Content provided by Julia Laue, FAIA, SF Public Works City Architect & Bureau Manager
Public Works staff gather during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Stabilization Unit.
City Opens a New Behavioral Health Center to Help People in Crisis Living on the Street
As San Francisco continues to bolster its resources for people in urgent need of behavioral health care, a new emergency hub for those in crisis aims to provide rapid access to life-saving services, alleviate suffering on the City’s streets and free up local hospital emergency rooms.
Located near the northern edge of the City’s Tenderloin neighborhood, the 24/7 stabilization center at 822 Geary St. – staffed by nurses, doctors, behavioral health specialists and case managers – will help stabilize clients in a safe environment and then support their next steps through dedicated care coordination. The facility began accepting clients on April 28.
The 6,400-square-foot center, designed by the Public Works Bureau of Architecture, managed by the Bureau of Project Management, and delivered on behalf of the San Francisco Department of Public Health – offers first responders, street teams and members of law enforcement a safe and effective alternative to hospital emergency departments where they can bring people in crisis to connect them with services and treatment.
The new center opened its doors to clients on April 28, 2025
“When we talk to people on the streets, and ask them to come inside, we need to bring them somewhere with the professionals and the resources to get them the help they need. That’s exactly what this 24/7 police-friendly stabilization center will be, and I am proud to be opening it,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie. “The city's approach to this crisis has not been working. We are charting a new path.”
Lurie sees the new center as an essential component of the City’s comprehensive strategy to improve street conditions and provide care for those in need. While long in the making, the project was expedited to meet the mayor’s desire to get the center up and running with a sense of urgency. The Public Works team successfully untangled last-minute problems to keep the opening not only on track but also ahead of schedule.
Construction on the project began at the end of February 2024 and was completed this month, culminating in a ribbon-cutting ceremony with City officials and community leaders. Public Works handled construction and project management, design and contracting, and facilitated permitting, disability access coordination and materials testing.
Mayor Daniel Lurie and City officials cut the ribbon for the new emergency hub.
Located in a repurposed grocery store, the space has been thoughtfully designed to be comfortable, welcoming and uplifting, said Public Works project architect Colin Mosher.
“It features abundant natural light, a mix of private and communal seating areas, and direct access to counselors and wellness practitioners,” he said. “To enhance the environment, the design team opened up the existing ceiling to expose the original wood trusses, creating a sense of warmth and openness. Skylights and carefully integrated lighting were added to bring a soft glow and visual interest to the space.”
The center is operated by Crestwood Behavioral Health Inc., which is a California-based mental health care provider with more than 29 campuses statewide. Crestwood also operates the San Francisco Healing Center, a mental health rehabilitation center located on the University of California San Francisco St. Mary's Hospital campus in the Haight-Ashbury.
The new crisis stabilization center is housed in a repurposed grocery store.
The facility serves people experiencing severe anxiety and panic attacks, depression and thoughts of suicide or self-harm, acute mental health emergencies, including agitation and restlessness, as well as health crises resulting from substance use or drug reactions. Many people who can now be treated at the Stabilization Unit are too often ending up in local emergency rooms, which are meant for medical emergencies.
The Department of Public Health and City partners worked closely with neighbors and community groups to make sure the Stabilization Unit won’t negatively impact the immediate neighborhood. This includes daily ambassadors within a four-block radius and overnight security, as well as close coordination with the San Francisco Police Department to provide additional police presence, as needed.
The center features rooms with beds for individual clients.
The site at the corner of Geary and Hyde streets was purchased in 2021 with approval from the Board of Supervisors with the intent of building a Stabilization Unit. In February 2024 the Board of Supervisors accepted about $6.7 million in state funding to support the construction of the facility, which cost about $11 million.
“The new Stabilization Unit provides real-time help for people living on the streets who are in a behavioral health crisis, offering them treatment and support in a safe environment,” said Public Works Director Carla Short. “It takes a coordinated effort – from political leadership and community partnerships to thoughtful program design and project delivery – to advance meaningful initiatives like this model of care.
The Public Works team handled construction and project management, design and more.
This article was written by the Public Works Communications Team. Photographs were provided by Public Works.