Social services[edit]

The Tenderloin has been the home of Raphael House,'

the first provider in the city of shelter for homeless
parents and children, since 1971. It is an ethnically
diverse community, consisting of families, young people
living in cheap apartments, downtown bohemian artists,
and recent immigrants from Latin America and Southeast Asia.
It is home to a large population of homeless, those living
in extreme poverty, and numerous non-profit social service
agencies, soup kitchens, religious rescue missions, homeless
shelters and Single Room Occupancy hotels.[29] Many homeless
youths in the Tenderloin district are at risk of serious
emotional and psychological problems arising from past
traumatic experiences. Lack of appropriately targeted
options available in the area has meant many youths will
have few viable paths to deal effectively with their problems.
[30]