Globe Grievance: San Francisco Health Agency Gives Free Booze to Homeless Alcoholics

The San Francisco Department of Public Health gives free shots of alcohol to homeless street alcoholics and addicts under the guise of ” harm reduction,” ostensibly hoping to keep them out of emergency rooms or needing emergency services.

While that might not sound so crazy for San Francisco, taxpayers fund over $16 million annually, $9 million for salaries and benefits, and $5 million to program services, and the non-profit “served 55 clients” in four years. That’s $90,909 per “client” out of program services.

This is just a high-paid publicly-funded jobs program for the well-connected. It’s a good grift if you can get it.

Community Forward, the managed alcohol program set up by SF Public Health about five years ago during Covid, claims it will keep the street alcoholics out of local jails and hospital emergency rooms.

Right. And needle exchange programs “help get individuals into treatment and help prevent overdoses.”

But it’s much more than just showing up and getting a shot of Jack Daniels. As attorney Laura Powell exposed last year:

“San Francisco’s managed alcohol program provides homeless alcoholics with housing, meals, activities (including crafts and outings to Giants games), and a quantity of alcoholic beverages determined by their “need and desire,” with no expectation of reducing consumption. With a reported budget of $5 million for 20 beds (half set aside for Latinx or indigenous people), it would be cheaper to accommodate these people in all-inclusive resorts.

Advocates had wanted managed alcohol programs in San Francisco for years. In 2020, SF Dept of Public Health used Covid as an excuse to shut down their sobering center and set up an alcohol program in just 48 hours. Impressive how quickly the government can move when motivated.”

Even more impressive is they allow the street alcoholics to make their own decisions about how much and how frequently they avail themselves of the free alcohol shots – because it’s important to respect the “patient’s right to make choices.”

But it’s their “choices” that landed them on the streets in the first place.

Here is how Community Forward and the SF Department of Public Health describe their amazing free alcohol program:

“In partnership with the Department of Public Health, Community Forwards supports the operations of an innovative solution to solving chronic alcohol use disorder (AUD) in San Francisco. The Managed Alcohol Program (MAP) is designed to support individuals suffering from alcohol use disorder (AUD) in managing their daily consumption to be able to live a life that is self-sufficient and less reliant on emergency services. This innovative model has shown to be extremely effective, and works within a harm reduction lens.”

So for the homeless street alcoholics with chronic alcohol use disorder, the San Francisco public health department is “supporting” them by “managing their daily consumption,” claiming it leads to self-sufficiency, and less reliance on emergency room visits.

“Harm reduction.”

Harm reduction “refers to a range of intentional practices and public health policies designed to lessen the negative social and/or physical consequences associated with various human behaviors, both legal and illegal.”

The Cleveland Clinic claims Harm reduction is an evidence-based approach that aims to reduce the negative impact of substance use disorder on individuals and communities.

I’ve found that giving alcohol to alcoholics, or crack to crack heads, or heroin to heroin addicts results in more alcohol, crack or heroin use – not less. There is no “recovery” or lessening the use of the substance.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle in 2024, the 4-year-old program costs the city $5 million annually, and had “served 55 clients.” That’s $90,909 per “client.”

What are they serving? SF Public Health should just hand each “client” a bottle of Bowmore Aston Martin, a 52 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Scotland which sells for $90,000…

The big numbers in and out of Community forward tell the real story.

On their IRS Form 990, Community Forward SF, Inc. says it “helps those most in need get off the street, achieve stability and establish permanent housing by providing compassionate, culturally sensitive services.”

This “non-profit” is extremely profitable–for the highly-paid employees. Community Forward is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that served 55 clients in four years, with government/taxpayer provided income of $15,379,179 and has 171 employees… to serve 55 homeless alcoholics.

Community Forward Professional salaries total $1,159,985 annually. The CEO was paid $225,794 – for serving 55 homeless alcoholic “clients” in four years. CEO Kara Zordel stepped down in 2024, after this 990 was filed. Her Linkedin profile says she’s an “Advocate to end homelessness.”

In one year, Community Forward spent $16,290,002 on:

Other salaries and wages: $7,178,029 

Total salaries and compensation: $9,622,823 – over 50% of their income

Other employee benefits: $1,334,188

Pension plan contributions: $31,598

Travel: $460,450 – where did they travel? California’s Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara could learn a grift or two on “business travel” from Community Forward.

Staff training: $80,695 – on training? For what?

Income: Government grants: $15,379,179

They only raised $677,710 total from other sources in 5 years.

You paid for it. And they spent all of it: $16,290,002 – on 55 homeless alcoholic “clients” in 4 years.

They paid their independent contractors very well – over $1 million for security services, nearly half a million for janitorial services, $580,295 for housekeeping and food supplies, and $112,956 for IT services:

Here is a listing of Community Forward’s total government grants since 2018 – $67,666,899 total:

In all of those years, they only raised $677,710 from other sources. Was this USAID funding? Was this part of the $70 billion the Biden American Rescue Plan HUD funding sent around the country?

…All for free shots of alcohol for 55 homeless alcoholics in 5 years.

DOGE anyone?