Community Forward seeks one year contract extension for women's shelter services

The San Francisco County government meeting on July 4, 2025, focused on a critical issue regarding the future of community services for women. The meeting addressed the urgent need for a one-year extension of a contract with Community Forward, which operates a women's shelter program known as "A Woman's Place." This request comes after the organization lost its lease for one of its facilities due to the building being sold unexpectedly.

During the meeting, officials discussed the implications of this lease loss, which requires immediate action to ensure continued support for vulnerable women in the community. The proposed contract extension, amounting to $13.1 million, aims to maintain staffing and services at a shelter-in-place hotel that has been operational since the COVID-19 pandemic. This hotel is set to close in mid-August, coinciding with the new fiscal year.

Community Forward plans to redeploy staff from the hotel to their remaining programs, including the drop-in shelter, which they intend to reopen once they secure a new location. The extension would provide the necessary time for the organization to find a new site for "A Woman's Place," allowing services to continue uninterrupted through June 2026.

The urgency of this extension highlights the ongoing challenges faced by community service providers in securing stable housing and support for those in need. The meeting concluded with a commitment to ensuring that these essential services remain available while the organization seeks a permanent solution.