What we do
St. Vincent de Paul is home to the Multi Service Center South (homeless shelter), The Riley Center (domestic violence shelter and transitional housing), and Division Circle (Navigation Center).
Multi-Service Center (MSC) South: Since 1985, MSC South has been providing safety and shelter to approximately 350 unique homeless guests per night. Since COVID, however, occupancy has fluctuated, and the guest count is currently 218. Services included on-the-spot assistance including: access to a counselor; information and referrals to employment training and job placement services; information and referrals to housing opportunities, support identifying resources specific to health care, including mental health services; and nutrition support (food, meals, snacks, etc.) As the pandemic engulfed the nation, SVDP was forced to close its drop-in center in order to maintain compliance with state guidelines and ensure client’s health and safety.
St. Vincent de Paul Society Division Circle Navigation Center: Located at 224 South Van Ness Ave. SVDP teamed up with the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) in 2018 to offer coordinated entry, outreach, referrals, client services, and program evaluation for unhoused individuals and couples at Division Circle. Emergency services include the provision of safe and clean emergency sleeping accommodations for homeless adults in a Housing First, harm reduction program setting; intake of new clients on a scheduled basis; plus emergency intake of individual clients (based on approved protocols and referral sources) on a 24/7 basis; secure property storage; 24/7 access for current participants (including management of client access without a curfew); janitorial services; pet-friendly environment; meals and snacks; client laundry access; client storage for limited belongings; bathrooms and showers.
Riley Center Program: SVDP has provided domestic violence services in San Francisco for more than three decades. The organization was instrumental in launching the movement in the early 1980s and has worked to raise awareness surrounding the issue of domestic violence in a multitude of ways. We opened our emergency shelter (Rosalie House) in 1983, one of the first domestic violence shelters in the City. The transitional house (Brennan House) was launched in 1991, and the Community Office began in 1995. Through this expansion, SVDP quickly became one of the primary frontline domestic violence service providers in San Francisco. The Riley Center is home to hundreds of children over the years as many men and women arrive at the shelter with their children. Riley Center staff works tirelessly to respond to the special needs of this demographic and employs specific programming targeted at this age group.