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SFPUC expands flood‑protection grant funding, commissioners endorse $2M/year proposal
Summary
The SFPUC approved increasing funding for its Flood Water Management Grant Program in FY17–18 and endorsed a proposed biennial budget of $2 million per year; staff said the program will expand eligible projects, raise per‑property reimbursements (currently up to $30,000), and add low‑income assistance and streamlined applications.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission voted Oct. 24 to increase funding for the Flood Water Management Grant Program for the current fiscal year and to direct the general manager to include a $2,000,000‑per‑year grant program budget in the recommended biennial budget for fiscal years 2018–19 and 2019–20.
Stephanie Harrison, a project manager working with the wastewater enterprise and infrastructure division, told commissioners the program reimburses property owners who make flood‑proofing improvements and that staff have received about 20 applications to date, three‑quarters of which have been approved and paid out. She said the program was first approved in 2013, updated in 2015, and is being expanded to increase participation ahead of the rainy season.
Harrison outlined proposed changes the agency is developing: a broader list of eligible flood‑proofing projects, potentially raising the current reimbursement cap (currently up to $30,000 per property), options for partial upfront payment for low‑income homeowners who cannot front costs, a streamlined application process and more technical and administrative assistance to applicants.
The wastewater enterprise and infrastructure staff said the commission’s resolution signals SFPUC’s financial commitment to scaling the program in anticipation of increased interest and to implement substantive program improvements in coming months. The motion to increase the current fiscal year allocation and to recommend $2,000,000/year in the next biennial budget was moved, seconded and passed by the commission.
What’s next: staff will continue designing the detailed program changes, including eligibility expansions and assistance mechanisms for low‑income property owners, and will return with proposed amendments for commission approval.
