In an initiative that could alter San Francisco's approach to homelessness, Supervisor Bilal Mahmood has announced plans to introduce legislation requiring every district to host at least one homeless shelter or behavioral health facility, as reported by KTVU. This bold move aims to distribute the responsibility for addressing the city's homelessness crisis more equitably among all eleven districts. Mahmood's proposal underscores the current imbalance, with neighborhoods like the Tenderloin and South of Market bearing the majority of this burden.
As KTVU detailed, the legislation demands approval of one site per district within the next year and an 18-month timeframe for establishment, Mahmood positive, stating "We already have the votes to pass this legislation with co-sponsors of supervisors from the west side and the east side"; he believes the current board's citywide perspective gives the legislation a unique edge, though it's worth noting similar efforts have failed in the past.
In seeking to mitigate community concerns, Mahmood has outlined a "1,000 feet rule" to prevent concentration of these facilities, which some believe could disrupt local businesses and neighborhoods, this safeguard part of the legislation ensuring that no two shelters or behavioral health sites are within 1,000 feet of each other to prevent the kind of service clustering that has historically affected areas like the Tenderloin and SoMa. "We just had a site, 822 Geary, open up in my district and that component we have guaranteed safety, police presence, ambassadors," Mahmood told KTVU, presenting this as a model for future shelters.
Responses to the proposal are mixed, with some residents expressing apprehension about the potential effects on neighborhood safety and property values, however others see it as a distressing but necessary step, considering the visibility of homelessness in their areas. According to ABC7, one local, Vlad Bets, noted the sadness of seeing homeless individuals in the Richmond District where they lack local services; this legislation not only promises to address such disparities but also embodies a collective citywide strategy that San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie's press secretary says will build on a data-driven site identification policy to serve those in crisis.
Despite varying opinions, the conversation evidently has shifted towards a collaborative approach to what District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood terms a citywide crisis, the impending legislation set to be introduced next week, and while Mayor Lurie has not explicitly endorsed the plan, his office is prepared to work with Mahmood and the Board to assimilate this strategy with their ongoing homelessness initiatives, as seen in a statement obtained by ABC7.
