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Committee advances Prop I appropriations for rent relief, housing stability; supervisors request higher allocations
Summary
The committee considered an ordinance to appropriate General Reserve funds to rent relief and a housing stability fund, heard public support, and advanced submitted amendments to reflect updated Prop I revenue projections for further consideration on March 17.
The Budget and Appropriations Committee took up Item 9, a finance ordinance that would appropriate $5.7 million from the General Reserve to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) for rent relief and $5.7 million for the Housing Stability Fund in FY2020–21.
Public commenters urged the committee to direct Prop I revenues toward both immediate rent relief and longer-term social housing. Calvin Quick of the Youth Commission, Ken Pujielka of the Chinatown Community Development Center and Patrick Cochran spoke in support, urging that the funds be used as voters intended.
Supervisor Preston reviewed the background: the Board previously established a Rent Resolution and Relief Fund and a Housing Stability Fund and the voters approved Proposition I, an increase in the transfer tax, with about 58% of the vote. Preston said controller projections issued in November and again in February raised the estimated Prop I revenue for the current fiscal year; he asked the committee to accept submitted substantive amendments to reflect the updated projections and to increase allocations to the two funds. Preston emphasized that state and federal rent-relief programs (including SB 91 and federal allocations) were helpful but still fall short of the city’s need and that local Prop I revenue should be used for its intended purpose.
Deputy City Attorney Pearson advised that the submitted amendments are substantive and would require continuance. The committee voted to move the submitted amendments and referred the ordinance, as amended, back to the Budget and Appropriations Committee for March 17 to complete substantive review and final action.
What passed at the meeting was referral for continued committee consideration. The ordinance as introduced would appropriate $5.7 million to rent relief and $5.7 million to the Housing Stability Fund; supervisors signaled intent to amend those amounts in light of updated controller projections and public comment; the committee scheduled further consideration on March 17.
