Families may initiate their referral process if they are experiencing homelessness. Alternatively, referrals can come through the City of San Francisco's Coordinated Entry system, school personnel (including Social Workers, Principals, and Teachers), or via word-of-mouth referrals. What sets the Stay Over Program apart from other San Francisco family shelters is its ability to accept direct referrals. This means that once a family is identified, they can enroll in the program on the same night. Furthermore, the SOP does not impose time restrictions, and families can stay in the shelter until permanent housing is secured. The average stay is approximately 12 weeks. Eligibility criteria align with McKinney-Vento definitions of homelessness, see definition here.  The Stay Over Program offers families supportive services including case management. Over 70% of families transition out of the program directly into stable housing.

The Stay Over Program extends its services for 12 hours on school evenings, which then expand to 24 hours during weekends, school holidays, and other school closures. Moreover, at times of inclement weather, the shelter may increase its hours of operation, funding permitting.

Yes, the program operates on a first-come, first-served basis, but families are guaranteed shelter once enrolled. Once SOP families officially exit the program, the available spot is offered to the next family in need. Therefore, families are provided with a consistent, safe place to sleep until they can transition into secure housing. The only criteria for the program is the family has school-aged children.

The Stay Over Program does not impose a time limit for stays. Once a family is approved, they are invited to stay in any available space. The Stay Over Program has a first-come, first-served waitlist. The city has more unhoused families than shelter beds, though an official waitlist count is not publicly available.

The Stay Over Program offers no-time limit on the length of stay in the shelter. 

Although this was a main concern of parents during the inception of the Stay Over Program, in the last 5 years, there have been no major incidents of property damage to the school. The City of San Francisco has implemented stringent guidelines for shelter occupants, which expressly forbid acts of vandalism, disorderly conduct, and drug abuse, among others. Breach of these regulations leads to a cessation of services, referred to as a "Denial of Services," for the families involved. The Stay Over Program has not issued a DOS for any destruction of school property and over the years of operation it has rarely issued a DOS.

The Stay Over Program is funded by the city of San Francisco's Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) provides the school gymnasium in-kind for the operations of the family shelter. Risk management approved the program in large part because of a Joint Use Agreement that shifts the liability of the program from SFUSD to the City while the program is in operation. Private donors are supporting the Stay Over program as well. 

The program cost per bed is approximately $48/bed per night. The annual operating budget for the program serving 60 people is $1.3 million.

Families with school-aged children are eligible to access all of the family shelters in San Francisco's homelessness response system. This program is open to all students in SFUSD and their families. The family unit can include any members of the household. Only SFUSD students and families are eligible, but there is a 72-hour window for newcomer families to enroll in SFUSD once they arrive at the shelter.

The Stay Over Program does not currently serve unaccompanied minors at this time.

The SF Unified School District does not provide bus transportation to schools. We have had families with students attending schools throughout the district. We have had families from 87 schools from the 132 schools in the school district. The City of San Francisco provides a complimentary public transportation card to all students enrolled within the district, with families possessing McKinney-Vento status. The card provides 12 months of free access to all of the city's public transport services.

1 in 24 SFUSD students are homeless, according to SFUSD McKinney-Vento Survey. The student population in SFUSD is 50,013 students.