Pregnant Women Facing Homelessness in San Francisco

Homeless Prenatal Program
Image: homelessprenatal.org

San Francisco-based real estate developer Sergio Iantorno brings more than 40 years of experience to his role at real estate firm Golden Properties. In addition to luxury condominiums and well appointed single-family homes, Sergio Iantorno and his firm work alongside local organizations such as the Homeless Prenatal Program (HPP) to offer stable housing opportunities to the city’s most vulnerable residents.

HPP is one of several organizations addressing the unique needs of pregnant women living without adequate housing in San Francisco. Various headcounts conducted in 2018 led to estimates that nearly 300 pregnant women are unstably housed, a definition that includes women living in their cars, tents, or temporary shelters.

Rising rent costs, stagnant wages, and restricted access to family support services are leading reasons that pregnant women become and remain homeless. The San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing doesn’t extend access to family shelters to pregnant women until they are 28 weeks into their pregnancy. This limitation has resulted in many women going through their entire pregnancy without safe and adequate shelter.

Organizations like HPP, The Gabriel Project, and Catholic Charities advocate for offering family shelter services to pregnant women from their first trimester and connecting women to high quality prenatal care.

San Francisco District Court Upholds Rights of Section 8 Tenants

Section 8
Image: investopedia.com

Veteran property developer Sergio Iantorno entered the San Francisco real estate market in 1972 after becoming a licensed broker. In collaboration with the San Francisco Housing Authority and through his real estate firm Golden Properties, Sergio Iantorno increases rental opportunities for low-income residents and Section 8 voucher holders in accordance with all applicable laws.

A 2018 decision by the First District Court of Appeal reaffirmed a San Francisco ordinance that prohibits landlords from rejecting housing subsidies as payment for rent. Tenants cannot be denied housing simply due to the source of legally-derived income.

The case was first tried in 2015 when a well-known real estate firm stated in their advertisements that Section 8 vouchers would not be accepted. The landlords were found to be in violation of San Francisco’s housing antidiscrimination laws.

After a series of appeals, the appellate court ruled in favor of the prosecution. The decision strengthened the authority of city governments to regulate the housing market, even in situations of private ownership.

Rent-Controlled Apartments in San Francisco

 

San Francisco Rent Board
Image: sfrb.org

Sergio Iantorno has managed, sold, and renovated single-family homes, condominiums, and multifamily properties in the San Francisco real estate market since 1972. As the founder of Golden Properties, Sergio Iantorno oversees a portfolio composed of both rent-controlled properties and market-rate properties.

Rent-controlled properties are most commonly found in large cities, such as San Francisco and New York City. Rent control policies aim to protect tenants from extreme price increases and can be introduced at the municipal or state level.

In San Francisco, any multifamily residential units constructed before 1979 fall under rent control regulations. As of 2018, more than 60 percent of the city’s eligible rental stock is subject to rent control.

Rent control limits rental increases to a standard rate determined by the San Francisco Rent Board, which bases the increase on the San Francisco Area Consumer Price Index, a locally-calibrated formula for inflation. While landlords can petition to raise rents if a building undergoes major renovations, landlords are prohibited from evicting tenants solely for the purpose of attracting higher-paying renters.

The HUD-VASH Program for Veterans Who Are Homeless

 

HUD-VASH
Image: va.gov

Property developer and broker Sergio Iantorno manages a robust portfolio of residential and commercial buildings. Sergio Iantorno collaborates with local and regional housing programs, such as the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Administration Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH), to offer affordable housing options to people with financial disadvantages.

HUD-VASH is one of the largest federal housing programs in the country. It provides housing vouchers to military veterans with a history of homelessness, mental illness, or substance abuse who require case management services. Between 2008 and 2018, the program helped more than 140,000 people who were homeless find permanent housing.

The Department of Veterans Affairs determines if a candidate is eligible for the HUD-VASH program. Once granted, vouchers can be applied to privately owned rentals, allowing veterans to be stably housed while they receive medical and mental health treatment. In April 2018, HUD granted more than $43 million in vouchers to more than 5,000 veterans nationwide.