San Francisco Wants Wealthy Donors to Help Fix Fentanyl Crisis

Lurie to enlist rich to pay for shelter beds, overdose center
Supervisors approve proposal to complement municipal funds

San Francisco police officers look on near a new controversial billboard that warns against fentanyl in San Francisco on April 04, 2022.Photographer: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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By Eliyahu Kamisher and Biz Carson

February 5, 2025 at 2:00 PM UTC

Cash-strapped San Francisco is betting on a new way to pay for its fight against a deadly fentanyl crisis: appealing to the city’s wealthy elite.

Mayor Daniel Lurie, who took office last month, needs tens of millions of dollars to pay for 1,500 shelter beds and a 24/7 drop-off center for people suffering from drug overdoses. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a proposal by a 10-1 vote that will allow him to accept donations from deep-pocketed people and companies to complement city funds.