San Francisco’s health commission heard extensive public comment Monday on proposed budget cuts affecting HIV services and youth clinics but took no immediate action. The proposals include closing two clinics serving transitional-age youth—one in the Tenderloin and one in the Haight—as well as a geriatric clinic in the Southeast Mission.
The cuts follow action last month when the commission approved $17 million in reductions. Mayor Daniel Lurie will announce a final budget proposal on June 1, according to Daniel Tsai, the city’s health director. In late February, Lurie requested $40 million in cuts from the Department of Public Health over two years, citing the impact of President Donald Trump’s H.R. 1, or One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which he signed into law last year.
Tsai emphasized that there are no cuts to the current roughly $25 million per year of HIV general fund backfill for San Francisco. The proposed closures affect the Michael Baxter Larkin Street Youth Clinic in the Tenderloin, the Cole Street Youth Clinic in the Haight, and Southeast Mission Geriatric at 3905 Mission Street. According to the Department of Public Health, the Cole site sees eight patients per day, the Larkin site sees nine, and the Southeast Mission Geriatric site sees about seven. Dr. Hillary Kunins, the city’s director of behavioral health services, said the goal is to “consolidate several sites serving a low number of clients or patients,” with larger sites serving between 600 and 1,200 patients per day.
Community Response
Public comment was forceful. Patricia Bermudez, CEO of Huckleberry Youth Services, stated: “Youth’s lives can’t be consolidated. Every single youth life matters.” Lisa Cadillo, a medical evaluation assistant at the Larkin site, warned: “Kids will die if these clinics do not stay open.”
The San Francisco AIDS Foundation faces $1.2 million in cuts over two years, including reductions for syringe litter pickup and overdose prevention services; capacity-building efforts for HIV, STI, hepatitis C, and substance use programs for Black and African American communities; treatment connections; outpatient substance use treatment; clinical services at Strut; health access services; and HIV, hepatitis C, and STI services maintenance.
Laura Thomas from SFAF noted during public comment that the proposed cuts represent a 6.6% reduction to the city’s HIV prevention system, with SFAF facing a 15% cut to clinical services. Tyler TerMeer, SFAF’s CEO, expressed concern that programs like the Pick Up Crew and substance use treatment would be targeted despite proven success.
Commissioner Susan Belinda Christian, the panel’s only out LGBTQ member, urged continued consideration of community impact, requesting the issue remain on the agenda moving forward.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.ebar.com/story/165430/News/News