During my fellowship, I had the opportunity to speak with different park professionals and stakeholders, from park police to social service providers, regarding homelessness in the parks. This allowed me to examine the issue from many angles, and one thing I learned is that any approach involves many moving parts.

As the NPS Urban Agenda pilot phase comes to a close, it’s time to share out some of the lessons learned.

The 2017 Homeless Point-In-Time Count and Survey revealed that in San Francisco there is a total of 7,499 homeless men and women, and a staggering 58% of them are unsheltered.

In January, I went to a workshop on homelessness in parks hosted by the National Recreation and Park Association. After a rich panel discussion, one homeless advocate shared a bit of wisdom that is still sticking with me.