Mental Health Clinic In SF NoPa Neighborhood Faces Eviction
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A clinic that provides low-cost psychological services to patients in San Francisco's North Panhandle neighborhood may have to look for a new home, after it was recently revealed the property could be converted into condominiums.
Haight Ashbury Psychological Services has served the neighborhood for 37 years and has occupied 2166 Hayes St. since the late 80s, according to Co-Director Donna Zoll.
Recently, however, the clinic staff learned that the property owners had planned to demolish the building and build apartments at the location, after a resident heard about the plans at a community meeting and reported it to the clinic, Zoll said.
The staff, who were blindsided by the news, are now scrambling to find not only find a new location -- but funds to pay for it as well.
Because the clinic is on a month-to-month lease, that could leave as little as 30 days to vacate the property, according to Zoll.
"We don't have any resources, we're making it on a shoestring budget. First, last month's rent and a commercial deposit; all of these things are not resources that we have," Zoll said, adding that the clinic receives no city, county or federal funding.
The property's owners, Mill Valley-based Sunhill Corporation, filed an application with the city's Planning Department nearly a year ago, according to planning department records.
The owners proposed the existing building be demolished and replaced with three new separate four-story buildings, each with a garage, and each containing three units.
Though the application has been submitted, it is still under review and a planner has not yet been assigned, according to the planning department records.
HAPS has set up a GoFundMe page and is hoping to raise $65,000 in order to help with relocating to a new space.
"We're looking, but the goal is to stay in San Francisco," Zoll said. "We've been really touched by the response and we have a long way to go."
HAPS supervises and trains between 14 and 16 interns, who are students from doctors and masters programs at schools throughout the Bay Area.
The clinic treats low-income residents suffering from depression, anxiety, as well as anger issues, among other mental health disorders.
The clinic's current location has approximately 14 rooms, which include treatments rooms for patients, a records room, a waiting room and a room for interns to make follow up calls to patients, according to Zoll.
"We're worried for everyone and sad about what is happening in the city. We just want to keep doing our work," Zoll said.
HAPS' GoFundMe page had raised more than $24,000 as of Friday evening.
Sunhill Corporation was not immediately available for comment.
© Copyright 2016 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
