Coalition on Homelessness
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Coalition on Homelessness does
The Coalition on Homelessness is a San Francisco-based 501c3 nonprofit founded in 1987 that organizes homeless and formerly homeless individuals alongside front-line service providers to create permanent solutions to homelessness while protecting the human rights of those living on the streets. The organization operates two primary weekly workgroups — Housing Justice and Human Rights — composed entirely of homeless and formerly homeless members who set policy and strategy, and publishes the Street Sheet, the oldest continuously published street newspaper in North America. Its policy output over nearly four decades has produced landmark research reports including Punishing the Poorest, Shelter Shock, The Roadmap, and Stop the Revolving Door, and has directly shaped San Francisco's homelessness, shelter, and policing policies.
The Coalition's core deliverables are not commercial technology but organizing and research products: the Street Sheet newspaper, an extensive library of peer-led research publications, advocacy campaigns such as RVBan2025 and Stolen Belonging, and direct legal referrals through the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights handling approximately 3,000 civil rights cases per year. The underlying technology footprint is minimal — a Square merchandise storefront, a Fundraise Up donation platform, a basic WordPress website, and bitcoin donation processing via OpenNode — with no proprietary platform or software product.
The revenue model is grassroots individual donations, with 520 individual donors in the most recent reported year and 60 monthly sustainers comprising the bulk of operating support. Supplemental income comes from merchandise sales (hoodies, beanies, totes), vehicle donations processed through Auction City and Vehicles for Charity, Community Thrift Store designations (Account #205), house party fundraisers, and bitcoin donations. The organization deliberately does not accept government funding to maintain advocacy independence, which limits total revenue scale but reinforces its policy posture. Geographic scope is exclusively San Francisco, with policy influence extending to California state-level legislation including the Right to Rest Act.
Coalition on Homelessness firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Coalition on Homelessness
- Legal name
- Coalition on Homelessness
- Website
- https://cohsf.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Coalition on Homelessness industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Homeless Advocacy and Housing Justice Services
- NAICS
- Community Housing Services (62422), Other Community Housing Services (624229), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)
Keywords
Where Coalition on Homelessness is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Coalition on Homelessness business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Grassroots donations from individual supporters constitute the vast majority of the organization's budget. Last year there were 520 individual donors, with 60 giving monthly sustainer donations. Donations are tax-deductible as the organization is a 501c3 nonprofit.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of Coalition hoodies, beanies, Street Sheet masks, and totes through an online storefront at coalition-on-homelessness.square.site.
- Vehicle Donations: Accepts donations of cars, RVs, and boats through Auction City (online or 1-800-574-0888) and Vehicles for Charity (1-866-628-2277), with proceeds supporting the Coalition.
- Community Thrift Donations: Donations designated to Coalition on Homelessness (Account #205) at Community Thrift Store (623 Valencia St., San Francisco). Accepts clothing, furniture, electronics, books, artwork, and more.
- House Party Fundraisers: Community members host house parties or birthday parties with Coalition staff presenting campaigns; facilitated by Development Director at (415) 346-3740 x303.
- Bitcoin Donations: Organization now accepts bitcoin donations via OpenNode payment gateway.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels8 records
Coalition on Homelessness product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Coalition on Homelessness organizes homeless people and front-line service providers in San Francisco to create permanent housing solutions and protect the human rights of those forced to remain on the streets. It delivers this through two weekly community workgroups (Housing Justice and Human Rights), the Street Sheet street newspaper (the oldest continuously published street newspaper in North America), a research publications program, advocacy campaigns such as RVBan2025 and Stolen Belonging, civil rights case referrals, and educational resources including a Know Your Rights pamphlet and a Homelessness Services Guide.
Product overview
Coalition on Homelessness is a grassroots non-profit organization that does not offer a traditional tech product but provides advocacy services, research publications, and community organizing programs. The organization operates through two primary workgroups (Housing Justice and Human Rights), publishes the Street Sheet street newspaper, conducts research and publishes reports (including Stop the Revolving Door, Punishing the Poorest, and The Roadmap), runs advocacy campaigns like RVBan2025 and Stolen Belonging, and provides educational resources including Know Your Rights pamphlets and a Homelessness Services Guide. The organization also operates a merchandise store for fundraising.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Street Sheet: A street newspaper that is the oldest continuously published in North America and has the largest circulation. Published by the Coalition on Homelessness.
