As budget hearings escalate in San Francisco, the Tenderloin community is making a strong plea for a significant increase in funding. On Thursday, residents and community organizations assembled to urge city officials to allocate $4 million over three years aimed at improving housing, youth services, public spaces, and support for small businesses in the area while addressing ongoing challenges related to drug use.
Rather than specifying individual projects, the proposal emphasizes a participatory budgeting process, allowing Tenderloin residents to guide the allocation of resources in what supporters refer to as the largest such initiative in the city.
The call for funding is part of the Tenderloin Community Action Plan, which has been in motion since 2022. This initiative was launched after then-Mayor London Breed declared a state of emergency in the Tenderloin, subsequently directing $3.5 million towards the neighborhood’s recovery.
These initial funds facilitated various projects, including the Golden Gate Greenway—an initiative aimed at creating a public greenspace—and events such as the recent Eid festival and community tree lightings. The funding also supported the establishment of a center for Arab youth and the Night Navigators program, designed to prevent overdose incidents during nighttime hours, among other projects. Out of the first batch of initiatives funded, eleven have been completed while ten remain underway.
Proponents of the new funding proposal aim to extend the community action plan for another three years, highlighting its unique participatory budgeting process. Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, who represents the Tenderloin, has sponsored a resolution endorsing this extension and advocating that the city utilize the participatory model to inform future programs.
During discussions this week, Supervisors Chyanne Chen and Danny Sauter, members of the Board of Supervisors Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee, expressed their support for the plan, successfully passing a resolution in favor of it. Mahmood has stated he will present this resolution during forthcoming budget meetings at the full board, although it remains non-binding, with ultimate allocation authority resting with the mayor.
It is worth noting that other districts in San Francisco, such as District 7 and District 10, already have established community budgeting processes. However, the Tenderloin Community Action Plan is distinctive as it focuses on a specific neighborhood rather than an entire district. Supporters assert that this initiative has involved a greater degree of resident input compared to other community budgeting efforts, as approximately 1,200 residents and 30 community groups played a role in developing the plan.
The community’s enthusiasm was palpable at a recent hearing where around 70 individuals filled the City Hall board chambers advocating for the plan. Many wore white and neon stickers emblazoned with “TL FOR TCAP,” representing the Tenderloin Community Action Plan.
Speakers at the hearing included immigrants, young adults raised in the Tenderloin, and individuals in recovery from addiction, all of whom shared that the action plan had positively impacted their lives. The Night Navigation Team, for example, has already treated over 1,000 individuals experiencing fentanyl overdoses during its first six months of operation and is now fully funded by the city’s public health department.
While expressing his support, Curtis Bradford from the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation warned against the dangers of temporary investments, asserting that sustained funding is crucial for the future of neighborhood initiatives.
“There’s a lot of big dreams in the [Tenderloin Community Action Plan] blueprint,” remarked Geoffrey McFarland, the senior community engagement manager at St. Anthony’s, highlighting the importance of community-driven guidance in shaping a sustainable future for the Tenderloin.
image source from：https://missionlocal.org/2025/06/tenderloin-community-action-plan/
