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Board approves $4 million amendment for Mid‑Market/Tenderloin community safety grant despite budget objections
Summary
On Feb. 25 the Board approved a $4 million increase to a community‑based safety grant agreement for the Mid‑Market/Tenderloin program after debate over citywide budget tradeoffs; the vote was 10–1.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 10–1 on Feb. 25 to approve a sixth amendment to a grant agreement that increases funding for the Mid‑Market/Tenderloin community‑based safety program by $4 million, bringing the program’s total to about $68.8 million through June 30, 2025.
Supervisor Bilal Mahmood (recorded in the transcript as "Mahmoud") spoke forcefully in favor of the grant amendment, describing the community ambassadors funded by the program as critical neighborhood resources. "These are men and women who were once incarcerated, but have been given a second chance at life...These ambassador programs...have been shown to reduce crime in areas by as much as 52%, and drug crimes by 80%," he said.
Budget Committee Chair Supervisor Connie Chan said she would vote against the $4 million increase, citing the city's larger structural budget challenges and competing priorities across public services. "When we spend this money, it's actually being taken out from somewhere else...a dollar spent on one thing is a dollar missing for another city service," Chair Chan said. She stressed the need for fiscal prudence and accountability in contracting.
Supporters emphasized that the grant funds community ambassadors, workforce development and violence‑intervention efforts in neighborhoods with high levels of street activity and concentrated need. Several supervisors who supported the amendment noted reports from the SFPD and city departments that ambassadors complement law enforcement and services rather than substitute for them.
The roll call on the amendment recorded 10 ayes and one no, with Supervisor Chan voting no. The resolution authorizes the sixth amendment to the grant agreement between the Office of Economic and Workforce Development and Mid‑Market Foundation to increase the amount by $4,000,000 for a new total of approximately $68,800,000 through June 30, 2025.
The sponsor acknowledged ongoing concerns about contract oversight and results metrics and welcomed additional review during the upcoming budget cycle.
The vote leaves funding in place for the remainder of the fiscal year; supervisors and committee chairs signaled the need for stronger outcome metrics in future contracting and budget deliberations.
