Board approves $40.5 million in emergency rental assistance after debate over La Raza CRC capacity

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on April 5 approved resolutions authorizing Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) to execute multiple grant agreements for COVID‑19 emergency rental assistance totaling $40,500,000 and enabling up to approximately $56,500,000 in total program funding.

The vote adopted a package (items 12 and 13) that would allow MOHCD to distribute funds through existing nonprofit partners, including Eviction Defense Collaborative, Catholic Charities and Mission Neighborhood providers. Supervisor Sandra Fewer, acting as chair for the Budget Committee at the hearing, and other supervisors emphasized the urgency of getting rent relief to tenants to prevent evictions.

Why it matters: The board’s action releases a large tranche of local funds intended to fill gaps left by inconsistent state and federal rent relief programs and to avoid imminent evictions. Supervisors pressed city staff and MOHCD to safeguard taxpayer money by verifying grantee capacity where there were allegations of organizational problems.

What supervisors asked and what MOHCD said Supervisor Mariela Ronan (Mission District) pressed the issue at length…