San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed’s bond proposal for the November ballot to support a healthy, vibrant San Francisco was approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors today. The bond will fund key health and shelter infrastructure, street safety and road repaving, and public space and park improvements across San Francisco.
Following the Mayor’s introduction of the Healthy, Safe and Vibrant San Francisco bond in April, the proposal was voted on by the City’s Capital Planning Committee before heading to the Board of Supervisors, where eight votes were needed for approval. The Bond measure will now move forward to be included on the November ballot, where it will need two-thirds approval by voters.
“This bond will invest in our critical infrastructure and advance projects that create jobs and prioritize important civic needs,” said Mayor London Breed. “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. I want to thank the Board of Supervisors for moving this forward so voters can help decide how we build a stronger, safer and thriving San Francisco.”
If approved by voters, the $390 million bond funding will invest in critical needs across four main areas:
Strengthening public health infrastructure projects like Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, Laguna Honda Hospital, and Chinatown Health Clinic
The bond will invest $205 million in ensuring safe, resilient, and accessible public health infrastructure. This includes renovating and expanding the Chinatown Health Clinic, which has more than 10,000 patient visits annually being served in a culturally competent manner, 80% of whom speak Cantonese, Mandarin, or Toishanese as a primary language. It will include retrofitting and making critical repairs to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG) and Laguna Honda Hospital (LHH), the City’s two largest public health institutions. This would add 65,000 square feet of seismically safe space at ZSFG, increase capacity at Psychiatric Emergency Services, and help ensure recertification at LHH.
Investing in shelter and housing for homeless families
The bond will invest $50 million in ending family homelessness. 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, including potential site acquisition or renovation.
Delivering street safety improvements and road repaving citywide
The bond will invest $63.9 million in our street infrastructure by delivering street safety projects and road repaving. It will dedicate funding to improve street and sidewalk design and improvements for safe streets, including safer crosswalks, sidewalks, and road safety, and funding for road repaving. It will provide additional funding for traffic safety and road design improvements. An example of this could include intersection improvements at Sloat Blvd. to improve traffic circulation after the Great Highway Extension closure while ensuring safer access to San Francisco Zoo.
Supporting public space and park improvements projects, like Powell Street, Harvey Milk and Hallidie Plazas, and more
The bond will invest $71 million in making improvements to San Francisco’s civic spaces that are enjoyed by all and provide welcoming gathering spaces for the public. This will include investing $25 million in the renovation of spaces such as Harvey Milk Plaza, and $41 million in improvements to Downtown public spaces, including areas like Powell Street and Hallidie plaza to improve the area and repair the elevator.
Support for the Mayor’s Proposed Bond
“Our mission is to fund and support patient care and innovation at ZSFG because we believe in health equity and care for all,” said Kim Meredith, CEO San Francisco General Hospital Foundation. “This bond supports our commitment to those values by providing for seismic upgrades, critical repairs and much needed renovations to deliver quality care at ZSFG for all San Franciscans. We are incredibly fortunate to be in a city that believes in public health, which has made ZSFG a national model.”
“Self Help for the Elderly has been a close partner with the Chinatown Public Health Center since the Lady Shaw Senior Center opened in 1990 and fully supports the need to rebuild the Chinatown Public Health Center,” said Anni Chung, President and CEO of Self Help for the Elderly. “It is important to rebuild this center to continue providing the culturally and linguistically competent medical and health services to our monolingual seniors and immigrant families in the AAPI community.”
“Chinatown Public Health Center has provided crucial medical and public health services to our local Chinese American and AAPI communities for decades,” said Sarah Wan, Executive Director of the Community Youth Center of San Francisco. “Our community needs a state-of-the-art medical center to fully meet the growing needs to provide health care services for the next generation of our youth, families, and growing AAPI senior population in San Francisco.”
“My mother was simply crossing the street when she was hit by a speeding driver at a dangerous intersection in 2011,” said Jenny Yu, Founding Member of SF Bay Area Families for Safe Streets. “She suffers from severe brain injuries and has required 24-hour care since her crash. Our City desperately needs more resources to fix dangerous streets so we’re all safe crossing the street – and this bond with $70 million for Vision Zero projects is crucial."
“Creating safe and joyful streets will help revitalize our neighborhoods and make our City more welcoming for kids and families,” said Robin Pam, Parent Organizer with Kid Safe. “I want to thank the Mayor for her leadership on this critical issue.
“As a worldwide ambassador for San Francisco and our values, Harvey is the ideal person to be celebrated by our city, and in our city,” said Cleve Jones, an LGBT Human Rights Activist and founder of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. “This bond measure will make possible the Memorial at Harvey Milk Plaza, so that it can be a beacon to others all over the world; its very existence will give hope to people who need it. And it is my hope that it inspires others all across the world to become a hero in their own communities, because the world needs a lot more people like my friend, Harvey Milk.”
“We are thrilled to support the Healthy, Safe, and Vibrant San Francisco Bond,” said Brian Springfield, Executive Director of the Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza. “This bond represents a transformative investment in our city's public spaces, ensuring they remain welcoming and accessible to all. The renovation of Harvey Milk Plaza will honor the legacy of an iconic civil rights leader while providing a safe and vibrant gathering place for our community. By revitalizing our civic spaces, we are not only preserving our history but also building a more inclusive and resilient future for San Francisco.”
"As a small business owner on Powell Street who depends on walk-in traffic, these potential investments in the public realm downtown are very heartening," said Lauren Ellis, owner of CK Contemporary Gallery. "I look forward to beautification, pedestrian safety and a general upswing in the environment downtown!"
"Powell Street stands as the crown jewel of Union Square, a vibrant entryway to San Francisco for countless travelers," said Marisa Rodriguez, CEO of the Union Square Alliance. "With all roads converging here and the iconic cable car traversing its path, it embodies the essence of our city's allure. Through these strategic investments, we envision a rejuvenated district, beckoning visitors and locals to engage in commerce, exploration, and community once more."
"As a third-generation hotel owner and operator on Union Square my family has always felt that the visitor experience starts on Powell Street," said Jon Handlery, President and CEO of the Handlery Hotel. "Investing to recapture the beauty and uniqueness of this gateway entrance to the heart of our downtown will pay dividends for our City for years."
“For over 30 years, I’ve managed and leased the Union Square Building, at the corner of Powell & Geary,” said Stephen Brett, Manager, Brett and Company. “It has never been more critical to revitalize Powell Street. Powell is the gateway to Union Square and to our City, forming the first impression that so many millions of visitors have. Whatever we invest now to improve its attractiveness and appeal will pay us back many times over. Rejuvenating this vital corridor will help return San Francisco to its status as a world class city and premier travel destination.”