The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) is hosting a public Town Hall to solicit feedback from the public. This is an important opportunity for members of the community to provide feedback to HSH on improving their approach to the homelessness crisis.

RescueSF thanks everyone who emailed the Board of Supervisors' Public Safety & Neighoborhood Services Committee members to support an increase of on-demand treatment beds.  At the conclusion of the hearing, Chair Mar thanked RescueSF and its supporters for speaking up on the need for more treatment.

Treatment on Demand Hearing

Treatment on Demand requires San Francisco to provide enough substance use treatment to serve those who are ready for recovery.

Over half of those unhoused suffer from substance use disorder (SUD.) Their path out of homelessness involves treatment.  An obstacle to recovery is the shortage of treatment beds.  In 1997 voters approved Proposition T (Treatment on Demand) which requires the City to meet the demand for substance use treatment.  Over 20 years later, our City has not yet met that mandate.

On October 27, 2022, the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee held a hearing on the current state of “Treatment on Demand.”  In the Department of Public Health (DPH) presentation, Dr. Kunins cited lower average wait times, including placing 251 hospital patients into residential treatment within 24 hours of referral during the past 18 months. 

Adult Probation Department presentation lauded the collaboration with DPH that enabled them to place offenders into treatment programs with good track records.  Other speakers from departments serving those justice involved with SUD described disconnects in getting them placed.  All the presenters cited the need for more step-down facilities for those exiting residential treatment.
 

RescueSF is a citywide coalition of residents advocating for compassionate and effective solutions to homelessness in San Francisco.  Please consider a donation to help support RescueSF's efforts to bring clean and safe streets to all San Franciscans.