SF Leaders Approve Privately Funded Overdose Prevention Sites

Nonprofits wishing to operate the city’s drug overdose prevention sites with private funds can do so, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday.

Introduced by London Mayor Breed and Supervisor Hillary Ronen, legislation allows non-city overdose prevention centers, also called wellness centers, to operate while San Francisco waits for the federal government to decide whether it can support programs with public funds.

Despite federal and state policies banning overdose prevention sites, the city is still in talks with organizations that have expressed interest in opening drug-controlled drug zones that could connect residents to healthcare and treatment resources.

Specifically, Tuesday’s vote removes the 2020 permit structure that prevented any overdose prevention program from opening until California allowed San Francisco to do so.

“Repeal of this ordinance will eliminate the burdensome permitting structure for opening overdose prevention centers,” Ronen said. “We need solutions to the problem of outdoor drug use and street disorder. Overdose prevention websites are a proven solution to these problems and have saved countless lives.”

Breed said there was a need to speed up the reopening of places of consumption amid a crisis of overdose fatalities. She said the move is in line with the city’s overdose prevention plan, which promises to expand drug treatment services and makes health centers an important resource for overdose prevention.

“We will continue to work with our non-profit partners who are trying to open overdose prevention sites, fully implement our health strategies to help those struggling with addiction on our streets, and work with law enforcement to shut down open-air drug markets. . Breed said.