San Francisco SafeHouse’s Scattered Site Housing (SSH) program offers a flexible, survivor-centered approach to housing. Rather than relying on a single shelter location, SSH connects survivors and their children to rapid rehousing units (individual apartments) through the city's coordinated entry system. The goal of SSH is to create safer, more stable environments that reflect the needs and preferences of survivors and their children.

SafeHouse partners with the city of San Francisco who provides rental assistance and financial support to help participants maintain their housing, typically for 12–24 months. This approach prioritizes not only housing access, but also autonomy, dignity, and a sense of agency.

In a city where gender-specific shelter beds are limited, this approach to the housing first model allows us to meet survivors where they are. Participants work closely with a Case Manager to identify available units across our network of sites in the San Francisco Bay Area. When a match is found, survivors are able to choose a home that works for them.

SSH is different from our flagship program, the Transitional House, in that it offers more independent living within participant’s own communities. SafeHouse is assisting the women we serve in finding their own permanent homes. While there is 1-on-1 case management, there’s no on-site support. The independence of the program helps participants to graduate to maintain their housing independently at a rate of 90%!

The impact of this program is significant! From January through May 2026 alone, we placed 15 survivors into housing through SSH bringing the total to 207 survivors – including 45 children – who are safely housed through this program. When we talk about “nights of safety,” this is what we mean: real homes, chosen by survivors, where healing and stability can begin.