Mayor Lurie urges swift action on fentanyl emergency and promises city support as St. Anne's nursing home prepares to close

Mayor Daniel Lurie appeared at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors' January 28 meeting and outlined his administration's immediate priorities on overdose and behavioral health while answering a Board question about the impending closure of Saint Anne's Home in the Richmond District. The mayor said he introduced a "fentanyl state of emergency" order and asked the city and supervisors to move with urgency to expand treatment, shelter capacity and hire public-safety and behavioral-health staff.

"People in our city need our help right now and what we have been doing is not working," Mayor Daniel Lurie told the board. He said his office is seeking to expand treatment and shelter capacity, implement behavioral and mental-health initiatives, and accelerate hiring of key staff. He thanked supervisors Dorsey and Sheryl (co-sponsors named during remarks) and President Mandelmann for granting a 30-day waiver to move the legislation faster through the legislative process.

Supervisor Connie Chan raised the closing of Saint Anne's Home, a long-standing skilled nursing facility in District 1 that is expected to close by April 2025. Supervisor Chan said many District 1 residents had asked her office about the site's future and whether the city could keep the facility as a resource for seniors.

Mayor Lurie said he shared his "sympathy with the residents and families affected by the closure" and pledged city support during the transition. He said Laguna Honda Hospital has space for residents who meet admissions criteria and that the city will engage with the Little Sisters of the Poor, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Disability and Aging Services, the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development and OEWD to consider options for the site.

Lurie also emphasized the scope of existing elder services: the Department of Disability and Aging Services provides resources to more than 70,000 older and disabled adults annually and more than 1,500 seniors in District 1 receive in-home support services, he said.

The Board filed the mayoral appearance after the discussion. No formal vote on an ordinance or resolution related to the mayor's presentation was taken at the meeting. Supervisors and the mayor pledged to continue engagement among the mayor's office, relevant city departments and the District 1 office regarding St. Anne's residents and site options.