Race Day Live , (California, January 2025) – San Francisco implements ban on cash welfare for drug users who decline treatment
San Francisco has implemented a ban on county-funded cash assistance for individuals with substance abuse disorders who decline to participate in treatment. Measure F, which received voter approval in March 2024, pertains to the monthly payments of $714 for low-income adults in housing and $109 for homeless individuals who have resided in San Francisco for over 30 days.
San Francisco has taken strong action against homelessness under Mayor London Breed, leveraging a recent Supreme Court ruling to enforce anti-camping laws. The count of homeless tents has dropped by 60% since reaching its highest point in 2023.
Critics noted that although the homeless are vacating their tents, they continue to remain in the city.
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In a recent analysis by the California Policy Lab, it was found that 75% of unsheltered homeless individuals reported struggles with drug or alcohol addiction, while 78% indicated they suffer from severe mental illness. San Francisco’s initiative mandating treatment for those with substance abuse orders may represent a significant advancement in efforts to assist individuals in leaving the streets.
“San Francisco is a city of compassion, but also a city that demands accountability,” Breed said in a statement. “We fund a wide range of treatment and recovery services that are helping people every day, but it can be difficult to get everyone to accept the help they so badly need.”
The office of Breed highlighted that homeless individuals receiving the reduced payment of $109 per month also benefit from assured shelter and meals.
The new program will mandate that individuals suspected of having a substance abuse disorder continue to receive cash payments.
San Francisco is collaborating with Westside Community Services to launch a new, comprehensive program that will feature a substance abuse treatment assessment and continuous support for clients, including transportation help, warm referrals, and addressing obstacles to treatment.
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“The new Treatment Pathway Initiative supports people with substance use disorder in crisis by meeting them where they are in their recovery journey and providing tangible support and essential resources to improve their lives,” said Westside Community Services Forensic Director Cedric Akbar in a statement.
San Francisco City Controller Ben Rosenfeld stated that the program might lead to annual savings of up to $2 million by cutting benefits for individuals with substance abuse disorders. However, he cautioned that treatment costs could surpass these savings if the current treatment capacity cannot accommodate the heightened demand created by this ordinance.
San Francisco has entered into a two-year agreement worth $1.6 million with Westside Community Services. The contract outlines the completion of at least 320 substance abuse treatment assessments, 285 individualized treatment plans, and care coordination and reporting for 390 clients in the first year, with plans to double each category in the second year.
In San Francisco, approximately 20%, which equates to 1,100 out of 5,500 individuals receiving county-funded cash assistance, are experiencing homelessness. If 75% of those individuals have a substance abuse disorder, care coordinated by Westside Community Services could potentially offer treatment to 96% of homeless individuals with such disorders who are part of the cash welfare program.
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