Board moves Prop I funds to rent relief and housing; splits $104.9M supplemental after questions about Summer Together partner

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors took two related funding votes March 23: it approved an ordinance to appropriate an initial distribution of Prop I revenue to rental relief and the Housing Stability Fund, and it passed a broader $104.9 million supplemental spending package to aid small businesses, arts organizations and youth programs — but did so after removing and continuing a $15 million Summer Together appropriation for further review.

Prop I allocations

On item 23 the board approved the Budget and Appropriations Committee recommendation to appropriate approximately $10,000,000 to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development for rent relief through the Rent Resolution and Relief Fund and about $10,000,000 to the Housing Stability Fund for acquisition, creation and operation of affordable “social housing” in FY 2020–21. Supervisor Dean Preston and others framed the spending as implementing voter intent behind Prop I; the roll call was unanimous.

Supplemental package and Summer Together controversy

Item 24 was a larger supplemental appropriation totaling $104,900,000 to multiple departments and programs — small business grants and relief, grants for arts organizations, support for cultural districts, youth learning and summer programs, overdose prevention work, and additional funding for eviction and rent‑relief related initiatives.

During debate Supervisor Hillary Ronan (identified in the transcript as Supervisor Ronan) raised a procedural and transparency concern about a private organization called TogetherSF (linked with an entity named Hearsay Media on public filings) that appeared on a mayoral press release and social media as a partner in the Summer Together enrollment and outreach effort. Ronan said she had not been consulted and asked for more information about the group’s role, whether it would be handling private philanthropic funds and outreach to SFUSD families, and whether any nonprofit was operating in a way that could politicize a public youth program. Several other supervisors echoed the request for clarity.

To address the concerns, the board took procedural steps rather than blocking the whole supplemental. Supervisor Ronan moved to amend the supplemental by removing the $15,000,000 Summer Together appropriation from the package; the amendment passed 10–1 (Supervisor Stephanie opposed). The amended $89,900,000 package then passed unanimously on first reading. The board then took the duplicated file (the removed $15,000,000) and voted to strike everything except the $15,000,000 appropriation and continue that item to the April 6 meeting for more information; that motion carried 11–0.

What supervisors asked for

Supervisors asked DCYF and the mayor’s office to clarify: (1) the exact role of TogetherSF and any related private entities in outreach and website development for Summer Together, (2) how philanthropic funds (a reported $25 million pledge from Crankstart Foundation for Summer Together) will be segregated from city funds and administered, and (3) data‑handling and privacy safeguards for family enrollment data. Several supervisors said they supported the program and wanted the funding to move quickly once those questions were answered.

Why it matters

The action directs most of the supplemental spending to proceed immediately — a mix of small business relief, arts backfilling for lost hotel tax receipts, childcare and youth learning supports, and overdose response funding — while delaying only the Summer Together appropriation for further review of partners and data/contracting arrangements.

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