the work i do contribute to the quality of life my life and those around me >> good morning, please welcome san francisco gay men's chorus, performing "singing for our love ." [♪] ♪ we are peaceful loving people ♪ ♪ and we are singing,, singing for our love ♪ ♪ we are young and old together

♪ ♪ and we are singing, singing for our love ♪ [♪] [♪] [singing]

♪ [singing] [singing] [singing]

[singing] [cheers and applause] >> please welcome, chris verdugo

, executive director of the san francisco gay men's chorus. >> good morning. on behalf of the board of directors, staff, and about a tenth of our singing members that are with us, it is an honour to welcome you to our new home for the mayor's first state of the city address. as we begin to envision this space over a year ago, our intention became clear, we wanted to create a centre where lgbtq artists and organizations could come together, a space where they could collaborate and incubate new works pack and affordable and safe space, a place to present master classes and lecture series, and to host a middle and high schools aged students with our educational programs, rhythm, reaching youth through music, and the it gets better showcase pick a venue that would house a state-of-the-art broadcast facility so we could transmit

these incredible transformational and inspiring events to a global audience. a space that espouses the san francisco values of diversity, acceptance, equality, entrepreneurship, and creativity a home where art and activism come together, and it is my honor to welcome you to that space today. [applause] our new home, and the nation's first-ever lgbtq centre for the arts is a continuation of what began over 40 years ago on the city hall steps. that moment where 99 men raised their voices in anger and sadness, but also in hope, singing the song that you just heard, singing for our lives, and thereby sparking an lgbtq arts movement that would eventually spanned five continents. that is why this isn't just our

home, it is a home for all of the san francisco arts community and the nation. no one understands this better than the mayor. as executive director of the african-american arts and culture complex, and she transformed the struggling center into a vital, sustainable community resource. she understands, yes. [applause] >> she understands that arts and culture are at the forefront of social change, and we are honored that she chose our new home for her first state of the city address. [applause] >> please join me in welcoming, mayor, london abbreviate. [cheers and applause] [applause] >> thank you. >> thank you.

[cheers and applause] >> thank you, everyone. thank you so much. thank you. thank you. thank you all so much for being here today. thank you to the san francisco gay men's chorus for opening up their new home, this amazing, national, lgbtq centre for the arts. what i love about this center is that this chorus has invested their time and resources in creating something beautiful, not just for themselves, but for the entire lgbtq and arts community around the country. this is a place that celebrates what is best about san francisco , and that is what i want to talk you about today. for too long, our safety has been the subject of a drumbeat of negative media attention,

national stories claiming that san francisco has lost its way. however, streets are dangerous slums, our housing is unobtainable, how temple workers battle for our city's up soul. like most narratives, their elements of truth here, we have failed to build enough housing, we do face a homeless crisis, as we grapple with mental health and substance use on our streets of course, we acknowledge the challenges we face. the question is, what do we do next, hang our heads and give up cloth concede our problems are too great and the soul of our city is lost? anyone who thinks that, anyone who thinks that is what we will do knows nothing about this city [applause] >> this is san francisco.

we don't throw up our hands, we take to our feet. we don't wait for guidance, we liked the way. this is a city that knows how. the innovation capital of the world his. [cheers and applause] >> the national leader on lgbt and immigrant rights, environmental protections, healthcare, and so many other causes. the place where my angelou rang cable car bells -- the place where my angelou rang cable car bells and the place where a girl from public housing became mayor [cheers and applause] >> our congresswoman is speaker of the house. our former mayor just became governor. another is the california senior senator, the state's lieutenant lieutenant governor, controller and treasurer are all san franciscans. [cheers and applause]

>> our former district attorney could even be the next president [cheers and applause] >> it is time that our city holds its head up high again. it is time we believe again. yes, we have our challenges, i see them every day, just like you. i'm frustrated just like you about the issues that face our city, but i'm also motivated, because there is no problem we caps off together, no challenge we won't face together, there is , as president clinton said, nothing wrong with san francisco that can't be fixed with what is right about san francisco. [cheers and applause]

>> homelessness in san francisco has, for decades, been described as a sad reality, an impossible problem, just part of our city. i don't accept that they are just a few years ago, he only had to walk a few blocks from city hall to seat tent encampments lining our sidewalks , clips covering whole blocks on division street. today, those encampments are gone. that is partly because we have been working to build more shelters, more housing, and help more people. in the last six months, since i have been in office, we have built three navigation centers, with 338 beds, the fastest expansion of shelter beds our city has seen in decades. [cheers and applause] >> and we've helped nearly 1,000 people exit homelessness.

