Committee approves $14.5M amendment for Catholic Charities rapid‑rehousing for families; supervisors press for faster shelter‑to‑housing flow

SAN FRANCISCO — The Budget and Finance Committee on Feb. 5 voted to forward to the full Board a fourth amendment to the grant agreement between the City and County of San Francisco and Catholic Charities for the SF HOME Rapid Rehousing Program for Families.

The amendment extends the grant term through June 30, 2026 and increases contract authority to a total amount not to exceed approximately $14.5 million, according to the clerk’s reading of the item. The committee approved the measure by roll call, with Supervisors Matt Dorsey, Joe Engardio and Chair Connie Chan voting aye.

Emily Cohen, director presenting for the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH), said the amendment adds capacity to serve an additional 29 households and funds subsidy administration, housing‑focused case management, housing location and landlord liaison services. Cohen said the program previously required Catholic Charities to serve 32 families and that the provider exceeded that level by serving 42 during the original grant.

Cathy Lee (identified in the meeting as Catherine Lee), deputy director of innovation and program strategy at Catholic Charities, addressed the committee from the public‑comment queue and thanked the city for the increased funding, saying the agency is committed to inclusive, multilingual outreach and to meeting families’ varied needs.

Committee members pressed staff on operational details. Chair Connie Chan asked for the size of the family shelter waiting list; Cohen said there are roughly 320 families on the shelter waiting list. Cohen explained that hotel vouchers are being used as a sheltering strategy because the shelter system is at capacity and that hotel placements are considered shelter options under current policies.

Cohen provided performance metrics for the program: Catholic Charities placed families faster than contract standards (65 days median placement versus a 75‑day requirement), 97% of households maintained housing for the first 12 months after placement in the original grant cohort, and 82% of clients in the original program exited to permanent housing, she said.

On costs, Cohen said a typical family shelter bed costs about $212 per night to operate, while rapid‑rehousing interventions average roughly $30,000 per household per year, including rental subsidy and wrap‑around services. She told the committee the department has been placing families into shelter at rates that vary by month — 40 families placed into shelter in the most recent month, 27 the month prior — and that exits to housing vary depending on availability of units and landlord participation.

The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing and Catholic Charities told the committee the program focuses on private‑market leases where families hold their own leases and pay a portion of rent, with the subsidy covering the remainder for a limited term.

The clerk’s item description and the presenter’s remarks contained slightly different figures for the amount of the increase: the clerk read an increase of approximately $4.7 million to reach the $14.5 million total, while HSH said the added authority was $4.1 million. The item text and the department materials filed with the committee indicate a total not‑to‑exceed amount of about $14.5 million; the committee approved forwarding the amendment to the full Board with a positive recommendation.

Chair Chan said the committee will follow up on shelter capacity, hotel vouchers, and options to accelerate placements; the item moves to the full Board for final action.