San Francisco Sun

San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed, along with Supervisors Rafael Mandelman, Hillary Ronen, Catherine Stefani, Myrna Melgar, Matt Dorsey, and Joel Engardio, have introduced a $390 million bond for the November ballot. The bond aims to support a healthy and vibrant San Francisco by funding key health and shelter infrastructure, street safety and road repaving, as well as public space and park improvements across the city.

The proposed funding is divided into four main categories: strengthening public health infrastructure projects such as Zuckerberg San Francisco General, Laguna Honda Hospital, Chinatown Health Clinic and City Clinic; investing in shelter and housing for homeless families; delivering street safety improvements and road repaving citywide; and supporting public space and park improvement projects like Harvey Milk Plaza and Hallidie Plaza.

Mayor London Breed commented on the initiative saying, “We are working every day to make San Francisco a vibrant and healthy city. This bond will invest in our critical infrastructure and advance projects that create jobs and prioritize important civic needs. It will create safer streets and smoother roads, deliver welcoming and vibrant plazas and public spaces, support families, and strengthen our public health institutions that serve all of our residents. This is how we build a stronger, thriving San Francisco.”

The Bond has been approved by the City’s Capital Planning Committee but requires a vote of support from eight members of the Board of Supervisors to be placed on the ballot. If approved by the Board, it will need two-thirds approval from voters.

The bond includes provisions for expanding safe, resilient, accessible public health infrastructure with an investment of $197 million. This includes renovating Chinatown Health Clinic which serves over 10,000 patients annually who primarily speak Cantonese, Mandarin or Toishanese. The bond also proposes $28 million to acquire a new facility for City Clinic to improve patient experience.

The proposal also addresses family homelessness with an investment of $50 million. San Francisco currently provides over 330 units in family shelter and transitional housing and over 2,300 units of family housing in the Homelessness Response System. The bond will dedicate funding to address the increasing need for family housing and shelter.

Street safety and road repaving will also receive a boost with a proposed investment of $70 million dedicated to improving street and sidewalk design, ensuring safer crosswalks, sidewalks, road safety, and funding for road repaving.

Public spaces are also targeted in the bond with a proposal to invest in improvements to San Francisco’s civic spaces. This includes investing $25 million in the renovation of Harvey Milk Plaza, which includes improvements to the terrace, accessibility improvements, and security upgrades at transit facilities.

The bond has received support from various stakeholders including supervisors Rafael Mandelman, Catherin Stefani, Matt Dorsey and Joel Engardio; Kim Meredith, CEO San Francisco General Hospital Foundation; Anni Chung, President and CEO of Self Help for the Elderly; Sarah Wan, Executive Director of the Community Youth Center of San Francisco; Jenny Yu, Founding Member of SF Bay Area Families for Safe Streets; Robin Pam, Parent Organizer with Kid Safe; Cleve Jones, an LGBT Human Rights Activist; Lauren Ellis, owner of CK Contemporary Gallery; Marisa Rodriguez, CEO of the Union Square Alliance; Jon Handlery, President and CEO of the Handlery Hotel; Stephen Brett, Manager at Brett and Company.