With overdose deaths in San Francisco rising this year, it is on track to have the highest number of accidental overdose deaths in city history.Despite the month of June resulting in a 32% drop in fatalities since May, according to data from the Medical Examiner's Office, numbers indicate 2023 will be the deadliest year yet. Over 400 people have died from an accidental overdose from January to June, a 40% climb compared to the same time period last year.
Opioids were responsible for around 20% of approximately 6.3 million workers who were absent from the United States labor force in late 2022, according to research from the American Action Forum. The sale prices of existing homes in the city were down around 11% since May 2018, according to S&P Dow Jones. Data indicates San Francisco home prices are dropping quicker than any other city in the nation, which some experts indicate is a potential doom loop.
Breed has been enforcing a multi-agency operation launched this year that targets drugs in Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods. The proposed budget, launched in May, is the city’s largest ever — coming in at $14.6 billion, despite a $780 million deficit. The budget focuses on rebuilding the city’s economy and cleaning up downtown by working with the District Attorney’s Office to combat open-air drug markets and adding new park rangers to monitor high-trafficked areas.