New San Francisco Budget Allocates $446 Million to Coronavirus Response

San Francisco expects to spend $446 million in the coming fiscal year to continue fighting the coronavirus pandemic, Mayor London Breed announced Tuesday.

About $93 million will come out of the city’s general fund, while the rest will be covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state grants and federal coronavirus relief funds.

“We can crush this virus if we all do our part,” Breed said at a press conference announcing the new budget.

The largest expenditure of about $185 million will support “health operations” and pay for COVID-19 testing, personal protective equipment, bolstering hospital and skilled nursing facilities, contact tracing and community outreach.

The mayor’s budget also includes $16.5 million for the city’s COVID-19 command center, which is responsible for coordinating various city agencies’ response efforts. About $183 million is budgeted to pay for shelter, food and medical care for the city’s unsheltered residents, while $46 million will go to programs that address food insecurity.

“People who are confronting the loss of a job or health insurance will need to turn to the city in new ways to help them through this crisis,” said San Francisco Human Services Agency Executive Director Trent Rhorer.

— Monica Lam (@monicazlam), Karishma Patadia (@karishmapatadia)