1,000 people in six months. [applause] >> yes, we have a long way to go and so much work to do, but we are making a difference in people's lives. when we open up to the bryant street navigation centre earlier this month, i met a woman who had just moved in. she is battling addiction and breast cancer. on the streets, her medication kept getting stolen, she couldn't get healthy, now she is inside, and she is working on getting housing. at bryant street, she gave me a hug, and she said she is hopeful , and so am i. if she has hope, others can too. that is the difference. she is excited about the future, and i'm excited for her. if she can have a hope, and others can too. i've already announced my plan to add 1,000 shelter beds by 2020, enough to clear the shelter bed waitlist. [applause]

>> we also are declaring a shelter crisis so we can get these shelter beds builds now, and i want to thank supervisor supervisors brown, haney, mandelman, supervisor stefani and walton, for joining me in recognizing our bureaucracy shouldn't stand in the way of one single thousand beds. this is a huge step, we know, but it is not enough. we know we have around 4,000 unsheltered people in our city, sleeping in our streets, in our parks, in the doorway is, or in vehicles. we know that it's a travesty, but it's one we can take on. in the next four years, i want to create enough shelter beds, step up housing units, homeless housing units, and housing subsidies for every person who is currently unsheltered.

that is 4,000 more placements for people. no more excuses, no more status quo and let's be clear, every part of our city, every neighborhood must be open to being part of the solution. [cheers and applause] >> to get there, we must move forward with my proposal for our windfall funding. $185 million for homelessness, behavioural health, and affordable housing. [cheers and applause] >> with this investment, we can add 310 new shelter beds, 300 units of housing by master leasing units, freeing up hundreds of beds in the shelter system. complete funding for a 255 unit

building for homeless seniors and adults, and get started on hundreds more. now i know there are other budget priorities, and they are important. let's be clear. every dollar we take away from what i propose is one bed, one lost home, one more person on the streets. i will continue to work with a board president, norman he -- norman he -- yee and the board of supervisors. working together, we can tackle any impossible problem. the crisis on our street is not just about homelessness. people suffering from mental illness, they need more than just housing. often they are actually housed. these people need help, since i took office, we have added 50 mental health stabilization beds , and i'm committed to opening up 100 more this year.

[cheers and applause] >> our healthy streets operation centre is out there every day helping those suffering from substance use disorder, getting them connected to treatment and shelter, to help those who are truly suffering get real treatment. i've partnered with supervisor raphael mandelman on conservatorship legislation because when people can't care for themselves, we have to do better, and we have to care for them. [applause] >> we have to revamp our entire approach to mental health. to bring together all of our mental health programs under one focus, i am creating a director of mental health reform. [applause]

>> this person will be responsible for better coordination of mental health care for those suffering in our city, this person will strengthen the program we have that are working, nts, cut cut the ineffective program because clearly there are things in this city that just aren't working, and shouldn't continue to be funded. [applause] >> we need to build people's lives, not shuffle them from emergency room to emergency room , from jail cell, to jail cell. our criminal justice system is not a mental health solution. [applause] >> to do all this, we need a vision and leadership, so today,

i am announcing that i have hired a new director of the department of public health, dr grant kovacs. [applause] >> the doctor is one of our own, trained at ucsf, you were to the department of public health as a director of h.i.v. prevention and research, before leaving to join the obama white house as a director of national aids policy he knows our city and its challenges, and he is ready to get to work, and he knows that we need to get zero h.i.v. infections in san francisco. [applause] >> we need to reach our most vulnerable populations, particularly are african-american and latino communities who are not seeing their h.i.v. infections drop as

others do, this means getting everyone, and i mean everyone access to services, treatment, and preventative medications like prep. [applause] >> and i'm confident that dr kovacs will get us to our goal. we are also confronting san francisco's other allegedly impossible problem, housing. housing. we have to produce and preserve housing, and keep people in their homes. i will continue to support the rights to civil council which we funded it last year's budget with $5.8 million so every tenant who needs a lawyer can get one, and through our small sight -- his most -- small site acquisition program, will fight to preserve rent-controlled buildings to keep people in neighborhoods secure. [applause]

