Final Budget Does Irreversible Harm to SF Residents, City Policy Priorities

by Contributing Author

Despite important wins, People’s Budget Coalition stands in strong opposition to finalized budget that sacrifices key services and values in order to criminalize poverty

Early on Thursday, June 26, at 2 a.m., the Board of Supervisors Budget and Appropriation committee voted to approve a budget that balances an $800 million deficit on the backs of San Francisco’s poorest and most vulnerable residents while expanding funding for jail expansion, high-end police equipment purchases and Mayor’s Office staffing. 

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Homelessness is Top of Mind for Many Californians. Why Does the Proposed Budget Eliminate Funding for It?

by Contributing Author

by Marisa Kendall, CalMatters

California’s main source of homelessness funding would drop from $1 billion last year to $0 this year in the proposed state budget.

State leaders have been talking a lot lately about cleaning up California’s homeless encampments and moving people indoors. But the tentative budget they’ve drawn up for the upcoming year has many asking: With what money?

Both Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature have proposed gutting the state’s main source of homelessness funding in the 2025-26 budget,

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Keeping San Franciscans Housed and Healthy

by Contributing Author

presented by the Homeless Emergency Service providers Association

The Homeless Emergency Service Providers Association (HESPA) is a coalition of more than 30 community-based organizations serving thousands of homeless and at-risk individuals and families in San Francisco. HESPA members include City-funded service providers, privately funded nonprofits and faith-based providers. HESPA members include leaders on the frontlines of San Francisco’s homelessness response, behavioral health and workforce development systems. 

HESPA’s fiscal year 2025-2026 budget proposal calls on our City partners to prioritize community safety and wellbeing for all residents,

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San Francisco’s Budget Battle: Balancing Safety and Social Services in Mayor Breed’s Proposal

by Contributing Author

by Solinna Ven, Renee Tian and Eliza Cieutat

Mayor London Breed’s budget proposal for fiscal years 2024-25 and 2025-26 has sparked significant controversy and is raising important questions about the city’s direction in addressing public safety, social services, and community well-being.

At the heart of Mayor Breed’s budget proposal is a notable increase in funding for law enforcement agencies, including the Police and Fire departments, District Attorney’s office and the Department of Emergency Management.

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Dramatic Rise in Vehicular and Family Homelessness

by Contributing Author

a statement from the Coalition on Homelessness

San Francisco — Despite a marked improvement in housing placements, underlying socioeconomic disparities combined with a lack of significant federal and state investment in affordable housing have driven homeless rates up 7% in San Francisco.  In particular,  the Point in Time Count showed a 94% increase in family homelessness, and a 90% increase in vehicularly housed.  Increased shelter and housing availability has led to a 13% decrease in street homelessness.  

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City Budget Woes: No Mother Should Roam—We All Deserve A Home! 

by Contributing Author

Aftereffects of a global pandemic are causing fallout for San Francisco’s budget. A deficit of over $780 million—a combination of falling business tax revenue caused by remote work, and tourism that hasn’t reached pre-pandemic levels—could fall on the backs of the poorest San Franciscans. Meanwhile, San Francisco is trapped in a “doom loop” media cycle furthered by tech doomer billionaires like Garry Tan and aligned elected officials. Their push for an austerity budget will place the rising cost of housing,

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The Future Starts Now

by Contributing Author

When Mayor London Breed submitted her budget to the Board of Supervisors on June 1, it had many problematic elements, but one in particular stood out for the Coalition on Homelessness: The mayor’s plan would raid $60 million from youth and family housing to pay for short-term housing, subsidies, shelter and other temporary funds for adults.

While visiting a tiny home site, Mayor Breed announced her plan that she wanted to fund shelter beds for unhoused San Franciscans.

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A Record Add-back Year for the Budget!

by Contributing Author
Members of the Budget Justice Coalition inside Board of Supervisors chamber at SF City Hall

by Jennifer Friedenbach

It was a record add-back year, even though there was a decrease in General Fund revenue and we had a Mayor’s proposed budget that cut many community programs including $60 million from housing for homeless youth and families and $30 million from child care in two voter initiatives (from 2018).  In total the add-back pot for an overall $14.6 billion budget was $80 million over two years.  

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Op-ed: Budget Advocates Missed an Opportunity to Root Out SRO Collaborative’s Conflict of Interest

by Contributing Author

by Jordan Davis

It seems that every year, the budget process in San Francisco is a peculiar song and dance you will not find in any other county—or in very few cities— in California. We could have a professional city manager working with the Board of Supervisors and community to create a workable budget, but there ends up being unpleasant surprises on June 1, and we have to scramble,

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Shower Funding Uncertain After Budget Cuts

by Ian James

Funding for public showers across San Francisco was combined with funding for bathrooms in this fiscal year’s budget, leaving advocates and service providers doubtful that the showers will actually be implemented. 

The Coalition on Homelessness’s original budget request called for $1,070,636 as a stand-alone program through fiscal years 2022 and 2023. These funds would have been sufficient to provide 112,000 showers free of charge in locations in the Mission, Bayview and Haight. 

However,

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