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Board reauthorizes food security task force and establishes Food Empowerment Market fund; adds technical fixes
Summary
Supervisors approved three measures to reauthorize the Food Security Task Force, create a Food Empowerment Market grant fund, and require biennial DPH reporting, adding technical amendments to allow off‑site kitchen partnerships and to request district and housing authority data.
The Board unanimously approved three related measures — items 40 through 42 — designed to reauthorize and strengthen San Francisco’s food‑security work.
Item 40 establishes a special fund to provide grants to nonprofit agencies to establish and operate “food empowerment markets” that prioritize culturally appropriate, dignified food access. Language accepted on the floor expands eligibility to facilities that either have an on‑site community kitchen or partner with an off‑site community kitchen to do food preparation.
Item 41 directs the Department of Public Health (DPH) to produce a biennial report on food security and equity and to request data from key partners, including the San Francisco Unified School District and the San Francisco Housing Authority, to inform that report.
Item 42 reauthorizes the Food Security Task Force and extends its sunset date from July 1, 2021 to July 1, 2026 so the Board and departments can pursue longer‑term planning. Because the extension exceeds the usual three‑year term in the Board’s rules, the measure was passed with the eight required votes for suspension of the rule; the Board approved the items unanimously.
Supervisor Myrna Melgar proposed the community‑kitchen language to allow organizations that partner with a soup kitchen, incubator or compliant off‑site kitchen to receive grant support; Supervisor Safai accepted the friendly amendment and thanked staff and community partners for bringing proposals forward. Supervisors praised community groups that piloted alternatives and urged the mayor’s office and DPH to move quickly on funding and technical assistance.
