CITY MOVES TO IMPROVE QUAKE READINESS, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

In late January, Mayor Ed Lee and Board of Supervisors President London Breed put forth a ballot measure to expand access to mental health services for city residents, including the homeless, and to seismically upgrade the city’s public health-care facilities and emergency medical response infrastructure to make sure they can withstand a major earthquake and still function.

The $350 million Public Health and Safety Bond will fund health, safety, and rescue efforts, including $222 million to Zuckerberg San Francisco General for essential quake safety improvements, $30 million for Southeast Health Center renovation and construction of an addition, $20 million for homeless shelter modernization and services, $20 million for neighborhood public health clinics, $44 million for construction of a seismically safe fire department ambulance and medical facility to dispatch staff for emergencies, and $14 million for repairs to fire department neighborhood stations.

The measure will be on the June 2016 ballot.