San Francisco Public Safety Committee Hearing on Recovery Summit and Housing Conservatorship - February 11, 2021
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San Francisco Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee Hearing on Recovery Summit Working Group and Housing Conservatorship - February 11, 2021
On February 11, 2021, the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee, chaired by Supervisor Gordon Maher and joined by Vice Chair Catherine Stefani and Members Matt Haney and Rafael Mandelman, held a hearing to discuss the findings of the San Francisco Recovery Summit Working Group and a preliminary evaluation of the city's housing conservatorship program. The meeting highlighted the devastating overdose crisis—699 deaths in 2020—and the need to expand treatment options, including abstinence-based and peer-led programs, alongside harm reduction. A second hearing on the housing conservatorship was continued to March 11, 2021.
Consent Calendar
- No consent calendar items were considered.
Public Comments & Testimony
- James Daggs (Bayview community member) supported community-centric, black-led programs and criticized the Department of Public Health's (DPH) approach as not working in practice.
- Rebecca Jackson (Cameo House) advocated for long-term, abstinence-based programs for homeless women of color, emphasizing the need for culturally specific services.
- Malik Washington (Editor, San Francisco Bayview National Black Newspaper) called attention to Cameo House and the importance of black-led recovery programs.
- Wesley Saver (Glide) defended harm reduction, stating it is evidence-based and saves lives, and urged against pitting harm reduction against abstinence.
- Laura Thomas (San Francisco AIDS Foundation) noted that the 2009 budget cuts eliminated many services, not harm reduction, and called for rebuilding black-led programs.
- Taylor Rose Picard (San Francisco AIDS Foundation) stressed that harm reduction builds trust and can lead to treatment, and that people need choices.
- Paul Aguilar (fourth-generation San Franciscan) shared his successful recovery through residential treatment after harm reduction, supporting multiple treatment pathways.
- JCD (Positive Direction, Bayview) praised peer-led support groups for helping him address underlying issues.
Discussion Items
- Recovery Summit Working Group Presentation: Steve Adami, Adrian Maldonado, Craig Johnson, Cedric Akbar, and others presented survey data from 422 respondents (current/former drug users). Key findings: 81% began struggling with addiction before age 24; 69% struggled for 10+ years; 74% agreed there is a need for more treatment options, including abstinence-based, faith-based, and social model programs. Recommendations included: expand treatment options (residential, abstinence-based, faith-based, harm reduction, safe consumption sites); extend stays beyond 90 days; fund black-led abstinence-based programs in Bayview; include recovery voices in policy; develop specialized youth programs (ages 16–25); expand paid peer specialists; and increase awareness of available services. The working group emphasized they are not asking to stop harm reduction but to enlarge the solution space.
- Dr. Judith Martin (DPH) responded, presenting the DPH's harm reduction framework, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and efforts to expand access. She noted that 95% of people with substance use disorder do not perceive the need for treatment, and that the city must meet people where they are. She highlighted the importance of buprenorphine (95% protective against fentanyl overdose) and the goal of 90% of people with opioid use disorder on MAT. She acknowledged gaps in residential step-down housing (needs 200–300 more beds) and the need for culturally specific programs.
- Committee Questions: Supervisors Stefani, Haney, Mandelman, and Maher questioned DPH's approach. Supervisor Stefani pushed for the inclusion of abstinence-based recovery and criticized the disconnect between DPH's presentation and the lived experience of the working group. Supervisor Haney noted that only two people from shelter-in-place hotels had accessed residential treatment and called for more streamlined entry points. Supervisor Mandelman questioned whether DPH's measure of success (e.g., deaths averted) was adequate given the scale of the crisis, and asked why DPH does not contract with abstinence-only providers. Supervisor Maher inquired about youth-specific programs; DPH described wraparound services and prevention programs.
Key Outcomes
- Vote on Item 2 (Housing Conservatorship): The committee unanimously voted to continue this hearing to March 11, 2021, to allow the DPH director to attend.
- Vote on Item 1 (Recovery Summit Hearing): The committee unanimously voted to continue this hearing to the call of the chair, signaling ongoing discussion.
- Next Steps: Supervisor Mandelman and Vice Chair Stefani committed to future hearings on treatment on demand and further collaboration with the Recovery Summit Working Group. Dr. Martin agreed to facilitate a follow-up meeting between DPH and the working group.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. The meeting will come to order. Welcome for the Thursday, February 11th meeting of the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee. I'm Supervisor Gordon Maher, the chair of this committee, and I'm joined by Vice Chair Catherine Stephanie and Committee Member Matt Haney. We're also joined by Supervisor Mandel. Okay. Thanks, Mr. Clerk. Supervisor Haney will be joining us shortly. And we're also joined by Supervisor Mandelman. Thank you to this committee's clerk John Carroll. And I'd also like to thank SFGov TV for staffing this meeting. Mr. Clerk, do you have any announcements? Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. In order to protect the public, board members and city employees during the COVID-19 health emergency, the Board of Supervisors Legislative Chamber and Committee Room are closed. This precaution is taken pursuant to all various local, state, and federal orders, declarations, and directives. Committee members will attend this meeting through video conference and participate in the meeting to the same extent as if they were physically present in their committee room. Public comment will be available for each item on this agenda. Both Cable Channel 26 and sfgovtv.org are streaming the public comment callant number across the screen. Your opportunity to speak and provide comments during the public comment periods are available to you by phone by calling 415 65501. Once connected and prompted, enter the meeting ID for today's meeting. Today's meeting ID is 1878193. Press pound twice to be connected to the meeting. Once you're connected, you will hear the meeting discussions, but your line will be muted and in listening mode only. When your item of interest comes up, dial star, followed by three to be added to the speaker line to speak for that item. Assistant prompt will indicate that you have raised your hand. Please wait until the system indicates that you've been unmuted and you may then begin your comments. Best practices are to call from a quiet location to speak clearly and slowly and to turn down your television, your radio, or your streaming device that you may be using to watch the proceedings. Everyone must account for potential time delays and speaking discrepancies we may encounter between live coverage and streaming. Alternatively, you may submit your written public comment to me in either of the following ways. You can email me. My email address is J-O-H-N period C A R R O L at SFGOV.org. If you submit your public comment via email, it will be included in the legislative file as part of the matter, and I'll distribute it to the members of the committee. Your written comments may also be sent to our office in City Hall. Our office is uh room 244. It's excuse me. The address for City Hall is one Dr. Carlton B. Goulett Place in our office within City Hall is room 244. That's in San Francisco, California, 94102. All of this contact information also appears uh in numerous places on the agenda for today's meeting if you need to refer to it again in the future. That concludes my announcements. I note that Mr. Supervisor Haney is now here as well. Thank you so much, Mr. Clerk. Um, colleagues, I'd like to call item number two out of order. Um well, we have Supervisor Mandelman here, the sponsor, and I believe we can take action on this item fairly quickly.
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