Committee advances grants for APEC‑impacted businesses and extends homelessness service contracts
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Summary
Supervisors forwarded an amendment expanding OEWD grants to aid businesses harmed by APEC and recommended multiple HSH contract extensions and amendments (Episcopal Community Services and Urban Alchemy) to the full Board, with BLA oversight recommendations and public support from neighborhood leaders and shelter staff.
The Budget and Finance Committee on May 22 forwarded multiple grant- and contract-related resolutions that would expand aid for small businesses affected by APEC and extend or increase spending authority for homelessness services administered by the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH).
Item 6: The Office of Economic and Workforce Development requested Amendment No. 2 to add up to $2,455,000 to an existing agreement with SF New Deal (raising the total to about $11.415 million) to fund grants for businesses impacted by the APEC summit, a Tenderloin-focused opportunity grant program, and program administration. Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who has led outreach on APEC impacts, described the measure as making businesses that stayed open during APEC whole and strengthening relationships with small businesses and cultural institutions. Community leaders including Carol Tang (Children’s Creativity Museum), Raquel Redon Diaz (SoMa Pilipinas), and Scott Rowitz (Yerba Buena Community Benefit District) spoke in support and urged transparency in program design and rapid disbursement.
Items 7–8: HSH presented second amendments to contracts with Episcopal Community Services (ECS). Item 7 extends and increases a Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool agreement to a not-to-exceed of approximately $29.5 million (funded by Proposition C) to continue scattered-site rental subsidies and wraparound services for roughly 130 adults annually. Item 8 extends an ECS housing navigation contract and increases spending to about $16.7 million (state medical funding), funding 19 housing navigators serving roughly 600 clients annually; BLA recommended adding a performance metric to track time to placement and HSH agreed to work with the provider to identify reasonable baselines (current average placement time reported at about 61 days).
Items 9–10: HSH sought amendments to Urban Alchemy contracts for shelter operations. Item 9 extends the 33 Goff cabin community operating agreement to March 31, 2025 and increases the not-to-exceed amount to roughly $11.6 million (Prop C funding). Item 10 revises the 711 Post semi-congregate shelter agreement; HSH and the committee agreed to amend and align term/dollar adjustments and to shorten an initial proposed extension so additional oversight and discussion can proceed. Practitioners and site staff from Urban Alchemy spoke at length about housing placements and neighborhood benefits; staff reported that 33 Goff houses about 70–74 guests in cabin units and 7 11 Post has placed nearly 95–96 people into permanent housing to date.
BLA reports accompanied the items with budget details and compliance notes; the committee voted to forward all items to the full Board with positive recommendations, generally by unanimous roll call.
