Power Grab: Mayor Lurie is Trying to Rewrite Prop C to Take Funds Away from Affordable Housing
San Francisco voters made their vision clear in 2018: a future where our homeless neighbors are supported by permanent solutions rooted in compassion and evidence. Proposition C, Our City Our Home, was a historic citizen-led initiative that passed with overwhelming support despite millions spent against it. The measure created a dedicated revenue stream to house people -- not just shuffle them from shelter to the streets, and back to shelter. I was proud to lead the District 5 effort to pass this measure which has been one of the most important citizen initiatives in San Francisco history. It has already brought in over a billion dollars by taxing the richest corporations, without which we would have seen homelessness catastrophically explode in San Francisco.
One of the key aspects of Prop C is that it invests not just in eviction prevention and shelters, but in permanent supportive housing for families, youth, and adults. In fact, under the measure, 50% goes to affordable housing. It is crucial to provide long-term exits for homeless people, not just to get off the streets temporarily, but to stay off the streets forever.
At the heart of Prop C was a key safeguard to achieve this vision and withstand political interference from politicians who too often focus on political expediency over long term solutions. Specifically, the measure requires not just a majority (6 of 11 votes), but a supermajority (8 of 11 votes) at the Board of Supervisors to make any changes to the voter-approved funding allocations. That protection was meant to keep politicians from gutting the measure for political gain. Now, that key protection against political interference is on the chopping block.
It’s bad enough that Mayor Lurie is diverting over $34 million from permanent housing for homeless people. Now he’s trying to rewrite Prop. C so the Board can’t stop him from raiding the funds again in the next budget year, too.
A Shift in Power Away from the People
On June 26, at 1:30 a.m, the Board of Supervisors’ Budget and Appropriations Committee voted 4 to 1 to approve a dangerous change to Prop C’s structure, to strip away the supermajority requirement for the next two years, allowing Prop C funds to be reallocated with just a simple majority.
This is an unprecedented move that guts a core protection in one of San Francisco’s most important voter-backed initiatives. It hands over more power to the Mayor’s office and undermines the delicate balance between the legislative and executive branches. It’s exactly the kind of executive overreach the supermajority requirement was built to prevent.
The Mayor already tried to shift $88.5 million away from family and youth housing programs and into single adult shelter beds, many of which lack even a plan or building. He failed to get a supermajority because of public pressure. Now, instead of trying to build support with the people, he’s trying to rewrite the rules. “Stealing” money from Prop C’s lucrative fund is nothing new – the former administration took $200M that was supposed to go to permanent housing in 2022 and spent it on temporary shelter-only solutions.
A Dangerous Precedent for Voter Initiatives
Prop C isn’t just any ballot measure. It was crafted over years of community-led effort by unhoused people, service providers, policy experts, and over 600 volunteers who collected a record number of signatures.
If this change goes forward, it would weaken the integrity of all citizen initiatives in San Francisco and open the door to politically motivated budget raids on essential housing and homelessness services. This would set a devastating precedent that could unravel years of hard-won progress.
This is not how a democracy honors its voters. If the Mayor has a strong, thoughtful proposal in a particular budget year, it should be able to earn a supermajority. That’s how the system was designed to work. Rewriting the rules for future years is anti-democratic and counterproductive..
What Comes Next and How You Can Help
The full Board of Supervisors is set to vote on this legislation Tuesday, July 8. If they approve this change, it will mark a turning point, not just for Prop C, but for how San Francisco treats its voters, its unhoused residents, and the democratic process itself.
Join organizations that are taking action on this, including:
Show up! There’s a rally and press conference on Tuesday, July 8 at 12:00 p.m. at City Hall
San Francisco can’t afford to slide backward. We must protect Prop C. Let’s stand up for families, for youth, and for the voters who fought for this measure in the first place. The last thing we need is raids on housing money, and back room deals that rewrite the rules and undermine the clear mandate from voters.
