SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — San Francisco Mayor London Breed signed the largest budget in the city’s history today.
The $12 billion spending plan spans two fiscal years.
That budget includes big investments into trying to alleviate some of the city’s biggest problems: homelessness and the lack of affordable housing.
Surrounded by department heads and supervisors, Breed signed a city budget that is bigger than that of some states.
Much of the $12.3 billion is already earmarked to things like the airport and muni.
But this two year fiscal plan does include some major investments in some of the cities most critical problems, including more than $180 million in new funds going to increasing affordable housing, both creating new units or preserving old ones.
One program called small sites that’s getting help buy up apartment buildings up for sale like one on the corner of 9th and Clement, a purchase that is keeping it’s 11 mostly senior residents from losing their homes to gentrification.
“When the city comes in and purchases these properties, it becomes permanently affordable forever so really a lifeline for these people who have spent most of their adult lives here,” Breed said.
There’s over $100 million in added investment going to combat homelessness, like funding the construction of navigation centers like the one being constructed in the Embarcadero.
Another $50 million is going towards mental health reform, including adding 100 new beds in behavioral health and drug recovery centers.
“Because we know that’s one of the biggest challenges we face with so many people who are on our streets,” Breed said.
There’s an added $12 million going to help keep the city’s streets cleaner, adding new pit stops, public toilets minded by attendants and expanding their hours they are staffed.
The public works department will also be getting more trash cans and hiring more people.
The mayor says residents should start seeing the results of these investments over the next few months once this money starts getting spend.
