Board approves $19.3M boost to Brilliant Corners housing subsidy agreement after committee flagged slow placements

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on March 4 approved a third amendment to the city's grant agreement with Brilliant Corners that increases the contract by approximately $19,300,000 to a new total of about $59,540,000 and extends the agreement through June 30, 2026.

Supervisor Matt Dorsey, speaking during discussion of the item, described Brilliant Corners' role and the committee's concerns. He said, “Brilliant Corners provides housing location coordination, subsidy administration, and landlord liaison services to support scattered site permanent supportive housing for up to 500 adults in private rental units.” He added that the contractor has “consistently struggled to meet its 75 day placement target, averaging 140 days instead.”

Dorsey told colleagues that some underperformance stems from contractor capacity and staffing shortages, and some stems from the department’s goal-setting. He also said HSH is reprocuring the agreement this spring and that Brilliant Corners was at “full capacity for enrollments with 90 households actively searching for housing.” Dorsey concluded he would vote to approve the amendment “given the forthcoming procurement process, as well as the near term progress we have seen.”

Supervisor Chan said she concurred with the concerns raised in committee. Supervisor Cheryl echoed those points and cautioned that placement metrics can be misleading: “this contract has a 75 day target when in fact the results are closer to 140,” she said, noting averages are affected by people who are never placed.

Despite those concerns, the board took the item without objection and the amendment was adopted. The contract amendment will keep Brilliant Corners in place while the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) proceeds with a planned reprocurement and while the program continues placements under the amended budget and term.

The item was introduced by the board as an amendment to an existing agreement that funds housing search and subsidy services under the Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool. The board record does not show a roll-call vote in the transcript; the item was taken and adopted “without objection.”

The discussion focused on contractor performance metrics, the reasons for longer placement times, and forthcoming procurement steps; supervisors pressed for clearer, realistic goals and accountability in future contracts.

Looking ahead, HSH’s reprocurement and any performance standards adopted in that process will determine whether the program meets the board’s placement expectations and spending timelines.