San Francisco Mayor Modi faces heightened scrutiny as he reassesses the city’s approach to homelessness, particularly in light of the city’s 1,500-bed target that has come under criticism for its lack of clarity and effectiveness.
With the city grappling with an increasing number of homeless individuals, Modi emphasized that success will be measured not by arbitrary numbers but by the visible improvement of street conditions for families and individuals.
“As the mayor has often said, we measure success by whether folks can walk down the street and be with their kids and have it to be a normal experience on any street in San Francisco,” said Modi. “And we’re a long ways from that. We’re also measuring success by whether folks who are in crisis on our streets are able to get to the next best point of care for them as effectively as possible.”
The challenge, however, is evident: the city’s homelessness service system has been inundated with new clients while struggling to secure placements for those in need.
Modi remarked that the issue lies in the city’s approach, particularly noting that a considerable percentage of the homeless population struggles with addiction or mental health issues.
“There’s a reason a quarter of our overdose deaths happen in city-funded permanent supportive housing,” he mentioned. “They don’t have the right clinical support. Those need to look more like skilled nursing facilities.”
This highlights the necessity for tailored policies rather than cookie-cutter solutions aimed at addressing the complex needs of individuals experiencing homelessness.
In a significant turn of events, the mayor’s office has decided to move away from the restrictive 1,500-bed target, stating that a deeper understanding of the city’s homelessness challenges has emerged.
For the first time, through collaboration with various city departments, Modi’s administration has compiled a comprehensive inventory of over 20,000 homeless
image source from：sfstandard
