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Committee endorses moving Mayor’s Homeless Fund to Mayor’s Office of HOPE
Summary
The Budget & Finance Committee recommended transferring administration of the Mayor’s Fund for the Homeless from the Human Services Agency to the Mayor’s Office of Housing, Opportunities, Partnership and Engagement to increase visibility and fundraising flexibility; presenters cited recent initiatives the fund would support, including Lava Mae, mobile dental vans and veterans housing efforts.
Former Supervisor Bevan Dufty told the committee the measure would transfer administration of the Mayor’s Fund for the Homeless from the Human Services Agency to the Mayor’s Office of HOPE to make the fund more visible and to facilitate direct fundraising and partnership support.
Dufty highlighted how the fund can support short-term flexible needs that are hard to meet with programmatic funding—examples included a pilot pets-and-residents program in supportive housing, dental vans used at an LGBTQ outreach event, and support for Lava Mae’s converted buses that provide showers for people experiencing homelessness. He said the fund would allow donors to make tax-deductible gifts to support nimble responses to gaps in services.
Committee members asked about fund size and replenishment. Dufty and Monique Smuda of the Controller's Office reported the fund balance is roughly $200,000 at present and that past infusions (for example a 2004 Dave Matthews concert donation) had temporarily increased balances in prior years. Dufty said the office plans to establish a three-member advisory board to review proposals and help steward donations.
Mr. Dufty and staff emphasized that the amount available varies with donations and that the office would pursue broader fundraising partnerships. The committee moved the item forward with recommendation and no opposition.
What happens next: If the Board approves the transfer, the Mayor’s Office of HOPE said it will finalize governance criteria and advisory board membership and begin active fundraising and outreach to coordinate donations with programmatic needs.