>> people like ms. miss wu, and 99-year-old woman who has been living in the same building in the richmond district for the past 30 years. or building was going up for sale, threatening her home, and that of every senior who lived there. i met her with supervisor -- supervisor fewer when i visited her home, the building that we helped purchase and make permanently affordable. ensuring that she and her neighbors wouldn't have to worry about where they were going to live. [applause] >> as we keep people in their homes, we have to build more new housing. lots more. [cheers and applause]

>> in 2018, we built around 3,000 homes. that's not nearly enough. we have to get better, and that's why i've already hired a housing delivery director to deliver projects faster, and implement policy reforms that cut the times to get permits in half. i've directed the department to end the backlog of hundreds of in law units, and make it easier for people to build them going forward, and passed legislation to prevent the loss of thousands of units in the pipeline. if we are going to be in san francisco for all, we need to be a san francisco that builds housing for all. that's why i'm moving forward with the 300 million-dollar affordable housing bond so we can continue to invest in badly needed affordable housing. [cheers and applause] >> across our city, we have projects like the balboa upper

yard that are ready to build. that is 131 units that just need funding, but it's not just about investing, we have to break the barriers to building housing so our dollars go further and we get housing built faster. so today, i'm announcing a charter amendment for this november's election, to make all affordable housing and teacher housing as upright in san francisco. [cheers and applause] >> if an affordable housing or teacher housing project as proposed within zoning, then build it, and build it now. no more bureaucracy. [applause]

>> no more bureaucracy, no more costly appeals, number not in my neighborhood. it is simple, affordable housing as of right because housing affordability is a right. [applause] >> this is how we create housing for all san franciscans, and i will continue to work with our state legislators, our regional partners, our new governor, because housing affordability isn't just a san francisco issue , it is a crisis throughout the state of california. we won't always see the results of these efforts immediately, it may take some years to his see some changes, but then we have started to build more aggressively 20 years ago, we wouldn't be in the situation we are in today. [applause] >> we might have inherited a problem decades in the making,

but we cannot be the ones who pass it on to the next generation. [applause] >> as we grow, we must make our streets clean and our communities safe. since my first day in office, i have been out walking our neighboured neighborhood. this is not okay. it is not healthy. and while there is much more to do, we are working every day to stop it. it is no secret i have put in a lot of focus in the tenderloin and the south of market. i am committed to improving these neighborhoods. so far, we have doubled the number of beat officers in midmarket. we have added pitstops, big belly trash cans and street cleaners. we have increased enforcement against drug dealing, and expanded outreach by our healthy outreach operation centre. i know we have more to do, but people are starting to see a difference.

families are coming to the new playgrounds at civic centre. i met a young family with two small children who came from sunset. they told me a year ago that they never would have gone to the playground there. too dirty, too run down, to many needles. now the new café on the playgrounds are now part of their saturday. this is a start. a first step towards making our public spaces clean and safe. we have also seen our investments in community policing yield results. last year, we had a 18% drop in homicide, which coincides with a major reduction in gun violence for the second year in a row. in fact, we had a 25% increase in firearm fees, and a 30 5% decrease in gun violence. [applause]

to put it simply, more guns off the streets, fewer crimes in homicides involving guns. we also had a nine% reduction in property crimes, including an 18 % drop in car break-ins, and a 13% drop in car thefts. we are, at last, reversing the carved reagan epidemic through the great work of our police department, we are working a dip -- making a difference on violent crimes and property crimes. more officers in our neighborhoods, and investments in cleaner, safer streets are all important. as we address these issues today , we also have to think about how to prevent them from happening in the future. we have to confront the root causes of crime and addiction, which means addressing inequity and poverty. [applause]

last year, working with our public defender, we made san francisco the first city in the country to eliminate punitive wasteful court fines and fees. [cheers and applause] >> these fees did nothing more than drive people into poverty, or worse, back into prison. we will continue our work to give the next generation opportunities back and prevent them from ending up in the criminal justice system in the first place. we are working our city build program to address the shortage of construction workers and give people good paying jobs. we are launching new jobs and helping to train new munimobile drivers to get more people on the street so we can get san franciscans where they need to go faster. we have tech s.f., healthcare academy, and hospitality initiatives, all of which train people to work in our city, and