Products and services
- Street Sheet newspaper The oldest continuously published street newspaper in North America and the paper with the largest circulation; sold by homeless and formerly homeless vendors throughout San Francisco to support themselves while distributing the Coalition's editorial content.
- Housing Justice Workgroup
Quantifiable outcome
- 1,306 housing subsidies won for homeless families, elderly, youth, single adults and disabled adults over five years (2010-2019)
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Coalition on Homelessness
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Coalition on Homelessness technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Coalition on Homelessness partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP)coreCollectively founded with organizations in the East Bay, Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle. A regional advocacy coalition focused on addressing homelessness through policy advocacy and organizing at the Western regional level. The Coalition on Homelessness co-founded WRAP alongside these partner cities.
- Community Housing PartnershipcoreCreated by the Coalition in 1991-1995 as the first supportive housing for homeless people in San Francisco. Now provides over 1,000 units of permanent affordable supportive housing and employs homeless people in construction, maintenance, and support services at those housing locations.
- GLIDEcoreReferral partner for peer researchers. GLIDE referred candidates to the Coalition's peer research team for the Stop the Revolving Door needs assessment survey (2020).
- Lawyers' Committee for Civil RightscoreThe Coalition connects homeless folks who have received 'quality of life' citations to pro bono legal representation through the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights. Coalition handles more than 3,000 civil rights cases per year through this partnership.
- UC Berkeley Center for Human RightscoreCollaborated with UC Berkeley Center for Human Rights to release 'Punishing the Poorest: How the Criminalization of Homelessness Perpetuates Poverty in San Francisco' (2017), a major research publication.
- Our Trans Home SFminorWorked with Our Trans Home SF, which won a $2.3 million allocation for the City's first transitional housing for homeless trans and gender non-conforming people.
- Transgender, Gender-variant, Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP)coreReferral partner for peer researchers. TGIJP referred candidates to the Coalition's peer research team for conducting transgender-specific focus groups and interviews in the Stop the Revolving Door needs assessment (2020).
- Tipping Point CommunitycoreReferral partner for peer researchers. Tipping Point Community referred candidates to the Coalition's peer research team. Additionally, the Coalition's Roadmap plan leveraged $1.5 million in private funding match sourced through Tipping Point.
- Larkin Street Youth ServicesminorPartner organization listed on the Coalition's Learn More page. Conducted focus groups with youth experiencing homelessness for the Stop the Revolving Door needs assessment.
- Homeless Prenatal ProgramminorPartner organization listed on the Coalition's Learn More page. Conducted bilingual focus groups with doubled-up families for the Stop the Revolving Door needs assessment.
- SRO Families UnitedminorCoalition collaborated with SRO Families United ally organization to release 'Living on The Margins: An analysis and Census of San Francisco Families Living in SROs' report.
- People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER)minorThe Coalition's General Assistance Rights Union spun off to become POWER, an independent organization. This eventually led to single adult welfare recipients earning a living wage and winning free Muni for youth in SF.
- El/La Para Trans LatinascorePartner organization that conducted individual interviews with transgender Latinas for the Coalition's Stop the Revolving Door needs assessment, specifically centering trans women of color experiences in homelessness research.
- St. James Infirmary (Mujeres Latinas en Acción)coreConducted in-person interviews and focus groups with transgender individuals at St. James Infirmary's Mujeres Latinas en Acción group for the Stop the Revolving Door needs assessment, providing privacy for participants to share experiences on housing, substance use, and mental health.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Coalition on Homelessness competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP): WRAP is a regional homelessness and housing justice coalition co-founded by the Coalition on Homelessness alongside East Bay, LA, Portland, and Seattle groups. They share the same community-organizing, anti-criminalization model and publish parallel campaigns and policy research.
