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Committee approves 7‑month extensions for three non‑congregate shelter booking agreements, amid neighborhood concerns
Summary
The committee accepted department amendments and forwarded seven‑month extensions for three hotel booking agreements (Adante, Kova/Cova, Monarch) that keep 288 non‑congregate shelter units open while longer‑term leases are negotiated; the Kova/Cova location generated neighborhood requests for extra monitoring and a one‑week continuance was sought.
The Budget & Finance Committee on July 10 approved amended booking agreements extending use of three hotels as non‑congregate shelter for seven months to allow the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) time to negotiate longer‑term leases.
HSH Deputy Director Emily Cohen said the three hotels provide 288 non‑congregate units (Adante 93, Kova/Cova 95, Monarch 100) that are widely used and that the department is seeking to move those arrangements into more cost‑effective long‑term leases. The department proposed technical adjustments to the dollar amounts in the ordinances (lower upsizes than originally printed) to align with BLA recommendations; the committee accepted those amendments.
Budget and Legislative Analyst staff observed that booking agreements are an expensive shelter tool (noting annualized costs that can exceed typical shelter costs by tens of thousands per bed) but recommended an extension while negotiations continue. Committee members probed program performance and neighborhood impacts, particularly at the Kova/Cova site on Ellis Street where residents and neighborhood representatives raised concerns about perimeter conditions and drug‑market activity. HSH said the site serves a high‑acuity population (including mobility‑impaired residents) and has strong occupancy and rehousing metrics; the department described active efforts with security, cleaning and partnership with police and Tenderloin services to address perimeter issues.
Public comment included residents and service providers testifying that the hotels are stabilizing for residents and advocates urging continued shelter capacity. The committee accepted HSH amendments, and voted to forward the three ordinances to the full Board; Vice Chair Mendelmann recorded a dissenting vote on one of the items (Kova) at roll call.