as a former city in turn, who at 14 proudly worked at a nonprofit , answering phones and helping young family is, and doing paperwork, i am particularly proud to have launched opportunities for all so that we can get every high school students -- [applause] scene -- >> so we can get every high school student in san francisco a paid internship, because unlike the president in this town we pay people when they go to work. [laughter] [applause] >> this program will help our kids now to earn money, to learn new skills, to keep them from going down the wrong path. these young people will be exposed to opportunities they

never knew existed. they could see a future in an industry they never had access to. they could see themselves making a difference in a world in a way that they never thought possible . they will flourish, and we will grow our workforce right here in san francisco. [applause] >> will continue to lead the way on so many other important issues. we will protect the environment, and fight climate change. yesterday, we all know pg and tee declared bankruptcy, and there's a lot of talk about what this could mean, but let's talk about what we know. san francisco knows how to run a clean power system, and we are going to get to 100% renewable energy by 2030. [applause]

>> if this bankruptcy provides an opportunity for public power, supervisor peskin, we will take it. [applause] [laughter] >> i will be working with the city attorney, dennis herrera, and supervisor peskin to make sure that whatever happens to pg and e., we are prepared to. i'm also working with city attorney herrera to address questions around the testing of the hunter at's pointe. [applause] >> we need to be clear and transparent with the public about this project. along with supervisor walton, we have requested that ucsf, and u.c. berkeley put together an independent team to review the procedures for the retesting of parcel a and g. [cheers and applause]

>> these are trusted institutions. they will provide an independent analysis so the public can feel confident in the results. we also have to break the gridlock that is on our streets and create a more functioning transportation system. people may continue to choose to drive in san francisco, but that can't be their only choice. i will work with supervisor peskin on a measure that will charge our ride hail companies to relieve congestion on our streets. [applause] >> we have to keep pushing forward street facing invasion zero projects, including building protected bike lanes on high injury corridors, like the one we are building by upside on valencia street that made it so hard for you to get here. [applause]

>> we will also continue investing in helping our transgender residents with housing and services, and to those in washington, d.c. who continue to try and erase transgender people, it won't work back not here in san francisco. [cheers and applause] >> now more than ever, as the president continues to fear mongering about walls and slander our immigrant communities, san francisco is proud to stand as a sanctuary city. [applause] >> we are a city that is surrounded by bridges, not divided by walls, and we will stay that way. [applause] >> when i took the oath of office six months ago, i never pretended i could solve all of

our problems. i believed we could solve them working together. i believed in a government for all of us, and i still believe that we are working to turn the tides, and i hope every san franciscan can feel the difference when you see our public works crews, our -- out power washing the sidewalks and picking up trash, i hope you feel the difference. when you see our police officers walking the beats in the neighborhood, and talking to the merchants and the residence, i hope that you feel the difference. when you see our homeless outreach team and public health workers helping people suffering on our streets, i hope you feel the difference. when you see a new shelter open, a new affordable housing project go up, or a new bike lane that gets finished, i hope you smile and feel the difference. i hope you believe with me that

you hold your head high and take pride in our city, and what we can do together, because we are san francisco. we will meet these challenges, and we will continue to light a better way for the future of our city. thank you all so much for being here today. [cheers and applause] >> here we go, with another great announcement today. thank you all so much for being here. thank you all. and welcome to dorhouse. it is a place that serves

as an example of how our mental health system is working right here in san francisco. this is a place that people who are in crisis can come and immediately get help and transition to possibly a two-week stay, and, if necessary, a 90-day stay, because we know that someone in crisis who needs help and assistance, it requires a lot of support and a lot of wrap-around services. and this is a great example of us doing it right in san francisco. but while this is a great facility doing significant work, it is just only one tool. we have to address the challenges that we see playing out on our streets every single day. people who are suffering from mental illness, people who are suffering from addiction, we see the need and we wonder why

isn't the city doing more? it is heartbreaking and it is frustrating, and we are investing in more solutions to try and address this issue. we've already opened 50 new mental health stabilization beds, and we plan to open another 100 beds this year. we recently announced a $3 million grant to expand the department of public health efforts to help those suffering from substance use disorder. and we're working to expand our conservatorship law so we can provide help to those who you, unfortunately, sometimes can't help themselves. but each of these efforts, while important, is just one part of a whole behavioral health system. and that system needs greater coordination, focus, and accountability. because while there are great people doing great work, both in our public agencies and our non

