SAN FRANCISCO—On Wednesday, May 15 Mayor London N. Breed announced that $1.1 million in one-time funding from a prior budget will go to subsidize 20 to 25 assisted living placements. The funds will assist preventing homelessness for vulnerable individuals, including older individuals and adults with disabilities who are unable to live independently and safely. The facilities are a vital housing resource, helping individuals who are unable to remain safely in their own homes while providing residential, community-living settings.

According to a press release from the Mayor’s Office, in previous years, small residential care facilities, which are generally more affordable and accessible to low-income residents, have been closing as a result of high operating costs, and resulted in a nine percent loss of total available beds since 2012. Assisted living placements support safe housing and treatment for residents engaged in the city’s medical and mental health systems, ensuring that the right level of care is available and accessible when it is needed. This one-time funding will increase San Francisco’s existing support for this sector. San Francisco currently invests approximately $11.2 million per year to support assisted living placements; 15 percent of San Francisco’s total assisted living beds are supported with a City-funded subsidy.

“This is about making sure that our seniors and people with disabilities can age with dignity and that we have the resources to provide the care they need,” said Mayor Breed. “This investment will provide more assisted living placements with supportive services for people in need to ensure that they remain housed and cared for.”

The cost of assisted living for low-income individuals averages a monthly rate for the least expensive assisted living facilities in San Francisco at approximately $4,300 per month. The funding will help address the gap that exists between that cost and the monthly state Supplemental Security Income that residents in assisted living receive.

“The decreasing availability and increasing cost of assisted living presents real and significant challenges for our residents and families supporting their loved ones,” said Shireen McSpadden, executive director of the Department of Aging and Adult Services and Co-Chair of the San Francisco Long Term Care Coordinating Council (LTCCC). “The Mayor’s leadership and action to secure additional placements enables people who need a higher level of care to live safely in our communities.”

The use of the funds would match a recent state grant received by the Department of Aging and Adult Services to provide intensive case management and short-term assistance to extremely vulnerable adults living in San Francisco and in Permanent Supportive Housing who are at substantial risk of becoming homeless.

Written By Casey Jacobs