Committee backs $36.9M Haluna contract to staff city Homeless Outreach Team

The Government Audit and Oversight Committee recommended that the full Board approve a new contract between the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing and Haluna Health to provide comprehensive outreach and case management through the San Francisco Homeless Outreach Team (SFHOT).

Deputy Director Emily Cohen described the re‑procurement process and said Haluna was selected to operate the SFHOT under a contract with an initial term of Jan. 1, 2024 through June 30, 2027 and a not‑to‑exceed amount of $36.9 million. The contract funds 76 full‑time equivalent positions (an increase of 4.2 FTE from the prior agreement), including outreach workers, case managers and program support staff; the contract also includes a small subcontract to local provider Code Tenderloin to ensure coverage when staff are absent.

Cohen and her team described recruitment steps to address a prior staffing shortfall: refined job postings and titles to reach outreach candidates, targeted recruitments with local colleges and training providers, Spanish‑language outreach in partnership with community organizations, and additional administrative support to improve retention.

Budget and Legislative Analyst Nick Menard said the program runs at roughly $9.2 million per year, is mostly general‑fund supported (about 77 percent), and includes updated performance objectives; he recommended approval. The BLA noted the contract contains six options to extend beyond the initial term but that extensions would require Board approval because the not‑to‑exceed amount is based on the initial term.

Committee members asked how a small, Rec & Park work order (about $325,000) feeding outreach in parks would affect the contract if the Mayor’s proposed mid‑year cuts were enacted; Cohen said no final determination had been made and that HSH would adjust the contract accordingly if funding changed.

Supervisors also discussed the distinction between SFHOT, which is deployed by geography to build relationships, and complaint‑driven teams (dispatched through HEART). Cohen emphasized that SFHOT is not an on‑demand dispatch team but is integrated with other street response teams; HEART remains the dispatch avenue for complaint‑generated responses.

The committee voted to send the Haluna contract to the full Board with a positive recommendation.

What’s next: The Board will consider the contract and any required award actions; HSH will continue recruitment and staffing work and will implement the updated performance objectives included in the contract.