Three new facilities that together add nearly 200 beds to San Francisco’s shelter capacity are beginning to start operation
Three new homeless shelter facilities that together add nearly 200 beds to San Francisco’s shelter capacity are set to open their doors in the coming weeks or have already done so, according to a recent update from the office of San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie.
The shelters — two of which are located in the SoMa neighborhood while the other is in the Marina — offer sober housing for recently homeless people along with treatment options and support services, the Wednesday announcement said. The new facilities align well with Lurie’s stated policy goal of creating a shelter system that is better suited to the needs of people living on city streets with severe drug addiction or mental health challenges. “Our mission is to make recovery attainable and accessible for every San Franciscan, the moment they are ready,” said Director of Public Health Daniel Tsai in a written statement accompanying the announcement. The three facilities — known as Eleanora Fagan Center, Hope House and Wells Place — had previously been announced in the spring. However, the earlier release did not include specific opening dates. Lurie came into office at the start of the year promising to reduce street homelessness by dramatically expanding San Francisco’s shelter capacity. However, since then, he has backed off his initial pledge to open up 1,500 new shelter beds within six months. Now, rather than trying to reach a specific number of new beds, administration officials have said they are focusing instead on adding the “the right beds” to alleviate bottlenecks in The City’s shelter system. As things stand, with many shelters lacking sufficient treatment resources, people in the throes of mental crisis or drug addiction are often left without any suitable placement option, officials have said. Together, the three facilities announced this week are intended to help more people advance through San Francisco’s shelter system and into permanent housing. To that end, Hope House and the Eleanora Fagan Center will provide medium-term housing stays — of roughly 90 days — for those who have recently departed the street and are trying to transition into treatment and recovery, according to the release. Meanwhile, Wells Place is intended to operate as a longer-term, sober living facility serving those who have already undergone treatment. Described as a “health respite program,” the 70-bed Eleanora Fagan Center — located at 1018 Mission St. — has already opened its doors, though its services are still ramping up, officials said. Ex // Top Stories Tiled Steps’ anniversary a reminder of how ‘community came together’ The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps opened 20 years ago Aug. 27 following two years of community organizers How to spend the end of August in The City Learn how to play mah-jongg at the Ferry Building or take a guided stroll down Valencia Street to ease into Labor Day Affordable-housing residents bend mayor’s ear over living conditions A monthslong pressure campaign directed at the mayor’s office seems to have his attention. But it remains unclear how much The City can do for tenants Operated by Westside Community Services within a former hotel, the facility will provide various forms of support, including urgent health care, counseling services as well as treatment for mental health and substance use problems, the mayor’s release said. Meanwhile, the two other facilities, which the Salvation Army will operate, are slated to open in early September. Hope House, on 226 Sixth St., is a roughly 60-bed “recovery-focused shelter” that will also operate within a former SoMa neighborhood hotel. Finally, Wells Place will operate as a 65-bed sober housing facility — offering stays of up to 24 months — inside the former Marina Inn located at 3110 Octavia St. Since Lurie took office, San Francisco has expanded its shelter capacity by bringing online roughly 400 beds that are either completely new or have been upgraded with added treatment or support services, according to a spokesperson. That figure includes the beds at Eleanora Fagan that have already begun to operate. The focus on sober living facilities marks something of a departure from San Francisco’s longstanding embrace of “housing first” policies, which generally have meant that city-backed shelter programs have not made sobriety a requirement for enrollment. This approach has faced a growing number of critics, including a number of The City’s elected leaders. They have said that without sobriety requirements, many San Francisco shelters have become chaotic places, where drug dealing and usage is rampant. While a large body of research has found that the housing first approach does a better job of keeping people stably housed, the critics maintain that many people recovering from drug addiction perform better in sober environments. “We applaud the city’s commitment to expanding abstinence-based models, where people can receive the support they need to achieve their recovery goals and rebuild their lives,” said Steve Adami of the Salvation Army in the news release. His group has also been contracted to provide services for Baldwin Place, another recently opened sober living shelter facility in SoMa. When Baldwin Place opened in May, it became the first sober facility ever to be operated by San Francisco’s Department of Housing and Human Services.
Treatment Drug Addiction Homelessness Sober Living Eleanora Fagan Center Hope House Wells Place
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