Board of Supervisors Passes Resolution Urging Administration to Replace Services Before Closure of Tenderloin Center

SAN FRANCISCO — On Tuesday, November 8, the Board of Supervisors passed Supervisor Dean Preston’s resolution calling on the administration to open a replacement site – in the form of a Tenderloin or Civic Center Wellness Hub – before the Tenderloin Center’s closure date. The resolution was supported by over 50 organizations, including many located in or otherwise serving the Tenderloin.

“Politics shouldn’t get in the way of saving lives,” stated Preston. “I hope we can all work together to make sure people who need overdose prevention services can receive them without interruption.”

In June, the Mayor unilaterally decided that the City would shutter the Tenderloin Center in December. Since then, the Mayor and Department of Public Health released an Overdose Prevention Plan, a cornerstone of which is opening new Wellness Hubs, including one in the Tenderloin, but they have yet to announce a date, location, or meaningful plan to transi tion people currently relying on the Tenderloin Center.

With less than one month until the Center’s planned closure and no replacement in sight, advocates and community members worry about the potential for harm to the community and neighborhood. Before the resolution was heard in Committee, dozens of advocates expressed their fears and frustrations surrounding the closure at a rally on the steps of City Hall.

“There are lives at stake,” said Vitka Eisen, CEO, of HealthRIGHT 360 at the rally.

Since opening less than a year ago, the Tenderloin Center has served over 112,987 guests. Notably, the Center reversed 285 overdoses and distributed nearly 14,000 doses of Naloxone to guests, undoubtedly saving many lives.

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