San Francisco Budget and Appropriations Committee Public Hearing on FY 2022-2024 Budget - June 24, 2022

The Budget and Appropriations Committee convened on June 24, 2022, to hear public testimony on the Mayor's proposed budget for fiscal years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. The meeting, chaired by Supervisor Hillary Ronen (absent at final vote, Vice Chair Asha Safai presiding), was held in a hybrid format with in-person and remote participation. Over 150 speakers testified, representing diverse communities and coalitions, advocating for funding priorities ranging from affordable housing and food security to immigrant legal services and alternatives to policing. The committee did not debate or vote on the budget; the entire meeting was reserved for public comment. The meeting recessed to forward unfinished items to the June 27, 2022 meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

Immigrant and Worker Rights

• Multiple speakers, including members of the San Francisco Immigrant Legal Defense Collaborative (SFILDC) and the Immigrant Parent Voting Collaborative (IPVC), urged continued funding for legal representation and civic engagement. The IPVC reported reaching 131,000 people through materials and conducting 282 educational events. Advocates stressed that additional $250,000 for IPVC and $627,000 for SFILDC are needed to sustain services for vulnerable immigrant communities.
• Workers' rights organizations called for increased funding for outreach and enforcement, noting that many low-wage workers experience wage theft and lack paid sick leave. The Chinese Progressive Association and others requested resources for the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement.

Housing and Homelessness

• The Women's Housing Coalition and Community Forward SF requested relocation funding for the only low-barrier 24-hour drop-in center for unhoused women, serving 3,000 women annually. They noted that 35% of homeless population are women and that women are 106 times more likely to be assaulted in co-ed shelters.
• Supporters of Cameo House, an alternative sentencing program for justice-involved women with children, urged full funding, highlighting that it serves 11 women and 24 children and prevents homelessness and incarceration.
• The SRO Families United Collaborative called for $8.5 million for rental subsidies and $1.5 million for paid job training. Numerous SRO residents testified about overcrowding, lack of space for children, and unsafe conditions.
• The HESPA coalition requested hotel vouchers, subsidies for families fleeing domestic violence, and wage equity for frontline workers. They noted that 40% of homeless women experience sexual assault.

Community Health and COVID Response

• The Latino Task Force and Latinx Equity Coalition asked for restoration of funding for COVID testing and vaccination hubs, food distribution, and employment services. One speaker noted that their hub had vaccinated over 50,000 people and distributed 13,000 pounds of food weekly. Others highlighted that the Latinx community accounted for 80% of COVID cases in 2020.
• The Budget Justice Coalition opposed cuts to the Human Services Agency's community food coordination grants, which support 70,000 households.
• Supporters of CART (Compassionate Alternative Response Team) urged the board to fund and implement the program as a non-police response to homelessness and mental health crises, noting that $3 million was allocated last year but not yet deployed.

Policing and Public Safety

• Several speakers, including the Hotel Council of San Francisco and individual residents, supported full funding for SFPD, citing a voter survey where 79% of voters said police presence makes them feel safer and 78% support increasing officer numbers.
• Conversely, many activists and community groups opposed the proposed $50 million increase for police, arguing the money should be redirected to housing, mental health services, and CART. They cited police violence and racial disparities in homelessness (38% of unhoused are Black while city is less than 3% Black).

Child Care and Education

• Parent Voices and the Early Care and Education Advocacy Coalition called for protecting Prop C funds for child care, noting 3,000 children on waitlists and that 25% of children experience food insecurity. They asked for $8 million in additional child care investments and opposed using Prop C funds for family resource centers without sustainable alternatives.
• The Family Resource Center Alliance requested $7 million over two years for FRCs but urged finding a source other than Prop C.

Senior and Disability Services

• Senior and Disability Action requested $4 million for operating subsidies, $10 million for portable rental subsidies, $10 million for SRO elevator repairs, $200,000 for wheelchair repair, and $3.5 million for digital inclusion. Speakers described seniors isolated by broken elevators and unable to access medical care.

Public Library Safety

• Library workers from multiple branches requested funding for 8207 building and grounds patrol officers at all branches, citing an increase in violent incidents (31 level-one violations since January 2022) and the need for trained de-escalation professionals.

Climate and Environment

• The San Francisco Climate Emergency Coalition and others urged funding for the Department of Environment's climate action plan, warning that delays will increase costs and exacerbate other crises.

Arts and Culture

• Organizations such as the Chinese Culture Center (CHAT program), Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center, and First Voice requested funding for arts education and cultural festivals, emphasizing their role in community identity and economic recovery.

Public Defender Funding

• Attorneys and staff from the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office called for additional funding to hire more attorneys, social workers, and support staff to manage ballooning caseloads due to pandemic backlogs. They noted that the PD's budget is half that of the DA's office and 15 times less than SFPD.

Key Outcomes

• The committee took no votes on the budget items.
• A motion by Supervisor Walton, seconded by Supervisor Chan, to forward the remaining unfinished agenda items (the budget ordinances and other legislation) to the June 27, 2022 meeting was approved 4-0 (Supervisor Ronen absent).
• The meeting recessed to reconvene on Monday, June 27, 2022.
• Public comment was closed after extensive testimony; the committee will consider the input during budget deliberations.