San Francisco Budget and Appropriations Committee Hearing on Transitional Housing and Sheriff Oversight - May 17, 2023
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San Francisco Budget and Appropriations Committee Hearing Summary
Date: May 17, 2023 Committee: Budget and Appropriations Committee, San Francisco Board of Supervisors Members Present: Chair Connie Chan, Supervisor Hilary Ronan (excused for items 2-3), Vice Chair Rafael Mandelman, Supervisor Shamann Walton, Supervisor Ahsha Safaí Clerk: Brent Taliba
Introductory Paragraph
The Budget and Appropriations Committee convened on May 17, 2023, to discuss two main agenda items: (1) a hearing on the status of programming and funding for transitional housing programs serving criminally involved individuals, including Cameo House and Norma Hotel, and (2) a hearing and resolution to accept the Sheriff's Department Oversight Board (SDOB) 2022 Annual Report. The meeting highlighted the success of transitional housing programs and the progress of establishing an independent oversight body for the Sheriff's Department.
Consent Calendar
- No formal consent calendar was used; all items were acted upon individually.
Public Comments & Testimony
Item 1 (Transitional Housing):
- Victoria Westbrook (Adult Probation) expressed gratitude for continued funding for Norma Hotel, emphasizing its success in teaching life skills to justice-involved transitional age youth (TAY) and its impact beyond reducing homeless nights.
- A formerly homeless individual expressed concern about the city's repeated budget cuts to these programs and called for an audit of the last 10 years of budget activities.
- Dan Macallair (Executive Director, Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice) thanked the Committee and Sheriff's Department for their support of Cameo House, noting it was the first residential alternative sentencing program for women with children.
- Francisco DeCastro (public comment) emphasized the need for wraparound services (e.g., psychiatrists, psychologists, therapy, nutritionists) and a public website detailing services, and alleged that the city has wasted over $400 million on programs without standards.
Items 2 & 3 (Sheriff's Oversight):
- A former Sheriff's Department employee questioned the transparency and effectiveness of the Oversight Board.
- Alexander Nancy Thompson raised concerns about communication and whether currently incarcerated individuals are hired to communicate with affected populations.
- Francisco DeCastro (public comment) criticized the Oversight Board's operations, noting low public attendance, a disconnect between board members, lack of funding and orientation, and questioned why a new body would not be fully funded.
Discussion Items
Item 1: Hearing on Status of Funding for Transitional Housing Programs
- Supervisor Ronan announced that after conversations with the Mayor's Office and various departments, funding for Cameo House and Norma Hotel would be included in the Mayor's budget, averting cuts.
- Rebecca Jackson (Director, Cameo House, CJCJ) described Cameo House's services: alternative sentencing for justice-involved homeless women with children, serving 11 families (up to 22 children), with an average stay of 18 months. She noted that over 90% of women have substance use history, over 100% have experienced violence, and the program emphasizes dignity and individualized life plans.
- Shania Brander (Program Manager, Recovery Survival Network) detailed Norma Hotel's services for justice-involved individuals aged 18-35, providing housing, life skills, and savings opportunities. She highlighted a success story of a client who reunified with family, obtained permanent housing, and reduced charges.
- Supervisors Chan, Ronan, Walton, and Safaí expressed strong support for the programs, emphasized the importance of public safety beyond law enforcement, and praised collaborative efforts to secure funding.
Items 2 & 3: Sheriff's Department Oversight Board 2022 Annual Report
- Supervisor Walton provided background on the creation of the SDOB via Prop D (November 2020), its charter duties, and the need for independent oversight.
- Jason Wector (SDOB President), Socheal Carrion (Vice President), and Dan Leo (SDOB Secretary) presented the annual report. Key points included:
- Recruitment for the Inspector General (IG) is ongoing, with a timeline to hire by October 2023.
- The Office of Inspector General (OIG) does not yet exist; current staffing is minimal (only the Secretary).
- The budget for the new department was originally set below $3 million but was cut by about half a million dollars in the previous budget year. The board identified a need for 7 additional positions (total 20) to become operational, including a receptionist, legal assistant, IT administrator, data analyst, additional attorney, and public relations officer.
