From Residential Counselor to CEO: 15 Years at SafeHouse

By Toni Eby, MSW, Chief Executive Officer

This week, I celebrate my 15th year at San Francisco SafeHouse. Reaching this milestone has me reflecting not only on how far SafeHouse has come, but also on why this work continues to matter so deeply to me, and to our community.

I first joined SafeHouse as a Residential Counselor in 2011, back when we were just one program, the Transitional House, a program that helped change my life. Today, as Executive Director, I carry forward the same commitment I made on my very first day: To make sure that every woman in San Francisco is given the same opportunity that SafeHouse gave me, and to break the cycle of homelessness and exploitation in San Francisco.

What began as one confidential home serving up to 10 survivors each year has grown into three, and soon four, programs, providing housing for more than 140 women and families annually and welcoming over 500 visits to the Hope Center each month.

Even just over the past year alone, SafeHouse has expanded programs at every level. The Transitional House continues to uphold its legacy into 2026, providing a safe and confidential home where women can heal and work on long-term goals. Our Scattered Site Housing Program has grown significantly, now offering individual apartment placements to twice as many women, to better serve those parenting children.

One of the things I am most proud of since my time at SafeHouse is opening up the Hope Center in 2019. Since then, the Hope Center has blossomed into a vibrant hub of connection, serving hundreds of women each month with housing navigation, basic needs support, and life-changing classes like art therapy, workforce development, and wellness groups. I still smile every time I get to walk into the center and see a client who is excited to tell me about the housing they got into, the school program they are starting, or about their new job.

This year, our newest program, Bridge Housing for Women and Children, will break ground for renovations, and it still astounds me that in what will feel like the blink of an eye, we will open the doors to one of San Francisco’s first long-term supportive housing programs dedicated to survivors and their children.

As I look ahead, I dream of a San Francisco where every survivor has a safe place to lay her head at night, and never has to worry about where her child’s next meal will come from. I dream of a San Francisco where gender-based violence becomes a thing of the past, where all those experiencing homelessness are given the opportunity for safe housing and the chance to reach their full potential.

I look forward to another year at SafeHouse, and another year of creating pathways to safety, healing, and hope for survivors in San Francisco!