“Launched in 2017, the Chronic Homelessness Initiative (CHI), powered by Tipping Point, was the largest private investment to address chronic homelessness and housing solutions in San Francisco’s history. A five-year initiative ending in June of 2022, CHI was driven by collaborative efforts between local government, nonprofit service providers, individuals with lived experience, and philanthropy to create lasting change. While CHI has come to a close, Tipping Point continues to play a key philanthropic role in addressing homelessness in San Francisco. Explore our housing investments in San Francisco and across the Bay Area.
Five years ago we made a historic announcement, committing $100 million to reduce chronic homelessness in San Francisco. It was the largest private investment to date to address one of our city’s most systemic challenges.
We are thrilled to share that the Chronicle of Philanthropy reached out to cover the initiative in a new feature story, showcasing it as a model for how philanthropy can champion and test new solutions to complex social issues.
The article highlights our wins and losses, and most importantly, lessons learned. It details Tipping Point’s success in bringing together government and nonprofit service providers to spur innovation, and describes our use of philanthropic risk capital to pilot proofs of concept that are now being scaled.
One such example is the Flex Pool—currently being expanded by the City—which provides rental subsidies for people across San Francisco. Another is a new financing model we helped spearhead to construct permanent supportive housing faster and more affordably than the City had ever done before.
The story also notes the significant role we played in leveraging public funding and pushing for transparency and accountability. I hope you will take a moment to read the article and share it with others.
As the City of San Francisco now begins to integrate these strategies into its approach to address homelessness, Tipping Point is committed to building on these lessons learned and incorporating them into the next phase of our work. We will continue to leverage the power of philanthropy to catalyze solutions; to respond to this crisis with the urgency it deserves; and ultimately, to increase the number of people across the Bay Area who are on the path to stable housing.
Thank you to our supporters for partnering in this work with us.”
— Sam Cobbs, Tipping Point Community CEO
Although CHI has ended, Tipping Point’s work in San Francisco hasn’t stopped. Built on the learnings from CHI, the San Francisco Homelessness project aims to equitably and significantly reduce homelessness in San Francisco. There are three priority areas for the San Francisco Homelessness project: homelessness prevention, key populations experiencing disproportionate rates of homelessness, and improved transparency and accountability. This project is in addition to our regional housing strategy to ensure all our neighbors have a place to call home. Learn more about our strategy to advance the most promising poverty-fighting solutions.
