Breed puts her stamp on budget committee
Board of Supervisors President London Breed released committee assignments this week and announced the creation of a special committee to look into how the city can deal with potentially severe federal funding cuts under President-elect Donald Trump.
The biggest shakeup was on the Budget and Finance Committee. Breed named Supervisor Malia Cohen chair of the committee, replacing Supervisor Mark Farrell, who chaired the committee for the past four years.
Cohen will also serve as chair of a Budget and Finance Federal Select Committee to address potential federal funding cuts, alongside new supervisors Sandra Fewer and Jeff Sheehy. Breed
sors Sandra Fewer and Jeff Sheehy. Breed said she expected the committee to “help plan San Francisco’s defense of our values, diverse communities and funding priorities.”
“The city of St. Francis has never sacrificed our values or our people, and we will not start now. Not on my watch,” Breed said in a statement.
Farrell will take Cohen’s spot as head of the Land Use and Transportation Committee. That could provide some interesting dynamics, as he will serve on the three-member committee with Supervisor Aaron Peskin. There is no love lost between the two supervisors. Rounding out the committee will be Katy Tang ,a calm presence.
Supervisor Jane Kim was named chair of the Government Audit and Oversight Committee, along with Peskin and Breed. That committee has taken the lead on investigating the Millennium Tower, which has made national headlines for sinking and tilting. New supervisors Hillary Ronen and Ahsha Safai were named chairs of the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services and the Rules Committee, respectively. Board appointees to city commissions first have to go through the Rules Committee.
“I worked hard to create balanced assignments — politically, demographically, and in terms of seniority,” Breed said in a statement. “I sought to respect senior supervisors’ wishes while providing leadership opportunities for newer supervisors.”
— Emily Green Homeless help: San Francisco is set to receive $2.9 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help end youth homelessness.
The money will go to fund rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, transitional housing and innovative programs such as host homes, according to HUD.
San Francisco applied was one of 10 cities and rural communities selected from 130 applicants.
There are an estimated 1,600 homeless youths living in San Francisco, according to the city’s 2015 homeless count. That refers to youths 24 and younger who are living on their own.
“We are definitely committed to finding innovative endeavors and ways to ending homelessness for our most vulnerable youth,” said Ali Schlageter, youth program manager for the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing.
— Emily Green