San Francisco needs over 200 beds for people struggling with mental illnesses, but it’s going to cost the city a fortune, according to a new report. While not everyone who needs a bed is homeless, many of them are.
The city controller estimates that purchasing a building with 65 beds for the city’s most mentally ill patients would cost roughly $390,000 per bed or $25 million total. Operating the facility would cost up to $20 million annually.
In total, the Department of Public Health estimates that it needs between 152 and 225 new beds to treat people with varying degrees of drug addiction and mental illness. The city already budgets $687.7 million annually on behavioral health and operates roughly 1,861 beds.
Officials at a Wednesday mental health meeting bristled over the price tag. Still, they largely acknowledged the need for more treatment options as mental illness rates have skyrocketed among the city’s homeless population.
“Clients have become more complex,” said Hillary Kunins, the city’s director of behavioral health services, explaining that many providers are unable to meet clients’ needs.