San Francisco Community Health Center (SFCHC) Advocacy and Policy: Year in Review and Vision for 2025
2024: A Year of Advocacy and Action
In 2024, SFCHC demonstrated unwavering commitment to the rights, health, and dignity of the communities we serve. Through innovative initiatives, strategic collaborations, and powerful advocacy, we continued to address the systemic inequities that impact healthcare access and outcomes.
Below are some of the highlights from our advocacy work this year:
1. Advancing Healthcare Access
Partnered with local and state policymakers to advocate for expanded funding for community health initiatives, ensuring equitable access to care for historically marginalized populations.
Expanded harm reduction programs and successfully secured grants to enhance services for individuals navigating substance use and mental health challenges.
Championed Medicaid expansion efforts, with a focus on immigrant communities and uninsured individuals.
2. Fighting for LGBTQ+ Rights
Played a key role in statewide coalitions that opposed anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and successfully lobbied for policies that affirm the rights of transgender and nonbinary individuals.
Provided expert testimony at public hearings on gender-affirming care access, ensuring that our community’s voices were heard at every level of government.
Hosted events amplifying the needs and resilience of LGBTQ+ individuals, with a focus on protecting the rights of queer and trans youth in education and healthcare settings.
3. Housing and Homelessness Advocacy
Advocated for funding increases in transitional and supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness, particularly those living with HIV, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people of color.
Partnered with housing justice organizations to launch an awareness campaign highlighting the intersection of housing insecurity and health outcomes.
4. Community Empowerment and Civic Engagement
Launched Project EmpowerHer. A for and by homegrown intervention focused on leadership development and empowerment for black transgender women and girls.
Launched a voter education series focused on healthcare and housing policy, equipping our community with the tools to make informed decisions at the ballot box.
Partnered with grassroots organizations to increase civic participation among marginalized populations, ensuring that our advocacy work is grounded in the voices of those directly impacted.
Looking Ahead to 2025: Building a Healthier, More Equitable Future
SFCHC’s advocacy and policy vision for 2025 is ambitious yet grounded in our mission to protect and uplift the communities we serve. We aim to deepen our impact, strengthen our collaborations, and continue the fight for health equity.
1. Expanding Healthcare Access
Advocate for universal healthcare initiatives in California, with a focus on ensuring culturally competent and accessible care for marginalized communities.
Strengthen our partnerships with public health agencies to improve access to HIV prevention, treatment, and testing services for underserved populations.
Lead efforts to establish funding for mobile healthcare units to reach unhoused individuals and others with limited access to traditional healthcare settings.
2. Combatting Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation
Prioritize advocacy for protections against discriminatory laws targeting LGBTQ+ individuals, with a focus on transgender healthcare rights.
Expand educational initiatives to combat misinformation around gender-affirming care and LGBTQ+ rights, engaging with policymakers and the public to foster allyship and understanding.
3. Addressing Social Determinants of Health
Advocate for increased funding for affordable housing and reforms to prioritize housing as a human right.
Collaborate with food security organizations to address hunger and nutritional disparities, particularly among low-income families and individuals.
Push for legislative solutions to mitigate environmental injustices disproportionately affecting communities of color and low-income populations.
4. Centering Community Voices
Expand our civic engagement efforts to include advocacy training for community members, empowering them to champion their own needs.
Expand the work of our Community Policy & Advocacy Board to ensure that SFCHC’s advocacy priorities reflect the lived experiences of those we serve.
Our Continued Commitment
SFCHC remains steadfast in our mission to advance health, equity, and justice for all. As we move into 2025, our collective commitment to protecting the rights of the communities we serve is stronger than ever. We believe that access to healthcare is a fundamental human right and will continue fighting to make this vision a reality!
Together, we will:
Challenge inequitable systems and policies that perpetuate injustice.
Advocate for the most vulnerable folxs among us with courage and compassion.
Build a movement that prioritizes the health and well-being of every individual, no matter their circumstances.
Let us carry forward the lessons of 2024 as we step boldly into 2025, united in our fight for a healthier, more equitable future.