non-profit communities, like doorhouse, we know that not everything is working. and that's why in my state of the city address earlier this year, i announced that i will be hiring a director of mental health reform, and that i want one person who is looking at this system so that we can change it. to invest more in solutions that are working and to move away from strategies that aren't working. over the last few months, we have been searching for someone who had the experience and the expertise and the commitment to take on this issue. and today i am really proud to announce that dr. anton negusa blade will be taking on this critical role. [applause] >> i hope i didn't butcher your name. [laughter] >> dr. negusa blade is

currently the medical director for psychiatric emergency services at san francisco general hospital. wherever day he sees those who are most in need, and just as important, where he sees the flaws in our systems that leave those in crisis with nowhere to go, dr. negusa blaine is an addiction and emergency psychiatry, and i know he is ready to take on this challenge. and let's be clear, this is a major effort. he will be tasked with improving our city's efforts around mental health and substance use disorder, including identifying and understanding the exact population that we're trying to help in creating a system to track services across our entire behavioral health system in the city. he'll be assisting with restructuring and expanding existing

services and identifying gaps where improvement is needed. and creating a data system so that we can measure our progress, so that we can measure our success in what we're doing. this won't be easy, but i know that he is up for the task. and he has my full support to achieve this goal. he will report to our new director of the department of public health, dr. grant colfax, and i want to thank dr. colfax for helping to lead this effort and for his early emphasis on prioritizing behavioral health in our city. i also want to thank ucsf for loaning dr. negusa blaine while he takes on this very important role. ucsf has always been a partner to us in providing health in our city, and we appreciate their leadership and their support in this very

difficult task that we have to do. and we know that it won't be easy, but we are prepared to do what is necessary to make sure that we partner, that we make better investments, and that we do everything we can to improve behavioral health in our city and the challenging conditions on our streets. and with that, i'd like to welcome to the podium the new director of mental health reform for the city and county of san francisco, dr. anton negusa blaine. [applause] >> thank you, madam mayor. i'm anton negusa blaine. as a psychiatrist, i think of my job and work mostly as establishing safety through listening. everyone has a story to tell, and a reason for the problems their experiencing. creating the right environments for people to

seek care, to accept help, and also to work on their own behalf to get better, that is in some ways our most basic and our most pressing challenge. in my time at psychiatric emergency services, i have seen people in crisis who are disconnected from care and resources in the community. i often challenge our staff to ask, what are their barriers? what can we do as a system to begin to bend in their direction? i look forward to working with the health department leadership and community partners to figure that out. we have so many dedicated and talented providers and experts in our system. it is a great basis of strength to begin this work. together we can develop a strategic approach to mental health and substance abuse services for people experiencing homelessness in san francisco. while the system works very well most of the time for most people, we need to focus in on the gaps that leave some of our most vulnerable residents at risk. san francisco has an

outstanding track record of problem solving. i'm honored to be asked to serve at this critical time to address the problems of our homeless residents who need mental health and substance abuse care but are not able to access it through our current needs. we're going to examine the data, and we're going to assess the programs that are in place. we will build upon what is working and develop new approaches as well. as a city, we can continue to do better to ensure that all san franciscans have a real opportunity for wellness and recovery. thank you. [applause] >> thank you. and with that, i'd like to introduce our new department of public health director, dr. grant colfax. >> thank you, madam mayor. this is really an exciting and inspiring day.

and it is really great to see some of the key people who make our system work here with us today. and as i reflect on my first month as director of health, i'm struck by how extensive our mental health and substance abuse treatment is throughout the city. just for some numbers, the system already provides care to some 30,000 san franciscans in about 300 programs. we have approximately 2,000 beds in the behavioral health system across the continuum of care, from crisis to acute in-patient care, to residential treatment and beds and boarding care. we know that recovery is responsible with treatment. today at doorhouse, which is a great example of a part of our system that is working well, to help people recover. we know there are many effective programs in our system to meet individual needs. that's so important because there are individual situations that play out differently for

everyone. but we must, and we can do better. we need to lower barriers and make it easier for people to experience recovery and wellness. for many of our most vulnerable residents and their families, the system can be confusing and hard to access. we must collaborate better with community providers, patients, families, and other stakeholders to present a more client-centered model of care. we must have a system that responds better to the mental health and substance abuse treatment needs, people experiencing homelessness, or those at risk for ending up on the street. we need to implement the most evidence space, tools, op optimizing every dollar for care, delivering culturally efficient care, and demonstrating results. we need to scale what is working and end what is not. i'm grateful that mayor breed has decided to face this issue head-on.

