SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – Two buildings, located on Florida Street in the Mission and Dore Street in the South of Market neighborhood, have been acquired to house people with mental health and substance use disorders, the San Francisco Department of Public Health announced Friday.
The buildings will be transformed into cooperative housing for 26 adults under the city’s Cooperative Living for Mental Health (CLMH) Program.
The Mission building, located at 1140-1142 Florida Street, will house 8 adults in separate bedrooms, with access to shared kitchens, bathrooms, and a large backyard.
The SOMA facility, located at 139-145 Dore Street, will consist of six 3-bedroom apartments that will accommodate 18 adults, with common areas shared.
Conard House, a nonprofit supportive housing and behavioral health care provider, will own and operate the two properties in partnership with the the Department of Public Health.
The city says cooperative living allows people with mental health and substance use disorders to live in community with access to care, services, and treatment in spaces operated by local behavioral health service providers. The model can also assist in progress to independent living.
“These buildings are part of our long-term strategy to transform how we deliver support for those living with mental health and substance use challenges,” said Mayor London Breed. “We are focusing on a whole range of solutions that cover everything from improving street outreach to providing safe, supportive housing for our most vulnerable residents. This is all part of our commitment to create a safer, healthier San Francisco for all.”
The new buildings represent a 20% increase in the city’s residential treatment capacity. San Francisco will see 140 new beds opened in 2021, including the following:
- The 20-bed SOMA RISE Center, which will open this winter as part of the City’s response to the drug overdose crisis. It will offer a safe indoor space for people who have used methamphetamine or other substances, monitor their health while intoxicated, and connecting them with other health and social services.
- A 10-bed residential treatment facility specifically designed to treat young adults with serious mental health and/or substance use disorders is under design.
- Neighborhood-based psychiatric respite facilities for people experiencing homelessness to shelter in a safe, supportive environment where they can also access ongoing care.