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SoMa stabilization fund amended to $100,000; supervisors press for local‑hire guarantees at 333 Harrison
Summary
The committee amended a resolution to reduce SoMa Community Stabilization Fund spending from $120,000 to $100,000 for community coordination and strategic planning; supervisors and community groups pressed developers and CityBuild for concrete local‑hire guarantees for the 333 Harrison project.
The Budget & Finance subcommittee amended a proposed SoMa Community Stabilization Fund expenditure on April 1, reducing the amount in the resolution from $120,000 to $100,000 and striking proposed language to fund a union journey‑level instructor while directing resources to a community coordinator and strategic planning consultant.
Claudine Del Rosario of the mayor’s Office of Housing explained the amendment was requested by the original proposed grantee, Asian Neighborhood Design, and the unions; the committee approved replacing the larger training line with $50,000 for a community coordinator to help link SoMa residents to jobs created by the 333 Harrison development and $50,000 for a strategic planning consultant to reassess the fund's strategic plan and evaluate grantee performance.
Public commenters and community organizations—including Ada Chan (SOMA CAC) and Steve Suzuki (Asian Neighborhood Design)—supported the community coordinator and training investments. Advocates urged stronger monitoring and outcomes reporting so SoMa residents benefit from employment and housing opportunities.
Several speakers pushed for stronger local‑hire assurances for 333 Harrison. Bright Line Defense Project requested a follow‑up hearing where developer and contractor contractual language guaranteeing 25% local hiring would be placed on the public record. Developer Oz Erickson (Emerald Fund) said the developer was finalizing agreements with the mayor's office committing to 25% local hire, had hard‑bid the project and secured FHA approval in principle, and said the project was ready to proceed pending execution.
Supervisor questions focused on how workforce training (CityBuild, Asian Neighborhood Design) will provide outreach, case management and placement, whether the local‑hire commitment can be tracked by trade, and on realistic timelines given that substantial construction jobs occur later in a project's schedule. Asian Neighborhood Design said it had trained nine people under current contracts (with a contract for 15) and expected further coordination with CityBuild to produce about 15 placements per year on site when construction peaks.
The subcommittee moved the amended resolution forward without objection, and asked the mayor's office and implementing partners to clarify outreach, placement and monitoring plans tied to the coordinator funding.
