Oversight committee votes to recuse members on specified items and urges mayor to restore $56M to housing

The Our City, Our Home Oversight Committee on June 4 voted on two formal actions: (1) a roll-call vote to recuse Member Jackson and Vice Chair D'Antonio from specified agenda items and (2) a separate motion urging the mayor to restore roughly $56 million moved from housing to shelter in the proposed OCO spending plan and to engage the committee on strategies to address projected out‑year shortfalls.

Why it matters: the recusal vote was a procedural step that allowed committee members with conflicts to be temporarily excused from portions of the meeting. The committee's substantive recommendation asking the mayor to restore roughly $56 million reflects member concern about large reallocation of OCO housing fund balances to shelter operations and vouchers and signals the committee's intent to weigh in formally before the board of supervisors adopts the budget.

Recusal vote (Item 4): The committee moved to recuse Member Jackson from agenda item 5 (shelter and hygiene service-area discussion) and to recuse Vice Chair D'Antonio and Member Jackson from agenda item 6. The motion was moved by Member Walton and seconded by Member Friedenbach. Roll call recorded the following votes: Member Friedenbach — yes; Member Haddix — yes; Member Preston — yes; Member Walton — yes; Chair Williams — yes. Members Schifrin and Martinis were absent. The secretary announced the motion passed.

Committee recommendation to restore $56 million (Item 7): Member Friedenbach moved that the committee “urge the mayor to restore the $56,000,000 that is being removed from housing, over to shelter” and to engage the committee on solutions for future shortfalls. Member Haddix seconded the motion. The committee discussed balance between shelter expansions and permanent supportive housing, the timing of projected funding cliffs, and requests for implementation and exit metrics. The roll-call vote on the motion recorded: Member Friedenbach — yes; Member Haddix — yes; Member Preston — yes; Member Walton — yes; Chair Williams — yes; Vice Chair D'Antonio — recused/absent; Members Schifrin and Martinis — absent. The chair announced the motion passed.

Notes and next steps: committee members asked that the mayor and budget staff provide the committee with data on program exits, ramp-up timelines, lengths of stay and utilization as the new shelter- and treatment-site contracts are implemented, and indicated they want to be engaged in planning to address projected operating shortfalls in 2027–2029. The committee then adjourned.