Health Policy
Engaging in health policy work is essential for advancing health justice. Policies have a profound impact on the distribution of resources, access to care, and the social determinants of health within our communities. By actively participating in health policy initiatives, we can advocate for equitable policies that address health disparities and systemic injustices.
Policy work provides a platform for San Francisco Community Health Center to challenge discriminatory practices; promote inclusive healthcare systems; address structural inequities around housing, access to affirming health care, and systemic racism; and ensure that our voices are heard in decision-making processes.
Our Policy Tenets
Our policy tenets represent the beliefs we hold dear at SFCHC when making sure our elected leaders and other policy stakeholders are accountable for the communities we serve:
WE BELIEVE that any policy aimed at addressing health disparities should be rooted in health equity.
As an organization that grew out of the 1980s AIDS crisis, WE BELIEVE all people living with HIV deserve to have access to affordable, comprehensive, culturally tailored, and high-quality healthcare services.
WE BELIEVE Housing is Healthcare. No individual should have their health, or the health of their loved ones, put at risk due to lack of shelter.
Beyond physical health, WE BELIEVE that all people should have access to appropriate mental & behavioral health services to live long and productive lives.
WE BELIEVE that every individual--regardless of race/ethnicity, class, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender, or HIV status—should be afforded the opportunity to live a life not only where they survive but thrive.
As an organization based in the Tenderloin neighborhood, SFCHC leads the charge to keep our city’s most fragile and ill-resourced communities, especially people experiencing homeless and transgender individuals, as safe as possible through our diverse array of programming and medical interventions. We are uniquely qualified to not only reflect on the specific state of San Francisco, but speak more broadly to issues related to homelessness, mental/behavioral health, substance use, and protecting vulnerable populations.
Policy Updates
Resources & Studies