§ 20.21

(a) From 2022 through 2024, based on the City’s annual Point-In-Time Count, the number of unsheltered households in San Francisco with minor children increased by 98%.

(b) High rent, wage stagnation, and the high cost of living continues to make housing in San Francisco unaffordable, and as a result, permanent rent subsidies provide families the best chance of exiting homelessness. Accordingly, short-to-medium-term subsidies are an important resource for a portion of the homeless population who, with appropriate support over time, are able to assume responsibility for payment of rent on their own.

(c) The City operates a number of programs that offer families rent subsidies that last for a period of time between three months and three years. Some families who accept a time-limited subsidy may be unable to assume responsibility for paying the rent on their own at the end of the fixed term, leading to a return to homelessness. With additional time and support, many such families could become financially self-sufficient and afford their rent on their own. For example, HSH data shows a higher rate of positive outcomes for family households that were able to extend their subsidy beyond two years.

(Added by Ord. 289-24, File No. 241038, App. 12/19/2024, Eff. 1/19/2025)

For purposes of this Article XXI, the following definitions apply:

“City” or “San Francisco” means the City and County of San Francisco.

“Household” means any person or persons who resides, or intends to reside, in the same housing unit with at least one person under the age of 18.

“HSA” means the Human Services Agency.

“HSH” means the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing.

“Rapid Rehousing Programs” means the Time-Limited Rent Subsidy programs operated by HSH or HSA to provide rent subsidies to families experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

“Time-Limited Rent Subsidy” means a recurring payment provided through a Rapid Rehousing Program to an eligible Household, with a fixed term of no more than three years. A Time-Limited Rent Subsidy shall not include any payment to a tenant or landlord for the purpose of preventing eviction by curing a tenant’s nonpayment of rent and/or other charges.

(Added by Ord. 289-24, File No. 241038, App. 12/19/2024, Eff. 1/19/2025)

To prevent families from returning to homelessness and enhance the effectiveness of the City’s Time-Limited Rent Subsidies, it shall be the policy of the City, subject to the budgetary and fiscal provisions of the Charter, to:

(a) Ensure that every Household that receives a Time-Limited Rent Subsidy is assessed no later than three months prior to the expiration of that subsidy to determine if the Household is at risk of returning to homelessness at the end of the fixed subsidy term; and, where the assessment concludes that termination of the Time-Limited Subsidy is likely to result in a Household’s return to homelessness, ensure that the Household is provided with one or more extensions of the rent subsidy for a maximum subsidy term not to exceed five years,; [1 ] and

(b) Ensure that every Household that receives the maximum subsidy term is assessed to determine whether the Household is at risk of returning to homelessness; and where the assessment concludes that a Household is likely to return to homelessness, ensure that the Household is referred to other City housing programs; and

(c) Ensure that every Household that receives a Time-Limited Rent Subsidy is provided with notice that they may be eligible for an extension of their rent subsidy under this Article XXI; and

(d) Maximize and exhaust all available federal and state funds that may be used to provide rent subsidies before expending General Funds to comply with this Article XXI.

(Added by Ord. 289-24, File No. 241038, App. 12/19/2024, Eff. 1/19/2025)

CODIFICATION NOTE

1. So in Ord. 289-24.

(a) By no later than December 1, 2025, and every year thereafter, the Homeless Oversight Commission shall hold a hearing to discuss implementation of the Rapid Rehousing Programs, and shall issue a report including, but not necessarily limited to:

(1) the number of Households served through the Rapid Rehousing Programs;

(2) the average duration of the subsidies received;

(3) the number of Households that found permanent housing within or outside the homelessness response system;, [1]

(4) the number of unused Rapid Rehousing placements;

(5) the number of Households that were assessed for an extension at the end of their Time-Limited Subsidy;

(6) the number of Households that were not eligible for Rapid Rehousing; and

(7) any recommendations for changes to the City’s Rapid Rehousing Programs.

(b) HSH shall be responsible for gathering information necessary to prepare the report, including information from HSA, and submitting a draft report to the Homelessness Oversight Commission.

(Added by Ord. 289-24, File No. 241038, App. 12/19/2024, Eff. 1/19/2025)

CODIFICATION NOTE

1. So in Ord. 289-24.

Nothing in this Article XXI shall be interpreted or applied so as to create any requirement, power, or duty in conflict with any federal or state law.

(Added by Ord. 289-24, File No. 241038, App. 12/19/2024, Eff. 1/19/2025)

If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this Article XXI, or any application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of a court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions or applications of the Article. The Board of Supervisors hereby declares that it would have passed this Article and each and every section, subsection,

sentence, clause, phrase, and word not declared invalid or unconstitutional without regard to whether any other portion of this Article or application thereof would be subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional.

(Added by Ord. 289-24, File No. 241038, App. 12/19/2024, Eff. 1/19/2025)

In enacting and implementing this Article XXI, the City is assuming an undertaking only to promote the general welfare. It is not assuming, nor is it imposing on its officers and employees, an obligation for breach of which it is liable in money damages to any person who claims that such breach proximately caused injury.

(Added by Ord. 289-24, File No. 241038, App. 12/19/2024, Eff. 1/19/2025)