San Francisco Mayor London Breed wants local legislation that would require people receiving county financial assistance to undergo drug tests.
And, if those tests reveal substance-abuse issues, residents would need to seek treatment to remain eligible for financial support.
“No more handouts without accountability,” Breed said at a news conference Tuesday.
WATCH: At a press conference Tuesday, San Francisco Mayor @LondonBreed announced new legislation to require people with substance use disorders to seek treatment before the city provides them financial support.
“No more handouts without accountability,” Breed said. pic.twitter.com/wyGgiNqPNf
— The San Francisco Standard (@sfstandard) September 26, 2023
Breed, a Democrat, is running for re-election in 2024. The field will include Daniel Lurie, a Levi Strauss heir, who announced his candidacy on Tuesday.
Lurie said that he would “slam the door shut on the era of open-air drug markets and end the perception that lawlessness is an acceptable part of life in San Francisco.”
Ahsha Safaí, a political moderate serving on the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors, is also running.
Requiring drug tests for people receiving public assistance is a longtime Republican policy and talking point.
The fact that Breed would adopt a Republican position in liberal San Francisco speaks to the city’s huge challenges with homelessness and fentanyl addiction.
San Francisco’s General Assistance program administered $30.3 million in fiscal year 2022. There are about 5,200 people currently in San Francisco’s General Assistance program. It provided $30.3 million in aid in fiscal year 2022.
