A powerful plea for housing support echoed through the San Francisco County meeting as advocates rallied for critical funding to address homelessness and tenant rights. Paul Aguilar, a former resident of Marty's Place—a unique low-income housing cooperative for individuals with HIV and AIDS—urged the committee to approve a $50,000 request for capacity building. Aguilar emphasized the potential for this model to be replicated citywide, offering hope to countless others facing homelessness.

The call for action continued with Becky Hamm from Just Cause, who passionately defended the code enforcement outreach program and SRO collaboratives. Hamm highlighted the importance of maintaining funding for these initiatives, which provide essential support to tenants, particularly immigrants who need access to legal resources and basic necessities like childcare and food.

Araceli Catalan, also from Just Cause, shared harrowing stories of tenants living in unsafe conditions, stressing the need for adequate repairs and tenant rights education. She urged the committee to support funding for services that empower renters to advocate for themselves.

Lucia Leal, a tenant counselor, reinforced these sentiments, recounting a distressing incident where a family faced a ceiling collapse during lunch. Leal called for continued funding for outreach programs that ensure tenants can live safely in their homes.

As the meeting progressed, the collective message was clear: San Francisco's vulnerable populations need robust support systems to secure safe and stable housing. The advocates' testimonies underscored the urgency of addressing these issues, with hopes that the committee will heed their calls for a more equitable and just housing landscape.