Supervisors move to preserve long'term beds at city adult residential facility after staff and resident outcry

San Francisco ' The Board of Supervisors' Government Audit and Oversight Committee on Oct. 17 heard hours of testimony from workers, residents and advocates and moved to preserve critical long'term care capacity at the city'operated Adult Residential Facility (ARF).

Chair Supervisor Gordon Marr and members accepted negotiated amendments to an ordinance that, as amended, require the Department of Public Health (DPH) to maintain and operate the ARF at no fewer than 41 beds, provide clinically appropriate alternative placements for five residents, establish a regular working group for staff, residents and management, and deliver an objective analysis and report to the Board by March 31. The committee filed the hearing on the DPH bed reductions and, without objection, tabled two related agenda items and recommended the amended ordinance to the full board for consideration on Oct. 29.

Why it matters: ARF beds provide long'term residence, trained staff, meals and medical supports for people with severe, persistent mental illness who, officials and advocates said, are not well'served by private or nonprofit operators. Witnesses and staff told supervisors that sudden reductions or empty beds leave residents at inappropriate levels of care and can push people back onto the street.

Who testified: Frontline staff, union representatives and ARF residents described the months of organizing that followed a DPH plan to remove 41 of 55 long'term beds. Vivian Imperiali, president of the Mental Health Association of San Francisco, testified that the facility provides "trained staff to guide people on their path" and urged supervisors not to reduce capacity. Jennifer Estien, an ARF worker the supervisors credited with raising the issue publicly, said workers and residents were not consulted and that temporary or forced treatment would be inadequate.

Labor and oversight demands: Multiple speakers from IFPTE Local 1021 and other unions said DPH initially refused to negotiate and that the agreement reached this week includes new staff voice and accountability measures. Union witnesses also raised a separate contract'ing concern: a union representative said DPH circulated a notice to contract out an estimated $192,000,000 in residential behavioral health services work and asked for additional background and meetings with the department.

City response and next steps: Supervisors Hillary Ronan, Rafael Mandelmann and Matt Haney led negotiations with DPH and thanked workers and advocates for organizing. Ronan asked the chair to accept the amendments and move the ordinance forward; Marr accepted those motions with no recorded objection. The committee filed the hearing on the DPH decision, tabled two related items and recommended the amended ordinance to the full board. The amended ordinance and the committee'required report from DPH are scheduled for the Board of Supervisors' Oct. 29 meeting.

Numbers and specifics: The clerk outlined agenda language describing the dispute: DPH's decision reportedly would remove 41 of 55 long'term ARF beds. One related ordinance referenced the ARF facility at 887 Potrero and set a compliance target of July 1, 2021, noting that before then up to 41 of the 55 beds "may be used as emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness" (text as introduced).

What advocates said: ARF residents and staff repeatedly described the facility as "home." Resident Marcus Heisman said, "Don't take it away from me," while union speakers described petition drives, shut'down actions and large numbers of signatures as part of the campaign to restore transparency and oversight.

What the committee did not do: The committee did not adopt an ordinance in committee; it formally tabled two agenda items and recommended the amended health'code ordinance to the full board for action. The closed'session items and litigation settlements on the agenda were handled separately and recommended to the board with caveats (see minutes).

The next procedural step: The amended ordinance and related oversight language will appear at the full Board of Supervisors meeting on Oct. 29 for further action; DPH is required by the committee motion to submit an objective analysis and a progress report to the Board by March 31 (year specified in committee language).