SF Nuns Who Feed the Homeless Face Eviction Because of a Ridiculous Rent Hike

February 9, 2016

If skyrocketing rent prices in San Francisco aren’t enough to make you furious then this story will.

For eight years, two nuns have been serving meals to the homeless from their humble Turk Street kitchen in San Francisco. However, the good samaritans are now facing eviction from their modest residence after their landlord hiked the rent prices by over 50%.

The two French-speaking nuns who run the Fraternite Notre Dame Mary of Nazareth Soup Kitchen sleep in the tiny room behind their soup kitchen located on 54 Turk Street. Their only income is generated from selling handmade pastries at farmers’ markets. It’s enough to get by, but not enough to pay the new asking price demanded by their landlord.

According to the Chronicle, the tenants were notified on Jan. 15 that their rent was being raised from $3,465 to $5,500 a month. On Jan. 29, the nuns were ordered to either pay or pack their things and leave. The women are now putting their faith in pro bono attorney, Daniel Fitzpatrick, to protect them from eviction.

The nuns who began feeding the hungry and helping the needy since their soup kitchen opened in 2008, are now in danger of being forced onto the streets themselves. Douglas Fennell, 60, is among the homeless people who the nuns serve. He told the Chronicle:

“This is just crazy — I can’t believe it. Maybe someone is just trying to drive us homeless people away. I don’t understand.

“They’re so very sweet. These nuns give us love, they pray for us, they are friendly. They don’t look down on us.”

Their soup kitchen had reportedly gained quite a reputation for having some of the best charity food in San Francisco.

Share this Article