The San Francisco County Board of Supervisors convened on July 29, 2025, to discuss the proposed 1 City Shelter Act, aimed at addressing the city's homelessness crisis through a more equitable distribution of shelter services. The meeting highlighted a strong community backing for the ordinance, with various stakeholders, including labor unions, business leaders, and community advocates, expressing their support.

The ordinance seeks to create a balanced, data-informed system of care that ensures every neighborhood contributes to the solution of homelessness. Currently, 75% of shelter and transitional housing beds are concentrated in just eight neighborhoods, leaving over 1,000 unsheltered residents in more than 30 neighborhoods without access to care. The legislation aims to rectify this imbalance by implementing a fair share rule, which restricts the establishment of new city-funded shelters in neighborhoods that already have a higher share of beds than their unsheltered population.

Key amendments discussed during the meeting included the introduction of a 300-foot buffer between new shelters to prevent hyper-clustering and a biannual equity analysis to ensure ongoing transparency and responsiveness to community needs. The ordinance also includes a sunset provision for 2031, allowing for evaluation and adjustments over time.

Supporters of the ordinance emphasized the need for a collaborative approach to homelessness, arguing that revitalization efforts in neighborhoods like the Tenderloin cannot succeed without equitable distribution of services. They highlighted the importance of community engagement in shaping how services are delivered.

However, some supervisors expressed concerns about the ordinance's potential to further divide neighborhoods and its prescriptive nature. Supervisor Chan voiced her preference for a moratorium on shelters in already saturated areas, while others called for a focus on permanent housing solutions rather than merely distributing shelters.

Despite differing opinions, the meeting underscored a collective recognition of the need for a more equitable approach to homelessness in San Francisco. The board's discussions reflected a commitment to addressing the crisis through community partnership and data-driven planning, with the hope that the 1 City Shelter Act will pave the way for a more just and united city.