use as office space. The location formerly housed the Vapor Room medical marijuana club.

The nonprofit held an open house at the site Wednesday, May 18 to address concerns that the space would draw young homeless people.

Monday, the Lower Haight Merchants and Neighbors Association asked the planning commission to review HYA's permit application through the discretionary review process.

A handout made available last Wednesday says the office will be used for staff meetings and trainings, office work, outreach preparations, and similar activities.

"It is written into our lease that we cannot allow participants to enter the office for any reason," the organization said. "All of our interactions with participants will continue to take place, as they always have, in the Upper Haight close to Golden Gate Park, an area that has been an epicenter for youth experiencing homelessness for the past 40 years."

The handout includes language from the lease that says HYA "is strictly prohibited from carrying out any of [its] services at the premises. ... The premises may only be used by employees and agents of the tenant to carry out the administrative tasks of the tenant."

Mary Howe, HYA's executive director, said in an interview that she started doing outreach about the space in January, and she's been "really clear about it being for office use only."

There's "an unfair perception that the young people we work with will automatically come here," she said, adding, "I understand those are fears neighbors have, and I encourage dialogue around that."

However, she said, the clients didn't come to the private Haight area home where her agency had been doing its office work since January 2014.

In a letter that's excerpted in HYA's handout, Kathleen Ryan, that home's owner, confirmed the absence of clients.

"They have been remarkably careful and considerate of the property while they have been here," Ryan wrote of HYA. "They have not had any clients on the property and always meet their clients in public spaces away from the house."

The document also says the nonprofit "maintains storage units for our supplies in the Mission district as well as syringe access supplies located privately in the Upper Haight district."

Only a handful of neighborhood residents came to the open house.

John Pollard, 49, who lives with his family a few blocks away from the new HYA site, has supported the nonprofit for years. He said he thinks the move is "a good idea," because the organization's been rejected by numerous landlords, and "they need an office where they can better facilitate homeless youth's needs," even though the clients won't be there.

Andrea Lopez, 34, who lives in the Lower Haight and has volunteered for years with HYA, called the move "very exciting," and she expressed confidence Howe would "keep the neighborhood happy."

The only person at the event that didn't seem enthusiastic about the nonprofit's move didn't want to be quoted.

HYA's new office looks clean and new, with lots of beige and black. Most of the furniture consists of desks and chairs. There's nothing to suggest clients will be welcome to come over and hang out.

Howe said her agency is currently in the notification phase, and it's up to planning officials when the move-in can be completed.

The lease is for five years. Howe estimated the rent is $4,500 a month.

Property manager Jack Murray was at the open house but declined to be interviewed.

Howe said HYA still hopes to find a permanent space in the Upper Haight to provide services.