City Hall Archives - Page 8 of 48 - San Francisco Public Press

Several people stand in front of an evergreen tree covered in small white lights. They are holding vertical white banners displaying lists of people's names in colorful letters. Other banners are spread on the ground in front of them. A woman with shoulder-length gray hair wearing a black coat addresses the crowd speaking into a microphone on a stand.

City Hall, Health, Homelessness, Overdose Crisis

2023 Is San Francisco’s Deadliest Year on Record for Drug Overdoses

by Sylvie Sturm December 20, 2023December 21, 2023

Last Thursday San Francisco’s chief medical examiner released the city’s updated overdose death count — 752 so far — making 2023 the worst year on record for drug-related fatalities. One-third of those people were listed as having no fixed address. Later that day, a crowd gathered at Civic Center Plaza to remember more than 420 who died in the city while experiencing homelessness this year.

Two women are speaking to each other at a protest rally on a plaza outside of San Francisco City Hall. They are Supervisor Hillery Ronen, who holds a pink sign that reads "We Love Marginalized Communities," and Vitka Eisen, CEO of HealthRight 360, who holds a sign that reads "Harm Reduction Works." They are both wearing jeans and black T-shirts. Many of the people standing around them are similarly dressed.

“Civic” Podcast, City Hall, Health, Overdose Crisis

City Officials Lack Urgency to Prevent Overdose Deaths, Say Safe Consumption Proponents

by Sylvie Sturm November 3, 2023November 4, 2023

Several weeks after a crucial legal hurdle blocking safe consumption sites in San Francisco was seemingly resolved, proponents said they were dismayed that city leaders and public health officials were still not greenlighting centers that could reduce deaths related to drug use.

Overdose deaths have reached 620 this year — on track to have the highest annual tally since counting began, with fentanyl causing the vast majority of fatalities, according to the chief medical examiner’s latest report.

A man in gray sweatpants, a long sleeved shirt and a black beanie sits on a chair with his hand on his cane. To his left, several backpacks and suitcases are scattered on the sidewalk.

City Hall, Government & Politics, Homelessness, Housing, News

Missed Connections: SF Shelter Hotline Staff Could Not Reach Most People Who Called for Help

by Madison Alvarado September 29, 2023October 2, 2023

Data from San Francisco’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing show that accessing shelter is very difficult for unhoused people in San Francisco due to a lack of available beds and other barriers.

Three colorful carnival attractions — a Ferris wheel, a wavy slide and a tea cup ride — are being set up on a street in San Francisco's Civic Center neighborhood. Several trucks are parked nearby.

City Hall, Economy & Business, Parks & Open Space

SF Uses Events, Construction Projects to Clear Streets Ahead of Pacific Rim Economic Summit, Other Gatherings

by Mel Baker August 29, 2023August 29, 2023

San Francisco is pursuing strategies to reduce visible homelessness and drug use in several locations ahead of a fall filled with high-profile events, including the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting, which will put San Francisco in a global spotlight.

Susan Lefever, wearing a black jacket and crossbody purse, stands in front of the glass windows of a storefront. There are flyers posted on the glass behind her.

“Civic” Podcast, City Hall, Health, History, Homelessness, Overdose Crisis, Social Services

San Francisco’s Fatal Overdose Crisis Was Decades in the Making

by Sylvie Sturm August 23, 2023September 18, 2023

As San Francisco continues to search for solutions, our team at “Civic” is exploring the origins of the city’s opioid overdose crisis, what has been done to help and what might be making things worse. After six months of research involving hundreds of studies, reports and archival news clippings, and three dozen interviews with people with lived experience and professional expertise in homelessness, addiction, medicine, criminal justice, housing, social work, street outreach, business, education, harm reduction, policymaking and advocacy, we’re launching the series, “San Francisco and the Overdose Crisis.”

Over six episodes, the series will explore what influenced rampant opioid addiction and its connection to homelessness, the 150-year history of policing and prosecuting drugs in San Francisco, the long battle to open a safe consumption site in the city, and grassroots efforts to stem the tide of drug-related fatalities.

Closeup photo of Supervisor Matt Dorsey smiling at the camera. The background shows city buildings and part of the Bay Bridge.

City Hall, Health, Law & Justice, News, Overdose Crisis

Supervisor Defends Dropping Support for Addiction-Treatment Centers

by Sylvie Sturm August 22, 2023August 22, 2023

Supervisor Matt Dorsey received backlash this month for asking the mayor to redirect the entire $18.9 million in city funding budgeted for a new drop-in addiction treatment center toward jails instead.

Dorsey told the San Francisco Public Press that he reversed his previous support for the centers — called wellness hubs — once the city’s plans narrowed to one site from six, and removed safe consumption sites, which would have allowed people to consume drugs under supervision so they could receive immediate help in case of overdose.

Dorsey said he now wants the funds to go toward jail health services, including forcing treatment for people in jail who are struggling with substance abuse disorder.

In this split image, on the left is a black and white photo of a row of urban, Victorian Era homes with adjoining walls, and on the right it a color photo depicting two-story contemporary town homes with yellow and gray stucco walls, white trim and wooden doors.

City Hall, Housing, Land use, Public Housing in Private Hands

Emergency Repairs in Public Housing Complex Are Behind Schedule as Owner Advances Redevelopment Plans

by Madison Alvarado June 8, 2023June 9, 2023

One year after emergency repairs were supposed to be completed at Plaza East, 39 units are still waiting on fixes. Meanwhile, in late May, the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development gave the complex a failing score of 40 out of 100 following physical inspection.

Category: City Hall