As SF attempts to change a long-brewing crisis at the intersection of homelessness and health, long wait times compound crises. For Ron Ortega, it involved a worsening liver condition, a chronic lung disease and years of mental health struggles.
Ron Ortega, who has struggled with homelessness for years, stands with his dog, Banana. Ortega, who is 60, takes the recent news about his health in stride. That’s because he recently was given a reason for hope: After four years of waiting, he finally got a possible housing offer at an all-affordable building for seniors in The City.
As San Francisco attempts to change a long-brewing crisis at the intersection of homelessness and health, long wait times compound crises. For Ortega, it involved a worsening liver condition, a chronic inflammatory lung disease and years of mental health struggles. “It was cheaper than other drugs and gave you a longer high,” he said. “It really made you forget about having to deal with anything.”
As his housing situation spiraled, so did other problems. Ortega’s relationships with relatives had strained further, fueling his depression and anxiety as well as a substance dependency. He secured housing in low-income buildings such as the Seneca Hotel near Civic Center, but that opportunity didn’t last long.
“My health was deteriorating with ascites and I was angry with everyone, so they decided I had to leave,” he said. Days, weeks, and months went by and Ortega still couldn’t get any update on the status of his application. In the meantime, 11 units sit empty at 1880 Pine St., according to Samantha Hogg, director of Senior Housing Services at Mercy Housing, a nonprofit that runs low-income and supportive housing sites across San Francisco, including the building at 1880 Pine St.
San Francisco introduced the coordinated entry system as an alternative to the waitlist process. That model aims to assess, prioritize and match people experiencing homelessness to housing opportunities more quickly. But that system also has pitfalls. On Friday, after The Examiner inquired about his application, Ortega said the agency called him to follow up on his application and proceed with the next steps. But again, he was referred to a later phone appointment. As of Friday at noon, he was still waiting to hear back.
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