San Francisco Mayor London Breed speaks during a briefing outside City Hall in San Francisco on Dec. 1, 2021. Breed said Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, that the city is cracking down on public drug use and rampant drug sales now that police have the support of a new district attorney and a supervisor, both of whom were appointed by Breed, and who face election in November. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
San Francisco Mayor London Breed is pushing for a policy change that would mandate low-income residents to undergo substance abuse screening and treatment to qualify for welfare benefits. Breed announced the policy Sept. 26 at a news conference at City Hall.
Breed emphasized the need for accountability in addressing the city’s pressing challenges tied to drug abuse and homelessness. Breed said the move was an effort to bring accountability to the city’s drug and homelessness crisis.
“We need to make a significant change,” stated Breed. “No more allowing ‘anything goes’ without accountability, and no more providing assistance without accountability.”
In San Francisco, approximately 5,200 city residents receive grants through the County Adult Assistance Program. Housed residents can receive up to $697 monthly, while homeless residents are guaranteed $105 per month and a shelter bed under the Care not Cash proposition.
For Breed’s proposal to become law, it requires approval from the Board of Supervisors. Reactions from supervisors varied, with some calling the move political. Breed is running for re-election in November 2024, The New York Post reported.
Forcing welfare recipients to undergo drug testing is a controversial topic in the U.S., but a handful of states have begun to introduce some form of screening and testing to assistance programs.
According to a study from 2019, at least 13 states began requiring those applying for federal welfare benefits to undergo drug screening and, in some cases, drug testing, The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Supervisor Connie Chan criticized Breed’s plan.
“These policies that were put forward seem contradictory and doesn’t make any sense,” Chan said on Sept. 27. “At times I get confused, do I live in Texas or in San Francisco? There’s no reason why we have to be means-testing people to get the help that they need.”
San Francisco’s County Adult Assistance Program administered $30.3 million in fiscal year 2022. The city’s homeless population is estimated to be around 8,000, with half refusing to accept services and shelter when it is offered to them, according to TV station Kron4.
A city survey found that 52 percent of the city’s homeless population said that their substance abuse was a disabling condition, The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Under Breed’s plan, treatments would include a range of interventions, including residential treatment, medically assisted treatment, outpatient options, and abstinence-based treatments to be decided based on the needs of the individual.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed speaks during a briefing outside City Hall in San Francisco on Dec. 1, 2021. Breed said Oct. 5, 2022, that the city is cracking down on public drug use and rampant drug sales now that police have the support of a new district attorney and a supervisor, both of whom were appointed by Breed, and who face election in November. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
