Letter to SF Board of Supervisors and Mayor Breed opposing expansion of Conservatorship

San Francisco may soon expand involuntary conservatorship. We've written a letter to Mayor Breed expressing our opposition to the proposed ordinance, and our support for the opposition coalition led by Seniors and Disability Action.

Date: January 7th, 2019

To: San Francisco Board of Supervisors

cc: Mayor London Breed

Jessica Lehman, Executive Director, Senior and Disability Action

re: Expansion of involuntary conservatorship

Indivisible SF opposes the proposed San Francisco ordinance (File 181042) that will expand provisions for involuntary conservatorship by implementing SB 1045.

SB 1045 and the proposed ordinance do not adequately protect existing voluntary services and fail to provide funding for the additional housing and services required by the law.

San Francisco suffers from a substantial lack of much-needed voluntary services. Given this lack, the City’s resources should be directed towards providing adequate supportive housing, mental health care and substance abuse treatment for the thousands of San Francisco residents who are on waiting lists for these voluntary services. Until the City has adequate funds and resources for voluntary services, we oppose expansion of involuntary conservatorship.

Additionally, care should not begin with handcuffs. We oppose the expansion of SFPD’s authority to detain and incarcerate people with mental illness or substance use disorders—especially people who are homeless and are particularly vulnerable to mistreatment by police.

We agree with, and strongly support, the coalition led by Senior and Disability Action in opposing the implementation of SB 1045. We attach a copy of the coalition’s statement.

We ask you to vote No​ when File 181042 comes before the Board of Supervisors.