Homelessness in SF
A research-focused project, driven by curiosity and carried out with passion
Mentor
Time line
February 2024 - April 2024
(four months)
My Role
UX researcher
Product timeline manager
Responsible for work flow and execution of tasks
Critically review of group work
Team
3 UX researcher
Cherubin
Kuan Chen(Me)
Ryan
Walking through San Francisco…
We are curious about what’s happening?
San Francisco has been one of my favorite cities to visit since I was little, but walking through it now feels different. The streets are filled with trash, unpleasant smells, and a growing homeless population. I want to understand what I can do to help this city. So, my team and I decided it’s time to explore San Francisco more deeply—until we feel confident in making a real difference.
The numbers reveal the reality…
What's happening?
23,000
people loose their jobs every-month
Who they are?
Big tech employees
&
manufacturing labor
"Just last year, I was a tech employee in San Francisco, making $120,000 annually...”
-keith
average costing comparison fy 23-24
But behind the data is a broken system. I want to hear their stories.
Empathy
Coordinated entry
Coordinated Entry is the “front door” to the Homelessness Response System. It is designed to assess, prioritize and match people experiencing homelessness to housing opportunities efficiently and consistently. - SF.gov
Interview
We conducted this round of interviews to better understand and empathize with the situation of people in need of housing.
Coalition on Homelessness
Homeless people
Homeless Outreach Team
Affordability
Harsh Rules
Lack Of Clean Housing
Lengthy Procedures
Interview insight
People who bounce back from homelessness within the first
30 days
, end up never being homeless again.
Target User
People who lost their jobs in the last 30 days
Who do not have funds to pay their rent
Are earning less than median SF wage
At risk of facing eviction
Why them?
People who are most likely to exit homelessness are people who are able to bounce back the quickest.
Secondary Research
SF government budgeting FY23-25
As I participated in this project, I heard people say they are paying higher and higher taxes because the government has been trying to fix the homelessness problem. This made me wonder where the money is being spent. I believe looking into their financial plan will help me understand the system behind a lot.
sf government perspective
45 Hotels budgets, but only 22 are used.
Homeless perspective
How might we improve the Quick Housing Accessibility of SF citizens who recently lost their job?
Diverging
Double diamond
Using the Double Diamond approach, I identified the problem and are now diverging toward solutions.
opportunity
This is a huge problem that we have a ton of housing, but lack of communication.
Increase
Spending
We thought getting everyone into shelters would solve this, but people don't want to get into shelter.
“I would rather stay on the street”
“They want me to leave my tent behind”
Solution
Home more
What are you currently facing?
Knowing what their situation could help us improve in the future, and recommend the most suitable housing at the moment.
As long as you need
Allow flexible stay lengths without the fear of eviction.
Any housing type suitable for you.
Anytime, anywhere. Explore every possibility. Take control of your life.
Always have place to stay
Use already existing spaces
Streamline communication
Expectation
Home more future
Will house 4,000 people every year, and create 300 jobs (for the unemployed) — to give anybody housing.
We will save 360 million(for every 3500 rooms - 47% remain unhoused , which is 658 rooms), and spent only 89 million(15 million to hire & train, 42 million in repairs, 32 million running 42 hotels) for this project.
Success metric
We will be successful only if we
See overall homeless numbers reduce
House 340 people each month
Reduce re-enter rate over 70%
Reflections
Make pivoted when needed
I have redirected my research and gotten stuck many times. I even pivoted during the solution process. Through this, I’ve learned the pros and cons of making changes and gained a better understanding of when to pivot and when not to. Reviewing and shifting perspectives is always a choice.