with her leadership, i'm positive about moving forward in the right direction. dr. anton negusa blaine comes to us with experience in addiction psychiatry. he has been medical director of the psychiatric services, the emergency services at san francisco general hospital, thereby being on the front lines of mental health and substance abuse crisis. he sees the issues we are facing and trying to solve every day. we're grateful to him and ucsf for making this integrative new position. he will work with me with mental health and substance abuse services for those in san francisco and those at risk for being on the street. he will help us to assess the system from the patient's perspective and by looking at the data. he will identify successful models of care and opportunities for additional resources or service expansion where things are working. he will ensure that our

investments are informed both by science and the people we serve. we are fortunate to be taking this step forward today, and i look forward to working with everyone for more improvements in the futurement thank you. thanfuture.thank you. [applause] >> thank you. and dr. negusa blaine is on loan to the city from our great partner, ucsf. and i want to welcome to the podium dr. matthew state, who is the chair of the department of psychiatry for ucsf. >> it is wonderful, truly exciting to be here today for this incredibly important announcement. i want to thank mayor breed, director colfax, of course dr. bland, as well as all of our community partners and advocates who are here with us day. i'm matt state, the chair of the department of psychiatry at ucsf. as i said, this is an

extraordinairely exciting day for our city. it is incredibly rewarding to have ucsf faculty, like dr. anton bland, to be able to play such an important role in this effort. the city and ucsf have a very long history of highly productive partnership, and as the representative of the ucsf here today, i can't stress our eagerness to continue working with you, director colfax, and dr. bland. it is particularly rewarding for me personal to be able to help support the remarkable work that is being done as a partnership between the city and ucsf at the general hospital and in our community based

programs. our department of psychiatry is the second largest service department, serving more than 13,000 individuals and families annually. the faculty and staff at ucsf are talented and are really on the front lines of national crisis. our doctors, whether thairthey're in psychiatric services, or division of substance abuse, our trauma programs, our community based wrap-around programs, jail-based psychiatry, are all helping people who are struggling with their issues, and very often are facing homelessness, exposure to violence, marginalization, and stigma. in this department, dr. bland is a resilient and talented leader. he has been a highly affective leader who has a deep, deep understanding of the mental health

challenges that the city faces. he brings a remarkable mix of clinical excellence, administrative skill, and very importantly a deep compassion for every patient and family that he interacts with. in taking this position, he will join an already outstanding team, in working throughout the city who are addressing this challenge day and night. and with the active support of the mayor, director colfax, our community partners, and i guarantee every person at ucsf, i'm confident he will help achieve lasting and sub substantive change that will affect the lives of the most vulnerable in san francisco. thank you again, mayor, thank you, mr. colfax, and congratulations and best wishes to you, dr. bland, as you begin your tenure as the doctor of health reform in san francisco. congratulations. [applause] >> mayor: again, thank

you to ucsf for their partnership in this effort. we are truly grateful for their support. and i think that this is going to be absolutely amazing for our city, and it is no -- it is primarily do to our working relationship with ucsf and the resources they continue to provide to support our programs here in san francisco. i would also like to acknowledge and thank the progress foundation and doorhouse for their support and the work that they continue to do in san francisco, as well as another community partner, positive resource center and brent andrews. thank you so much for all of the work you all do to work with communities and to continue to make sure that san francisco is at the forefront of addressing what we know is a serious crisis. not just with so many people sadly that are suffering on our streets, but people who need help,

they need support, and need resources, and it is time that this city has taken a really hard stance around trying to reform mental health in a way that removes the stigma so that we can get people to help and the support that they need. so i'm very honored and grateful to dr. negusa bland, who has stepped up to the plate to take on this incredible responsibility. so thank you all so much for being here today. [applause]

[♪] ♪ homelessness in san francisco is considered the number 1 issue by most people who live here, and it doesn't just affect neighbors without a home, it affects all of us. is real way to combat that is to work together. it will take city departments and nonprofit providers and volunteers and companies and community members all coming together. [♪] >> the product homeless connect community day of service began about 15 years ago, and we have had 73 of them. what we do is we host and expo-style event, and we were the very force organization to do this but it worked so well that 250 other cities across the globe host their own.

