Public Asked to Help Direct SF's Homeless to Shelters

Extra homeless shelters open in San Francisco on Thursday.

San Francisco is asking citizens who see homeless people out and about on Thursday during the storm to seek shelter.

The city has expanded shelter access throughout the city, including in places normally closed during the day, according to the San Francisco Examiner.

Shelters have been increased to "maximum capacity" for the storm, according to Bevan Dufty, the city's homeless czar.

There are 1,145 shelter beds in the city but 6,436 people on the streets, according to the newspaper.

In the rain, minor health issues like colds can become "a major mess... and easily become pneumonia," according to Jennifer Friedenbach, the Coalition on Homelessness's director.

Police as well as homeless outreach teams were directing people on the streets to extra shelters, including Gene Friend Recreation Center, MSC South shelters, St. Anthony's Church, St. Boniface church, Mother Brown's shelter in the Bayview, the Mission Neighborhood Resource Center, the newspaper reported.

If citizens see a homeless person, they are asked to phone the HOT team at 415-734-4233.

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