The last time you passed someone obviously suffering on the street, you might have doubted that there was anything that you could do; doubted that a phone call to 311 would make a difference. And, for good reason. For too long, we have struggled to meet the behavioral health needs of thousands of our unhoused neighbors. But now, because of the Our City, Our Home (OCOH) Committee recommendations, the City budget, and the work of Mental Health SF, we are seeing historic investments to expand behavioral health care in our city. Those investments include expanded crisis response teams, new harm reduction therapy options, significant increases in a range of treatment beds, and an increased emphasis on ensuring that services lead to permanent exits from homelessness.

We have had the honor of partnering with the SF Department of Public Health to invest $3 million to open Hummingbird Valencia, the second behavioral health respite center for people experiencing homelessness. Read the latest CHI Spotlight for more details and a video tour of this facility.

Hummingbird Valencia is an exciting example of what can happen when we work across systems and innovate the way we deliver services for people with mental health and housing needs. We know the need in our community is great, and CHI is proud to play a key role in helping our city deliver solutions that can meet the scale of the issue in new ways.

In community,

Andrea Evans

(She/Her)

Director, Tipping Point Chronic Homelessness Initiative