San Francisco’s newest homeless shelter has strict no drugs or alcohol policy for residents
By Kenny Choi
San Francisco’s first sober homeless shelter is open. It’s part of the city’s new push to provide more beds and mandate stricter adherence to a no-tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol.
One of the people following that new policy is Gary Noakes.
“I couldn’t keep myself safe from myself. I was the biggest threat to myself. I couldn’t control my choices,” said Noakes.
The 43-year-old is trying to live a different life, finding shelter at Hope House, San Francisco’s first sober homeless shelter.
“I was living in a couple other shelters out here that were pretty tough going and a lot of drug users there,” said Noakes.
He is one of 15 new residents referred by city outreach workers.
Salvation Army executive director Steve Adami said the 58-bed shelter on 6th Street has a no-tolerance drug and alcohol policy, but that there are protocols in place to help residents if they relapse.
“Mistakes are going to happen. But the goal is to catch the mistake before it starts to escalate so that people can use an opportunity to learn,” said Adami.
The site will provide residents shelter for 30 days and up to a year as a first step towards recovery through abstinence rather than a harm reduction, housing first approach used at many other shelters.
“A change that’s happening right now where we’re really promoting drug-free environments, promoting recovery. The culture change is going to be the biggest shift,” said Adami.
The city has contracted the Salvation Army to run Hope House, as well as other next-step sober transitional housing programs.
Noakes said he’s been more than a year free of hardcore drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamines, but that this is just the beginning.
“Now, I look back at the streets as motivation. This is something I’m not going to go back to,” said Noakes.
It’s a sign of hope and a new way of life for Noakes.
The city also recently opened two sober transitional housing sites and a health respite center. It’s part of the Mayor’s Break the Cycle initiative to add 1,500 beds citywide for homeless people and those struggling with mental illness and addiction.