there's over 120 service providers at the event today, and they range anywhere from hygiene kits provided by the basics, 5% -- to prescription glasses and reading glasses, hearing tests, pet sitting, showers, medical services, flu shots, dental care, groceries, so many phenomenal service providers, and what makes it so unique is we ask that they provide that service today here it is an actual, tangible service people can leave with it. >> i am with the hearing and speech center of northern california, and we provide a variety of services including audiology, counselling, outreach, education, today we actually just do screening to see if someone has hearing loss. to follow updates when they come into the speech center and we do a full diagnostic hearing test, and we start the process of taking an impression of their year, deciding on which hearing aid will work best for them. if they have a smart phone, we make sure we get a smart phone that can connect to it, so they

can stream phone calls, or use it for any other services that they need. >> san francisco has phenomenal social services to support people at risk of becoming homeless, are already experience and homelessness, but it is confusing, and there is a lot of waste. bringing everyone into the same space not only saves an average of 20 hours a week in navigating the system and waiting in line for different areas, it helps them talk, so if you need to sign up for medi-cal, what you need identification, you don't have to go to sacramento or wait in line at a d.m.v., you go across the hall to the d.m.v. to get your i.d. ♪ today we will probably see around 30 people, and averaging about 20 of this people coming to cs for follow-up service. >> for a participant to qualify for services, all they need to do is come to the event. we have a lot of people who are at risk of homelessness but not yet experiencing it, that today's event can ensure they stay house. many people coming to the event are here to receive one specific

need such as signing up for medi-cal or learning about d.m.v. services, and then of course, most of the people who are tender people experiencing homelessness today. >> i am the representative for the volunteer central. we are the group that checks and all the volunteers that comment participate each day. on a typical day of service, we have anywhere between 40500 volunteers that we, back in, they get t-shirts, nametags, maps, and all the information they need to have a successful event. our participant escorts are a core part of our group, and they are the ones who help participants flow from the different service areas and help them find the different services that they needs. >> one of the ways we work closely with the department of homelessness and supportive housing is by working with homeless outreach teams. they come here, and these are the people that help you get into navigation centers, help you get into short-term shelter, and talk about housing-1st policies. we also work very closely with the department of public health

to provide a lot of our services. >> we have all types of things that volunteers deal do on a day of service. we have folks that help give out lunches in the café, we have folks who help with the check in, getting people when they arrive, making sure that they find the services that they need to, we have folks who help in the check out process, to make sure they get their food bag, bag of groceries, together hygiene kit, and whatever they need to. volunteers, i think of them as the secret sauce that just makes the whole process works smoothly. >> participants are encouraged and welcomed to come with their pets. we do have a pet daycare, so if they want to have their pets stay in the daycare area while they navigate the event, they are welcome to do that, will we also understand some people are more comfortable having their pets with them. they can bring them into the event as well. we also typically offer veterinary services, and it can be a real detriment to coming into an event like this.

we also have a bag check. you don't have to worry about your belongings getting lost, especially when that is all that you have with you. >> we get connected with people who knew they had hearing loss, but they didn't know they could get services to help them with their hearing loss picks and we are getting connected with each other to make sure they are getting supported. >> our next event will be in march, we don't yet have a date set. we typically sap set it six weeks out. the way to volunteer is to follow our newsletter, follow us on social media, or just visit our website. we always announce it right away, and you can register very easily online. >> a lot of people see folks experience a homelessness in the city, and they don't know how they can help, and defence like this gives a whole bunch of people a lot of good opportunities to give back and be supported. [♪]

>> 5, 4, 3, 2 , 1. cut. >> we are here to celebrate the opening of this community garden. a place that used to look a lot darker and today is sun is shining and it's beautiful and it's been completely redone and been a gathering place for this community. >> i have been waiting for this garden for 3 decades. that is not a joke. i live in an apartment building three floors up and i have potted

plants and have dreamt the whole time i have lived there to have some ability to build this dirt. >> let me tell you handout you -- how to build a community garden. you start with a really good idea and add community support from echo media and levis and take management and water and sun and this is what we have. this is great. it's about environment and stewardship. it's also for the -- we implemented several practices in our successes of the site. that is made up of the pockets like wool but they are made

of recycled plastic bottles. i don't know how they do it. >> there is acres and acres of parkland throughout golden gate park, but not necessarily through golden community garden. we have it right in the middle of [gavel]. >> chair ronen: good morning. the meeting will come to order. welcome to the april 22, 2019 meeting of the rules committee. i am chair hillary ronen. seated to my right is