Direct Access to Housing

DAH Program Eligibility

DAH provides permanent supportive housing to formerly homeless adults—and, in some cases, adults at-risk of homelessness—most of whom have concurrent mental health and substance use issues and/or chronic medical conditions. The DAH definition of “homeless” includes living on the streets or in abandoned buildings, living in emergency or domestic violence shelters, hospital or forensic programs, institutions, transitional and/or substance abuse treatment programs as well as other emergency and transient situations. DAH tenants must also be:

• San Francisco residents,
• “Extremely low-income” as defined by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and
• Willing to pay a portion of their monthly income—usually 50%—toward rent via an approved third party rent payment provider.

Please note that some buildings have additional eligibility criteria dependent on their funding source or target population. For example, DAH tenants at HUD-funded sites must be “chronically homeless” in compliance with HUD’s definition.

Useful Terms

• Homeless (DAH definition): Living on the streets or in abandoned buildings, emergency or domestic violence shelters, hospital or forensic programs, institutions, transitional housing, substance abuse treatment programs, and other emergency / transient situations.
• Extremely Low-Income (HUD definition): In 2009, a single adult with an annual income of $23,750.
• Chronically Homeless (HUD’s standard definition): An unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more, or has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years.