It seems that Supervisor Matt Dorsey can finally breathe a sigh of relief. His legislation to create drug-free permanent supportive housing (PSH) passed the full Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
The District 6 supervisor, who has struggled with addiction and is in recovery, has worked for years on the measure that would give San Francisco’s homeless population an alternative to city funded housing that turns a blind eye to illegal drug activity.
The legislation requires all new city-funded permanent supportive housing facilities to prohibit on-site illicit drug use and allows them to evict tenants for illegal substance use. Under the rules, residents are protected from automatic eviction for a single, nondisruptive relapse. The measure also directs the city to survey current supportive housing residents to gauge demand for sober environments and tasks homelessness officials with finding alternative shelter for any evicted tenants.
The proposal has been hotly contested by such groups as the San Francisco Marin Medical Society and the San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness. These critics have argued that providing the option for drug-free PSH would undermine the city’s Housing First policy, which does not allow eviction for illegal drug use, and that barring drug use in subsidized units could increase street homelessness.
Last week, Dorsey presented his fourth revision to the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee. It passed 3–0 with the support of Supervisors Danny Sauter (District 3) and Alan Wong (District 4).
On Tuesday, the board approved the legislation on a 7–4 vote. The “no” votes came from Supervisors Shamann Walton (District 10), Connie Chan (District 1), Jackie Fielder (District 9), and Chyanne Chen (District 11).
During the meeting, Dorsey said the provision mirrors standard California leases for people who do not live in permanent supportive housing. The option is aimed at PSH residents, whether or not in recovery, who want to live in a drug-free environment. Currently, he said, there is essentially only one such option in his district.
“It’s about respecting the choice of PSH residents,” Dorsey said. He added that no resident would ever be evicted for a single relapse and would be offered replacement housing if they have more than one.
“I’m grateful that it won majority support, and appreciative for a respectful process that included a lot of input from colleagues, experts, and academics, and various communities,” Dorsey said after the meeting. “I’m especially grateful to the recovery community. It has been so inspiring to me to watch people in recovery find their voice in activism. They’re tackling big issues and making a real difference in how we’re responding to the drug challenges we face — not just at the local level, but at the state level as well.”
Tuesday was Fielder’s first full board meeting back after a three-month leave of absence for mental health reasons. She expressed the strongest objections, saying she supports sober housing as an option for people in recovery but has issues with Dorsey’s plan.
“I think the terminology in this legislation is problematic,” Fielder said. “The term ‘drug tolerant’ suggests that the city allows people to use drugs in city-funded permanent supportive housing, which is just not the case.”
Dorsey pushed back on the language concerns, saying people in the recovery community understand what “drug tolerance” means.
“Euphemisms and slogans hold no intrinsic meaning for those they are designed to serve,” he said. He cited California Code Section 8255, which governs state-funded PSH and states that use of alcohol or drugs is not grounds for eviction. Services follow a harm reduction philosophy, offering education on “safer” practices for those who use illicit drugs.
Fielder requested amendments to strike the shelter option and require comparable housing be offered. Supervisor Melgar seconded the motion.
Dorsey said he would not support an amendment to disallow shelters as a relocation option.
Chen said she worried the plan could harm people who struggle in a drug-free environment and run counter to the city’s long-term goals. Chan asked that the word “eviction” be replaced with “relocation.”
Despite the objections and requests for more amendments, the measure to expand drug-free supportive housing cleared its final major hurdle. A second reading is scheduled for next week, after which it heads to Mayor Daniel Lurie’s desk.
