San Francisco  The Government Audit and Oversight Committee on Oct. 16 voted to amend and forward a six-month behested-payment waiver allowing the mayor and designated members of the mayor's office to solicit donations to support the "Breaking the Cycle" homelessness, behavioral health and addiction-response initiative.

Policy chief Kunal Modi told the committee the mayor's Breaking the Cycle fund, formed in partnership with private philanthropy and other partners, has "roughly raised around $40,000,000" since May; later in the hearing Modi said the mayors office had "in the door" about $37,200,000 and spent about $15,500,000 of that funding. Modi described deployments to five priority areas, including street outreach and response capabilities, interim housing units and beds, improvements to the homelessness and behavioral-health system, clinical supports for permanent supportive housing, and efforts to improve the system's financial sustainability. He said the mayor's office had deployed funds to family homelessness-prevention pilots, new interim housing predevelopment, a facility for post-ER care after psychiatric holds, Restore program supports for buprenorphine and methadone initiation, and a workforce housing pilot for frontline staff.

Committee members asked whether the administration would commit to reporting donors and amounts; Chair Jackie Fielder offered an amendment to add a reporting requirement consistent with other behested-payment waivers and to require departments to report donors, amounts and any interested-party relationship within 60 days of the waivers expiration. The committee approved the amendment and then voted to forward the amended waiver to the full board with a positive recommendation. Committee members recorded two aye votes and one excused member.

Why it matters: The waiver allows the mayor's office to solicit private philanthropic support to supplement city efforts addressing homelessness, behavioral health and addiction. Committee members emphasized that such waivers should be used sparingly and that the city should show measurable results and transparent reporting.

Next steps: The amended waiver will be transmitted to the Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation. The committee amendment requires departmental reporting within 60 days after the waiver expires.