Business owners in San Francisco Chinatown have expressed discontent over Mayor London Breed’s plan to establish a sober living facility in the area.
Breed’s plans: Mayor Breed announced plans for a pioneering sober living facility in the heart of Chinatown for homeless people with drug abuse issues. With Breed’s vision of providing recovery and stability for the most at-risk residents, the sober living community is conceived as a refuge, providing housing and on-site supportive services aimed at empowering those in recovery.
The innovative project, spearheaded by the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, anticipates an investment of around $3.7 million in the first year and contemplates securing a long-term lease at the historic Hotel North Beach, a significant landmark of Chinatown’s history. The hotel would undergo a conversion into a facility accommodating 150 recovering addicts.
Locals blindsided: Although locals agree on the need to support those battling addiction, merchants feel blindsided, emphasizing the need for community involvement in the decision-making process. They expressed feeling disrespected for not being consulted earlier and are calling for improved communication between the city and the local community.
“We were kind of surprised. How come we didn’t hear anything from anyone?” Chinatown storeowner Nancy Yu Law told Kron4. “And we did give her a lot of questions because we have concerns, we don’t know exactly what kind of program it is. It’s the first of its kind in the nation according to what they say.”
“I think what could be improved is really the communication between our neighborhood and the city and for the city to have better methods of reaching out to a monolingual community as well as communities of color,” added business owner Cynthia Huey.
Location controversy: The chosen location of North Beach Hotel is also met with skepticism as business owners believe placing a…
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