San Francisco: Mayor London Breed Announces New Budget Investments in Permanent Supportive Housing
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San Francisco, CA — Today, Mayor London N. Breed announced a planned $67.4 million in her upcoming two-year budget to support the City's Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) portfolio by increasing staff wages, enhancing social services, and improving capital infrastructure, with a specific focus on the older portion of the housing portfolio.
  • $30 million over two years dedicated to increasing wages for non-profit staff providing support services and property management across the PSH portfolio.
  • $32.4 million invested in housing programs to provide increased levels of case management services for tenants to ensure that they remain stably housed.
  • $5 million to support capital improvements to existing buildings to address accessibility, safety, and desirability.

Over the last two years, the City has leased or acquired over 2,500 new units of PSH, the largest expansion in 20 years. The FY 2022-23 and FY 2023-24 budget focuses on ensuring equity across the portfolio while continuing to expand housing opportunities for people moving out of homelessness.

"While this year's budget will help us address some of our most pressing issues, it is critical for us to support the investments that we have already made in permanent supportive housing," said Mayor Breed. "We know that housing connected to resources is the solution to homelessness.  These investments allow us to maintain the critical infrastructure and staffing needed to help keep our vulnerable residents off the street and in housing."

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"Mayor Breed's Permanent Supportive Housing budget investments lead with equity in staffing, services, and infrastructure," said San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing Director, Shireen McSpadden. "These investments are critical in ensuring that our PSH residents have an experience of housing with dignity and meaningful support."

"This great news for the residents and front-line staff in supportive housing. This investment will result in improved services and building upgrades that will help the non-profit housing providers deliver the quality housing that our community deserves," said DISH Executive Director Lauren Hall. "Our workforce has been battered by the pandemic and chronic low wages, and this is a welcome step towards equitable pay for the meaningful work they do every day to support recovery from homelessness."

"The investments in supportive housing announced today are a huge step in the right direction and makes us hopeful as we continue to work with the City to ensure we do right by the people we serve and the frontline staff who worked tirelessly pre-COVID and risked their lives during the pandemic to keep our housing sites operational," said Tramicia Graner Chief Operating Officer & Housing Director at Swords to Plowshares. "We at the Supportive Housing Providers Network also want to acknowledge the community of advocates and providers, for their leadership and commitment to raising up the needs of supportive housing providers here in San Francisco. Their commitment paved the way for this increased investment that was announced today. We look forward to the continued partnership with the City as we know that there is much more work to be done."

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Budget supports include targeted wage equity investments in PSH with $3 million ongoing to increase PSH case manager wages to $28/hour to provide pay equity and promote staff retention. Additionally, $12 million ongoing will increase wages for frontline workers, such as janitors and desk clerks, who operate buildings in the PSH portfolio.

Service enhancements in legacy permanent supportive housing sites will include $16.1 million in FY 22-23 and $16.3 million in FY 23-24 to increase support services and move the City toward a standardized 1:25 case manager-to-client ratio for adults and a 1:20 case manager-to-client ratio for families and Transitional Age Youth (18-24).

Additionally, improving infrastructure in legacy PSH sites includes $5 million in FY 22-23 for one-time capital repairs to improve PSH conditions and install Wi-Fi in legacy sites.

While San Francisco makes these critical equity investments, the City is also expanding housing opportunities. The following investments are paid by a mixture of Proposition C (Our City, Our Home), local, state, and federal funds.
  • Acquisition of at least 90 new units of PSH for youth and families.
  • Investment in the Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool to implement 1,784 slots in the next two years and expanding the goal by 289 adult and youth placements.
  • Additional 679 new permanent supportive housing units over two years, including new units for families and parenting youth.
  • Additional 70 Housing Ladder units for families.
  • Investment of $8 million in funds toward the development of an 80-unit building in an underserved community that will provide 40 units for families exiting homelessness.

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