Larkin Street Youth center receives $1 million federal investment. Larkin Street Youth Services received $1 million in federal funds to invest in much-needed infrastructure improvements at the site, the nonprofit announced Monday. The funding comes from the U.S. Senate's Congressionally Directed Spending program, which allows members of Congress each year to direct funds to projects in their districts or states for which community-based organizations have applied. The request from Larkin Street - which addresses youth homelessness in The City - was for funds to improve its main drop-in site, which includes a kitchen, a school, an art studio, therapy rooms and a health clinic. The funds will also go towards multiple off-site transitional-living houses and its shelter. As federal cuts to the social safety net are going into effect - particularly affecting Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - local organizations have been bracing for further strain on their resources. U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff - who announced the funding at Larkin Street's headquarters at 134 Golden Gate Ave. on Monday - said he and other lawmakers are hopeful that the coming midterm election might turn things around. "But until that takes place, we need to use every tool we have to try to find the resources to make sure that we're taking care of our young people," he said. "With housing prices what they are, with the job market being as difficult as it is, it really requires a partnership at the state, federal, and local level, as well as public, private, and nonprofit." The center served 2,500 young people in various capacities last year, with 700 receiving housing, according to Sherilyn Adams, the CEO of Larkin Street. The organization provides employment coaching, education resources, emergency shelter, mental-health support, harm reduction, and housing, among other things, for youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Adams said the funding will go towards making necessary improvements to the building, such as fixing any holes in the roof to prevent flooding when it rains, updating the kitchen floors, and making sure housing sites are structurally sound for clients. "Investments like this ensure that our programs are beautiful and well maintained," she said. "The housing is amazing because that's what these young people deserve." According to the latest Point-in-Time Count, performed earlier this year, there were fewer than 600 youths experiencing homelessness in San Francisco, including children and young adults up to age 24, representing a 54% drop compared with 2024. Advocates for the homeless have said that making a comparison between the 2024 and 2026 figures is difficult due to differences in methodology implemented before this year's count.

With over 400 supporters in attendance, Larkin Street Youth raised a record-breaking $1.5 million - marking the highest amount in its history - to provide transformative opportunities for youth experiencing homelessness.