Rising Up

Five Keys also provides housing navigation services for Rising Up, an initiative led by the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, aimed at reducing homelessness for youth ages 18-25 by 50 percent by 2023. For Rising Up, our case managers work with young people who have a shorter history of homelessness. Care managers have many partners, including Brilliant Corners, which assist in negotiating with landlords to obtain rental units that are available to youth receiving rent subsidies. Most youths are housed in six to eight weeks of working with our case manager.

Days Inn Project Homekey

In Alameda County, Five Keys operates the Days Inn Project Homekey program in Oakland, on behalf of the County Health Care Services Agency’s Office of Homeless Care and Coordination (OHCC). This shelter launched in July 2020 to serve seniors over age 65 who are being relocated from existing shelters and/or people living on the streets during the pandemic. This site is anticipated to convert to a permanent housing navigation center in the coming months.

Five Keys Pit Stops

Currently, Five Keys hires and trains formerly incarcerated and currently or formerly homeless people as ambassadors to monitor public bathroom stations in neighborhoods identified as having public health risks associated with the lack of accessible restrooms for homeless populations. Each Pit Stop has cleaning supplies, and shelter for hot or rainy days.

The Pit Stop program has served about 20,000 monthly visits at 11 stations in downtown LA in areas of greatest need. Attendants ensure sanitary conditions, clean curbs and sidewalks, properly dispose of hazardous used needles, distribute dog waste bags and provide individual hygiene kits which contain a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant wipes, a bar of soap, washcloth, nail file, and comb; female kits also contain feminine hygiene products.

Pit Stop Ambassadors build bridges of trust in the community and provide referrals to services and resources. Crew members are trained in de-escalation strategies and serve as trust-building ambassadors, reaching out to local businesses and homeless populations. Ambassadors are paid $16/hour plus comprehensive employee benefits. Concurrent with transitional employment opportunities, ambassadors receive workforce training, and job placement support, and have access to optional subsidized transitional housing. Workforce training and case management support, including job preparation workshops across five weeks, assist ambassadors to transition into permanent employment.

Five Keys Shower Stops

In 2019, Five Keys began Mobile Shower Trailers, serving homeless populations in Los Angeles communities. Five Keys provides toiletries, and other necessities for the appropriate use of the shower trailer, and will clean the shower after each use. In addition, the ambassadors will ensure safe usage of the shower trailer by members of the public, enforcing courtesy rules, reporting damage or misuse of the shower trailer, closing the shower trailer if it becomes unusable, and collecting and properly disposing of waste.