- Glide Foundation: Glide is a San Francisco–based nonprofit serving homeless and low-income populations through meals, housing, and harm reduction programs and is a direct referral partner of the Coalition. Both organizations serve overlapping homeless constituencies in SF with complementary advocacy and direct-service offerings.
- Hamilton Families: Hamilton Families runs SF's largest emergency family shelter system and supportive housing programs, operating in the same geography on family homelessness issues the Coalition organizes around. The two organizations share donor pools and co-lead housing justice campaigns including right-to-counsel.
- National Coalition for the Homeless: National Coalition for the Homeless is the U.S. national advocacy organization advancing homeless rights, civil rights, and housing justice, sharing the Coalition's rights-based, anti-criminalization framework. It is the closest peer at the national scale to the Coalition's local advocacy mission.
- Homeless Prenatal Program: Homeless Prenatal Program is a SF nonprofit serving homeless families and is a Coalition referral and research partner. Both organizations serve homeless families in San Francisco and conduct joint advocacy and bilingual research initiatives.
- Larkin Street Youth Services: Larkin Street is a SF nonprofit serving homeless youth with housing, education, and employment programs and is a Coalition research and referral partner. Both organizations address homelessness in SF with overlapping service populations and joint advocacy campaigns.
- TGI Justice Project: TGIJP is a SF-based transgender, gender-variant, and intersex justice organization that is a Coalition referral and research partner. Both organizations center lived experience, address trans homelessness in San Francisco, and conduct joint needs assessments.
- Community Housing Partnership: CHP is the supportive housing provider the Coalition created in 1991-1995 and now operates over 1,000 units of permanent supportive housing in SF. It is the operating-service arm born from the Coalition's advocacy, making it the most institutionally linked peer.
Emerging players
- St. Anthony's Foundation: St. Anthony's is a long-standing SF nonprofit serving homeless and low-income residents through meals, social services, and the Tenderloin Technology Lab. It shares the Coalition's SF homeless constituency but is primarily a direct-service rather than advocacy organization, making it a complementary peer.
Regional players
- Tipping Point Community: Tipping Point is a Bay Area anti-poverty fund that referred research participants to the Coalition and co-funded the $1.5 million private match under the Roadmap plan. They sit in overlapping SF homelessness funder and advocacy networks with shared grantees but operate as a funder rather than direct service provider.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Coalition on Homelessness social profiles
Digital presenceCoalition on Homelessness financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Coalition on Homelessness leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Coalition on Homelessness funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Coalition on Homelessness M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Coalition on Homelessness
What does Coalition on Homelessness do?
The Coalition on Homelessness organizes homeless people and front-line service providers in San Francisco to create permanent housing solutions and protect the human rights of those forced to remain on the streets. It delivers this through two weekly community workgroups (Housing Justice and Human Rights), the Street Sheet street newspaper (the oldest continuously published street newspaper in North America), a research publications program, advocacy campaigns such as RVBan2025 and Stolen Belonging, civil rights case referrals, and educational resources including a Know Your Rights pamphlet and a Homelessness Services Guide.
Is Coalition on Homelessness a public or private company?
Coalition on Homelessness is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Coalition on Homelessness founded?
Coalition on Homelessness was founded in 1987. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Coalition on Homelessness based?
Coalition on Homelessness is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Coalition on Homelessness make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales, vehicle Donations, community Thrift Donations, house Party Fundraisers and bitcoin Donations.
Who are Coalition on Homelessness's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP), Glide Foundation, Hamilton Families, National Coalition for the Homeless, Homeless Prenatal Program, Larkin Street Youth Services, TGI Justice Project and Community Housing Partnership. St. Anthony's Foundation is listed as an emerging player. Tipping Point Community is listed as a regional player.
Does Coalition on Homelessness have an API?
No public API is recorded for Coalition on Homelessness.
What industry is Coalition on Homelessness in?
Coalition on Homelessness's product category is Homeless Advocacy and Housing Justice Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAB, Housing Assistance & Homeless Services, with a secondary code of BPAIANAC, Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services. Its NAICS code is 62422 and its SIC code is 8300.