A bill with strong San Francisco roots went down in flames last week when Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 255, The Supportive-Recovery Residence Program. The bill, introduced by San Francisco Assemblyman Matt Haney (District 17), with colleague Catherine Stefani (District 17) as principal coauthor, would have authorized the state to fund supportive-recovery residences that prioritize abstinence and recovery from addiction.
Amid a raging drug epidemic on the streets, the bill was an attempt to free up a 10 percent slice of state funding to cities and counties to focus on this recovery approach, while the rest of that funding would have remained committed to the housing first concept, which prioritizes housing and does not require abstinence or treatment for addiction.
In September, Haney posted to Instagram that “If somebody wants to get off drugs, we should have a placement for them where they can be away from drugs. Not force them to be in an environment where drug use is openly allowed.”…