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San Francisco Enacts Reparations Fund Framework Without City Funding

The Human Rights Commission will oversee a donation-based fund, with eligibility and payout details still to be determined.

Overview

  • Mayor Daniel Lurie signed the ordinance on December 23 after unanimous Board of Supervisors approval earlier in December, and it takes effect 30 days after enactment.
  • No city money was allocated, with Lurie citing a roughly $1 billion budget deficit; the fund can accept private donations and any taxpayer spending would require separate action.
  • The framework draws on the 2023 African American Reparations Advisory Committee plan, which included a proposed one-time $5 million payment per eligible Black resident and more than 100 other remedies.
  • Administration is assigned to the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, but eligibility criteria, priorities, and payment mechanics remain unresolved.
  • Public response is sharply divided, with supporters calling it a first step and critics questioning cost and constitutionality; the local NAACP labeled the $5 million figure arbitrary and commentators forecast legal challenges.