Housing

Five Keys’ homeless services division is known for its clean, welcoming, compassionate and efficiently run shelter facilities, currently operating with 450 employees and subcontracted vendors in eight shelter locations in San Francisco and Alameda counties. We offer interim housing with comprehensive case management and navigation services leading to placement into short-term, transitional, rapid re-entry, emergency, and permanent housing, as is appropriate to individuals’ needs. During the pandemic, standard exit timelines have been suspended, allowing guests to stay for as long as is needed.

Our housing services are known for their trauma-informed, holistic approach that provides a welcoming space, and staff who take pride in providing caring customer service following a harm-reduction model.

The Navigation Centers are bright and clean, have attractive murals, comfortable furniture, and lots of natural light, outdoor space, and planters. Residents, called “guests,” are cared for by customer service/security staff, called “ambassadors,” who are visible and ever-present in their turquoise blue shirts throughout the dorm, the kitchen, and the community room, which includes TV, games, books and computers, and outdoor areas.

The emphasis on customer service is possible through substantial staff training and careful onboarding, including de-escalation strategies, administering Narcan for overdoses, training to increase awareness of the needs of transgender and LGBTQ guests, customer service strategies, first aid, CPR, harm reduction philosophy, workplace ethics, and two days shadowing experienced ambassadors.