By Jorge Casuso

July 11, 2025 -- A new City program that offers homeless individuals who have committed low-level crimes an alternative to jail is off to a promising start, City officials said.

Of the 56 people referred to the new SaMo Bridge program by police between its opening on May 12 to June 21, a total of 37 individuals "were immediately and successfully connected to housing and supportive services," City officials said.

Of the total referred, 55 agreed to enter the program run out of two trailers on the Civic Auditorium lot that offers a "respite hub" for those with current or prior low-level misdemeanors and non-violent felony convictions.

Forty-seven of those served, or 85 percent, had prior contact with law enforcement for misdemeanors that can range from "violating the City’s camping ordinance, to loitering in front of a business, petty thefts and some drug charges," officials said.

"The goal is to address the root causes of individuals’ contact with the Police Department and the criminal justice system," officials said in an email to The Lookout.

Only law enforcement can refer individuals to SaMo Bridge, a three-year $8 million State-funded program that is a collaboration between the City Attorney’s Office, Police Department and the nonprofit Exodus Recovery.

At the respite hub, which operates around the clock, Exodus staff provides light snacks, a shower, clean clothing and a safe place to rest for up to 72 hours, City officials said. So far, the average length of stay has been 13 hours.

"While the individual is at the hub, staff immediately initiate case management services" that include "connecting them to housing resources, substance use treatment and mental health care," said City spokesperson Tati Simonian.

"Since operations began, the team has been addressing challenges as they come up," Simonian said. "Working with a population with complex histories and trauma, addiction and mental health needs is challenging work.

"Individuals often default to saying 'no,'" she said, adding that the hub's staff from Exodus Recovery, Inc. "are highly skilled in building trust in order to get participants to accept services and take the next step towards recovery."

Individuals who complete a 90-day care plan can "earn a dismissal of their charges or the City Attorney’s Office will not file a new case, incentivizing their road to long-term stability and recovery," Simonian said.

The City's goal is to engage 260 individuals a year through the program, which costs an average of $2.66 million a year, or $10,000 per individual served.

"By offering services first and prosecution second, the city seeks to interrupt the cycle of arrest, release, and re-arrest that leads to prolonged episodes of homelessness," City officials said.