San Francisco lawmakers vote to create reparations fund for Black residents without initial funding

"The measure does not allocate any initial city dollars, a move that may have helped secure support from the board's moderates after repeated years of city budget shortfalls. Instead, the ordinance establishes a framework to receive future contributions - whether through city appropriations or private donations. "This most certainly is different than asking the city to pony up dollars to support reparations recommendations," said Supervisor Shamann Walton, who authored the ordinance."

"The vote follows years of work by the city's African American Reparations Advisory Committee, which in March 2023 released a sweeping draft proposal that included over 100 recommendations. Those included one-time lump-sum payments of $5 million to each qualifying Black adult, guaranteed annual income of $97,000, down-payment assistance, tax and debt relief, and affordable housing options such as homes for just $1 - marking one of the most ambitious reparations plans in the country."

San Francisco supervisors approved an ordinance creating a reparations fund framework to address harms from past discriminatory city policies. The ordinance does not allocate initial city dollars and will accept future contributions through city appropriations or private donations. Supervisor Shamann Walton said the plan differs from asking the city to provide funds and emphasized building a pot and setting prioritization criteria. The African American Reparations Advisory Committee released a March 2023 draft with over 100 recommendations, including $5 million lump sums, $97,000 guaranteed annual income, down-payment assistance, tax and debt relief, and $1 housing options. The committee noted systemic disinvestment and mass displacement in Black neighborhoods from the 1950s to the 1970s.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco