San Francisco is widely considered to be a national leader in researching and responding to the dual economic and public health crisis of homelessness. Despite significant public investment and progress with specific populations, though, homelessness continues to be a significant problem. Nationally, the United States has record numbers of individual homeless with significant increases from just last year, and SF remains in the top ten major US cities with large homeless populations as well as the California city with the most punitive and anti-homeless laws on the books in the state. 

Meanwhile, while the national trend of drug overdose deaths has trended downwards, San Francisco’s number overdose deaths have consistently risen. Access to long-term and in-patient treatment is frustratingly difficult, and “treatment on demand” varies wildy depending on the exact type of treatment. Most treatment access points are through the criminal justice system, which has been proven over and over to be bad policy. 

Mental health treatment also remains notoriously difficult to access, especially for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, homeless and even public school students. San Francisco can and should be a health leader in all areas of of prevention and treatment. There are policies rooted in science, medicine and research that have proven to be successful if invested in and implemented correctly.