San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed today announced that Jeff Kositsky, who previously served as the Director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH), will become Manager of the Healthy Streets Operations Center (HSOC). In this new role, Kositsky will be tasked with running the City’s multi-departmental effort to address to large tent encampments and help high-needs individuals into shelter and treatment, while targeting neighborhoods that are highly impacted by issues relating to homelessness.

Kositsky has served as the Director of HSH since its founding in 2016. Abigail Stewart-Kahn, who currently serves as Director of Strategy and External Affairs at HSH, will now serve as Interim Director of the department.

“Addressing the unhealthy conditions on many of our streets remains our top priority, and I am excited that Jeff Kositsky has agreed to step up to address this challenge. I know that his experience in creating the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing and his work with HSOC since its inception in 2018 makes him the right person to serve in this critically important role,” said Mayor Breed. “We will continue to create more Navigation Centers and supportive housing, while targeting our outreach efforts so that we can help people off the streets and into shelter and treatment.”

“I decided to take on this challenge because the conditions on our street require a renewed focus on collaboration and operations between our City departments,” said Kositsky. “I am extremely proud of the work that HSH and its partners have done to end homelessness for thousands of households and expand San Francisco’s network of shelter beds and housing exits. In my new role, I am eager to build on the successes that HSOC has had by focusing our most impacted clients and neighborhoods.”

HSOC is the City’s multi-departmental response to unhealthy street condition that began in 2018. The primary goals of HSOC relate to connecting individuals in need to the City’s system of care, including shelter, housing, treatment programs, healthcare services, and other social supports. All departments engaged in HSOC activities lead with services first. HSOC coordinates proactive responses to encampments and other hot spot areas, with the understanding that planned and collaborative outreach and engagement is more likely to successfully resolve issues.

Since it was created in 2016, HSH and its partners have ended homelessness for nearly 7,000 households, prevented homelessness for approximately 5,000 households, created systems to improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness, and expanded proven programs – including the addition of over 2,500 new housing exits and nearly 1,000 shelter beds. While the conditions on our streets are dire, it is important to remember that every night the City provides housing, shelter and services to nearly 13,000 homeless and formerly homeless people and we have plans to do even more.

“I want to thank Jeff for his leadership at HSH and the foundation he has created for us to address homelessness in San Francisco,” said Stewart-Kahn. “We have the right strategy and I know that the HSH team and our City and non-profit partners will continue and expand the work that we’ve done to support even more people to exit homelessness in the coming years.”

“Jeff has been a tireless leader and champion for the most vulnerable people in our community,” says Beth Stokes, Executive Director of Episcopal Community Services.  “There is no simple solution to the complex problem of homelessness, but everyday Jeff has led with warmth and in a true collaborative spirit to ensure that city agencies, non-profit organizations and the public at large were working together on the most challenging issue of our time. I am confident he will continue to be a meaningful resource not only for Episcopal Community Services, but for the City and County of San Francisco as we continue this truly important mission.”

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