- Community meetings have been held to solicit input, but attendance has been low (four members of the public at the first three meetings).
- DPA has been providing infrastructure support, including complaint investigations, and has an online complaint portal, but the OIG will have broader authority to investigate all complaints.
- Supervisor Ronan raised concerns about DPA making decisions (e.g., location, database) that should be deferred to the future IG to ensure autonomy. She emphasized the importance of accessibility for impacted populations.
- Supervisor Chan noted a scheduled community meeting was cancelled due to quorum issues.
Key Outcomes
- Item 1: The hearing was heard and filed unanimously (5-0), with funding for Cameo House and Norma Hotel confirmed in the Mayor's budget.
- Items 2 & 3: A motion to excuse Supervisor Ronan for the remainder of the meeting passed (4-0). The hearing (Item 2) was heard and filed, and the resolution accepting the SDOB Annual Report (Item 3) was forwarded to the full Board with a positive recommendation, both by a vote of 4-0.
Next Steps: The Inspector General recruitment is expected to be completed by October 2023; the SDOB will continue community outreach, including a scheduled meeting at Glide Memorial Church in early June 2023.
Meeting Transcript
The meeting will come to order. Welcome to the May 17 2023 meeting of the budget and appropriation committee. I'm Supervisor Connie Chan, Chair of the Committee. I'm joined by Supervisors Hilary Ronan and Shaman Watton, hopefully shortly by Vice Chair Rafael Mendelman and Supervisor Asha Safayi. Our clerk, it's Brent Taliba. I would like to thank Jaime at Evatary from SFGAU TV for broadcasting this meeting. Mr. Clark, do you have any announcement? Thank you, Madam Chair, with our return to the chamber. Just a friendly reminder for those in attendance, to please to make sure to silence all cell phones and electronic devices so as to uh not interrupt our proceedings here in the chamber. Uh the Board of Supervisors and its committees are now convening hybrid meetings that allow in-person attendance and public comment, while still providing remote access and public comment via telephone. Uh the board recognizes that equitable public access is essential. And we'll be taking public comment as follows. Public comment will be taken on each item on this agenda. Those attending in person will be allowed to speak first, and then we will take those who are waiting on the telephone line. And for those waiting uh or for those watching remotely in streaming through sfgovtv.org. The public comment call in number is streaming across the screen when connected. You will hear the meeting discussions, but you'll be muted and enlisting moon only when your item of interest comes up and public comment is called. Those joining us in person should line up to speak, while those on the telephone should dial star three to be added to the speaker line. If you're on your telephone, please remember to turn on your TV and all listening devices may be using. And each speaker will be allowed at the two minutes to speak unless otherwise stated. Alternatively, you may submit public comment in writing in either of the following ways. Email them to myself, the budget and appropriations committee clerk at B-R-E-N-T.jsf G-O-V dot or G. If you submit public comment via email, it will be forwarded to the supervisors and also included as part of the official file. You may also send your written comments via U.S. Postal Service to our office in City Hall. That's one Dr. Carlton B. Goodlick Place. Room 244, San Francisco, California, 94102. And finally, Madam Chair, items acted upon today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors' agenda of May 23rd unless otherwise stated. Madam Chair. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Please call item number one. Yes, item number one is a hearing on the status of programming and funding for Cameo House, Norma Norma Hotel, and any other successful transitional housing programs that serve criminally involved people, including women and transitional aged youth, young adults. Specifically examining why these successful and popular programs with proven positive impacts on homelessness are cut from the mayor's budget every single fiscal year. Today's meeting ID is 24. Sorry, pardon is 2604 967-6141. Then press pound twice. And if you haven't already done so, please dial star three lineup to speak. Hey, prompt will indicate that you'll raise your hand. And when the system indicates you have been unmuted, uh you may begin your comments. Madam Chair. Thank you. Just one note that Vice Chair Raphael Mendelman has joined us now. And I'm going to turn this over to Supervisor Ronan and the floor is yours, and you can run the presentation. Thank you. Thank you, Chair Chan. Um, and thank you for scheduling this today.
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