Supervisors Call on Mayor Breed to Launch New Wellness Hub and Replacement Services Before Closure of Tenderloin Center

SAN FRANCISCO — Today, Supervisor Dean Preston introduced a Resolution urging Mayor London Breed and the Department of Public Health (DPH) to open a “wellness hub” in the Tenderloin or Civic Center area before closure of the Tenderloin Center and to ensure no gap in services for the hundreds of residents who rely on the Center every day. DPH recently released an Overdose Prevention Plan that features “wellness hubs” as a central part of the City’s response to the drug overdose crisis. Currently, approximately 400 people daily are served by the Tenderloin Center. The Mayor has announced it will close in December. Preston and health advocates have spent months asking for a commitment to a replacement site and services before the Tenderloin Center closes, but no such commitment has been made to date by the Administration.

“Time is running out,” said Preston. “The City did an important thing by opening this Center and it would be unconscionable to close it without replacement services up and running in a new nearby location. We remain eager to partner with the Mayor and DPH to support a new site to continue saving lives and build on the success of the Tenderloin Center.”

Although Mayor Breed announced the Tenderloin Center’s closure over three months ago, the Administration has not announced any plans to ensure that the 400 guests who access the Center each day do not lose their access to lifesaving services.

Preston’s Resolution calls on the Administration to publicly share plans for replacement services with the public, and to ensure that any replacements are available by the time the Tenderloin Center closes so that there is no gap in services. Alternatively, if no such replacement services are available, the Resolution calls for a delay to the closure of the Tenderloin Center until the City replaces the services.

Just a few weeks ago, the Department of Public Health joined Supervisor Preston and the Government Audit and Oversight Committee to unveil the City’s first comprehensive overdose prevention plan, complete with benchmarks and an inventory of services. The Plan prioritized opening multiple wellness hubs like the Tenderloin Center, but smaller. DPH committed to opening one by the end of the year and one or more next year, but no locations have been publicly identified. Public health experts warn that unless a new hub is opened near the Tenderloin Center, services may be disrupted.

“DPH, backed by the Mayor, put out a strong overdose plan at our request, and I look forward to collaborating with them to fully implement it as we work to prevent overdose deaths,” stated Preston, whose district now includes the Tenderloin after the recent redistricting. “We must not undo the strides we’ve made – the City cannot pull the rug from under the hundreds of people who utilize the life-saving services offered at the Tenderloin Center every day.”

Although the Tenderloin Center has been operational for less than a year, it has already served over 104,230 guests who have used one or more services offered at the location. Notably, Tenderloin Center staff have reversed at least 249 overdoses and distributed thousands of doses of Nalaxone to guests, undoubtedly saving many lives.

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