Two of San Francisco's few low-barrier youth health clinics are set to shut their doors this summer, frontline workers say, as the city trims the Department of Public Health budget and moves to consolidate services.
Staff at the Michael Baxter Larkin Street Youth Clinic in the Tenderloin and the Cole Street Youth Clinic in Haight-Ashbury say both sites have been flagged for consolidation, and employees report they are being reassigned to other Department of Public Health locations. The closures would shrink the city's loose network of drop-in clinics that serve transition-aged youth and many queer and trans clients, and the news has already pushed community and labor groups to mobilize ahead of an upcoming Health Commission meeting.
Sophia Padilla, a clinician who has worked at the Larkin Street site for nearly three years, told CBS News Bay Area that the clinic operates as a "one-stop shop" for teens and young adults, and that losing it will leave many unsure where to go next. She noted that San Francisco still has a handful of youth-focused sites, but said the smaller, drop-in clinics are the ones that build the kind of trusting relationships that keep vulnerable young people engaged in care.
Local reporting from Mission Local states that workers were told they would be reassigned not only from the two youth clinics but also from the Southeast Mission Geriatric clinic, as part of a consolidation of what the department described as "low-volume" locations. The Department of Public Health characterized the plan as a "resource realignment - not a reduction in services" and said patients would be offered a seamless transition to other outpatient clinics. Clinic staff told Mission Local the announcement landed as a shock after years of understaffing and reduced hours at the smaller sites.
Budget Timeline And What Comes Next
The Health Commission unanimously approved the Department of Public Health's FY26–28 budget at its March 2 meeting, according to the Health Commission minutes. The city's overall budget, which includes the health department's plan, now heads to the Board of Supervisors, which is scheduled to review and vote on the full package on June 11 and June 26, per CBS News Bay Area.
Local Pushback And What It Means On The Ground
Keana Giles, director of health services for Huckleberry Youth Programs, told Mission Local she learned about the closure plans abruptly and said the health department offered little chance to discuss alternatives. SEIU Local 1021 has urged members and community allies to pack the April 20 Health Commission meeting to oppose the cuts, warning that the clinics are "vital" for people who rely on low-barrier care, according to SEIU 1021. Workers and advocates argue that folding drop-in services into larger, more traditional clinics risks creating new hurdles for youth who are unhoused, undocumented or wary of mainstream health institutions.
The Department of Public Health has said it will help patients transfer their care, and the city's Community Health Programs for Youth continues to list remaining clinics and resources for transition-aged youth. The Michael Baxter Larkin Street Youth Clinic is listed at 134 Golden Gate Ave, and Huckleberry's Cole Street clinic is at 555 Cole St, according to Huckleberry Youth Programs. Advocates say the open question now is whether the replacement sites can truly match the low-barrier, relationship-based care that made the smaller neighborhood clinics work for the young people who needed them most.
