HSH presents five‑year "Home by the Bay" plan; supervisors debate funding and priorities

The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) presented its five‑year strategic plan, "Home by the Bay," Sept. 29 to the Homelessness & Behavioral Health Select Committee, laying out system goals, expansion targets and the department’s approach to equity, coordinated entry redesign and performance measurement.

Director McSpadden said the plan covers fiscal years 2023–24 through 2027–28 and centers people with lived experience, housing‑first principles, and data‑driven system modeling. The plan sets five system goals: a 50% reduction in unsheltered homelessness, a 15% reduction in total homelessness, helping at least 30,000 people into permanent housing, ensuring 85% of people who exit homelessness do not return, and providing prevention services to 18,000 people at risk. McSpadden said the city has already started implementing parts of the plan in the FY23–25 budget.

HSH described recent expansions (about 3,100 shelter beds currently and plans to add more) and system measures including vacancy tracking and a new unit‑level inventory to improve referrals. The department said its system modeling shows the targets are achievable only with substantial additional funding and that the new investments are not yet fully secured. McSpadden said meeting the plan will require local and sustained funding increases, state and federal support, philanthropic leverage and improved operations across city agencies.

Supervisors offered mixed reactions. Supervisor Mandelmann said he respected staff work but questioned whether the plan’s 50% unsheltered reduction was realistic without hundreds of millions in additional funding and a different prioritization of short‑term shelter versus long‑term supportive housing. He proposed prioritizing triage, navigation and short‑term exits to clear sidewalks. Several supervisors and the director agreed that the federal government’s lack of investment constrains local efforts and urged continued state and federal advocacy.

The committee opened public comment and heard callers and stakeholders. After discussion Supervisor Ronan moved to declare the hearing "heard and filed" and requested follow‑up reporting. The committee voted 3–0 to file the hearing as heard.

The committee asked for continued reporting on implementation and suggested a return to the committee once the department has results from the budget‑process options for reducing per‑unit costs and further detail on equity tracking and coordinated entry redesign.