San Francisco on Thursday released new details on how to spend $ 60 million this fiscal year to help black residents use funds previously diverted by law enforcement. The funds will go towards housing, health services and a proposed guaranteed income program.
The effort, led by Mayor London Breed and Board President Shamann Walton, aims to improve the lives of Black San Francisco residents by addressing health outcomes, economic prosperity and housing security.
The city announced that it would allocate $ 120 million over two years to efforts last summer at the height of protests against the police killing of George Floyd, in response to calls for relief to police authorities. The remaining $ 60 million is earmarked for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.
The city is now calling it the “Dream Keeper Initiative,” which comes from the verse of poet Langston Hughes: “What happens to a dream that has been postponed?”
“We know we need to focus on helping entire families – from early childhood education to professional training to staff support for their parents – and serving communities that have been systematically harmed by past actions to create real, to see permanent changes. ” Race said in a statement. “To make these decisions, we listened to the African American community about what worked and what didn’t.”
The funding is designed to eliminate long-known differences in the results of black residents. The average income for a black household in San Francisco is $ 31,000 compared to $ 110,000 for a white household. Black residents make up 35 percent of the homeless, but only 5 percent of the city’s population.
The rates of diabetes and hospitalization are also higher in black communities than other races.
Most of the funds, $ 14.9 million, will go to health programs, including mental health services, catering services, and programs to restore justice.
The city will allocate $ 10 million to assist black residents and help with home ownership.
There is also $ 7 million to create a guaranteed income program.
Other expenses include $ 6.6 million to “ensure accountability mechanisms and enable Schwarz-led organizations to support and track results and impacts.” There is $ 6 million in professional education endeavors, including scholarships for those who take part in programs and incentives for students pursuing higher education.
There is also $ 4.8 million to increase employment diversity in city government, $ 3.6 million to youth development and early education programs, $ 3 million to support small business and black-owned entrepreneurs, and $ 2 million -Dollars for investments in historically black parts of the city by improving business corridors or financing cultural events.
Funding for the arts is $ 2.1 million, which will help black theater companies and artist cooperatives and provide scholarships to artists. It will also help black-run arts organizations successfully compete for grants.
Funds are monitored and allocated by various municipal departments under existing programs or the call for proposals.
The spending plan was developed following several community meetings under the direction of the Executive Director of the Human Rights Commission, Sheryl Davis.
Walton called it “the first step in correcting the injustices of history”.
“We must now continue to prioritize communities that have never had a chance to build real wealth,” Walton said in a statement.
jsabatini@sfexaminer.com
Bay Area NewsPoliticssan Francisco News
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