Reporter
Sylvie Sturm is a journalist with the San Francisco Public Press and contributor for "Civic," which airs on the Public Press radio station, KSFP-LP 102.5 FM. She reports on San Francisco’s overdose crisis and prevention efforts. She was a Center for Health Journalism 2023 California Health Equity Fellow.
San Francisco isn’t doing enough to meet its housing need, according to health experts.
Supervisor Matt Dorsey received backlash this month for asking the mayor to redirect the entire $18.9 million in city funding budgeted for a new drop-in addiction treatment center toward jails instead.
San Francisco grapples with rising overdose deaths despite clashes over allocating funds for harm reduction centers versus jail treatment programs.
The recent deployment of the National Guard and California Highway Patrol onto San Francisco’s streets to crack down on drugs comes amid intense public pressure to address open air drug use and sales.
Addiction experts say the recent increase in overdose deaths could be linked to the closure of the Tenderloin Linkage Center, a facility that helped drug users and people without housing access services.
As overdose fatalities accumulate, there is a crucial need for clarity around the perceived benefits and drawbacks of such facilities.
