About Us

CATS is a private, nonprofit organization incorporated in 1978.  CATS serves homeless men and women in San Francisco, 18 years and over, with substance abuse problems, mental illness, those living with chronic health conditions such as HIV+/AIDS, and individuals who are, or have been, involved in the criminal justice system. CATS’ niche is serving those most in need and the “hardest to serve” individuals that other agencies frequently turn away. We provide a state-of-the-art continuum of care to San Francisco’s most vulnerable populations. When we say that CATS offers a “continuum of care,” we mean that we provide programs with few demands initially to engage clients and then we provide programs with increasing demands when clients are ready. We have a practical commitment to a straightforward philosophy—“start where people are.” Our continuum of care effectively moves San Francisco’s chronic homeless population off the street and eventually into permanent housing.

Three Things we would like you to know about CATS:

» CATS is one of the city's largest providers of homeless services, reaching over 6,000 men and women yearly through seven programs.

» We focus on the "hardest to serve" homeless who others cannot or will not servce--those multiply diagnosed with chronic addiction, mental illness, and HIV+/AIDS, among other things.

» We are at the forefront of public policy.  CATS partners very closely with city agencies, inclduing the Human Services Agency and the Department of Public Health, to provide housing with wrap-around services. CATS contributes to former Mayor Gavin Newsom's initiative to provide more permanent housing for San Francisco's chronically homeless population.