Will It Ever End? San Francisco’s Drug and Homeless Crisis and Overdose Epidemic

Will It Ever End? San Francisco’s Drug and Homeless Crisis and Overdose Epidemic

Author: Commonwealth Club of California July 12, 2026 Duration: 59:58
San Francisco’s drug and homelessness crisis is impacting everyone, and the community is sounding the alarm. As San Franciscans raise issues of safety, over the last 5 years the city has lost more than 4,500 people to fatal overdoses. Although San Francisco has poured billions of dollars into proposed solutions, our public health systems continue to fail the community. Many people continue to deny the link between addiction, homelessness, and crime, while others with lived experience are calling for balanced, common-sense strategies. The Way Out is a recovery-focused homeless initiative of the Salvation Army at the intersection of drug addiction and homelessness, grounded in the belief that people recover when given the right support, structure and opportunity. Built on an abstinence-based model (including medication-assisted treatment, or MAT), The Way Out provides real-time access to services and a clear pathway from the streets to stability and independence. Delivered through a comprehensive Recovery System of Care, services include a recovery-focused shelter, stabilization, and withdrawal management; residential drug treatment; recovery housing and independent living; workforce development and life skills, and an alumni support network.  A Health & Medicine Member-led Forum program. Forums and Chapters at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums. Organizer: Robert Lee Kilpatrick  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For nearly a century, the Commonwealth Club of California Podcast has served as a vital platform for civic dialogue, directly from the nation's largest public affairs forum. Each episode captures live, thoughtful conversations with leading voices from across the political spectrum and various fields, all committed to exploring the most pressing issues of our time. As a nonpartisan and nonprofit operation, the Club’s priority is substance over soundbite, fostering a depth of discussion that is increasingly rare. You’ll hear authors, policymakers, scientists, and cultural figures engage in nuanced debates and detailed analyses, reflecting a genuine diversity of perspectives. This isn't just a recording of events; it's an ongoing, accessible chronicle of American and global thought. The audio you find in this podcast feed originates from the longest-running weekly radio broadcast of its kind in the United States, a tradition started in 1924, now shared with a modern audience. Updated frequently throughout the week, the feed ensures you have direct access to a forum where complex ideas about government, society, and current events are given the time and respect they deserve. Tune in for a consistently enlightening experience that challenges assumptions and provides context far beyond the daily headlines.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Gad Saad: Suicidal Empathy - Dying to Be Kind [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:50
What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. Saad says “maladaptively…
Barbara McQuade: Saving American from a Mob-Style Government [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:05
Bestselling author and former U.S. attorney Barbara McQuade returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to share her exposé on the escalating threat of far-right politics—and a clear roadmap for saving our democracy. McQu…
Fair Play: Welcoming the World, Protecting Our Communities [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:40
Celebrate Pride House SF’s launch with soccer, celebration, community, and a powerful conversation on human rights in sports. Pride House SF officially opens its doors with an evening of celebration, community, and conve…