It’s hard enough for anyone to find an apartment in San Francisco, thanks to the AI boom that’s fueling rent hikes. But imagine what it’s like for those leaving prison and trying to pass a landlord’s background check.
It may get easier for formerly incarcerated people who are accepted into an innovative reentry project that pairs them with open-minded San Franciscans with spare bedrooms.
The Homecoming Project — think of it as Airbnb for those leaving jail — is coming to San Francisco via funding from the public defender’s office, the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, the Menorah Park Community Impact Fund, and the state.
The program has been offered in the East Bay and L.A. Since its 2018 inception, there have been more than 200 participants, and none have reoffended, according to Oakland-based nonprofit Impact Justice. All participants have graduated with housing and are either employed full-time or in school.
“We believe that the prison-to-homelessness pipeline is a fixable problem, and San Franciscans want to be a part of the solution,” said Bernadette Butler, director of the housing lab at Impact Justice.
The six-month initiative pays hosts $50 per day (up to $1,550 per month) to house people leaving prison. The program, developed by Impact Justice, aims to address a critical gap in reentry services. Formerly incarcerated people are 10 times more likely to experience homelessness than the general public, according to Butler.
Marcelino Clemente, who graduated from the program in September after staying with a host in East Oakland, said it gave him the stability he needed to rebuild his life.
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“It was wonderful. It helped me a lot, because it gave me the opportunity to focus on my goals,” Clemente said. “They provided me with the home that I needed, the security, the safety. I was able to focus on transitioning into society after a long period of time being incarcerated.”
San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju said the program complements his office’s Freedom Project, which has secured reduced sentences for 99 clients.
“When it comes to helping people stabilize and thrive, there’s really nothing more fundamental than housing,” Raju said. “With a stable, supportive home, people can feel safe to start and forge a path forward.”
The initiative provides participants with case management support while they live with hosts, helping them navigate bureaucratic challenges like obtaining identification, Social Security benefits, and driver’s licenses.
Surmiche “Memi” Vaughn, who lives in Oakland and has hosted 19 participants, said she decided to join as a way to pay for her teens’ college education.
“The Homecoming Project has been amazing in so many ways. It’s going to allow for my kids to come out of school next year with zero student loan debt,” Vaughn said. “It’s not only a community, it’s family.”
Philippe “Kells” Kelly, who entered the prison system as a teen and was released in 2023, also praised the program.
“Having my own space and being able to just be with myself has allowed me to really dig into what I need to develop as a person coming out from prison,” said Kelly, who was the 100th participant and client (opens in new tab) in Alameda County. He now works as a youth justice advocate and audio engineer.
Stephen Liebb, cofounder of the Freedom Project, spent 32 years in prison before his release in 2013. He recalled his own reentry to society and vouched for the importance of validating the humanity of those who have been incarcerated.
“Having my own bedroom in an actual home during those first years of parole would have made my adjustment so much easier and eliminated so much stress,” he said.