San Francisco officials preview HSH budget, leaders urge safe-parking funding and immediate roll-out of 30% rent standard

Interim Director Abigail Stewart Khan told the Board—s Budget and Appropriations Committee on March 3 that the city—s COVID response to people experiencing homelessness "has led the nation," and outlined a proposed HSH budget that maintains core services while expanding shelter and housing supports.

Khan and Deputy Director Gigi Whitley presented HSH—s proposed FY2021-22 budget of $578,500,000, saying most of the increase year-to-year reflected one-time COVID-related and special revenues. Khan emphasized racial equity work — including an internal Equity Action Plan, an external homelessness-focused equity consultant and a search to hire the department—s first chief equity officer — and said HSH is building public dashboards and a data warehouse to improve transparency and performance monitoring.

Why it matters: supervisors and community callers focused immediate attention on two gaps: a shortfall in resources for safe parking sites for people living in vehicles, and funding to enforce a newly passed 30% rent standard for permanent supportive housing tenants. Those issues have concrete fiscal implications and near-term policy choices for the mayor and board as HSH finalizes its proposals.

HSH—s proposal and priorities HSH described rapid COVID-year work — opening hotels, safe-sleep and navigation centers and building a flex pool designed to deliver…