Friedenbach Loses Key Vote for San Francisco Homeless Oversight Committee Seat

San Francisco, CA – Jennifer Friedenbach, a long-standing and influential homelessness advocate and Executive Director of the Coalition on Homelessness (COH), has lost a crucial vote to retain her seat on the "Our City Our Home" Oversight Committee (OCOH). The San Francisco Board of Supervisors' Rules Committee voted unanimously on Monday to recommend Billy Lemon, executive director of the Castro Country Club, as her replacement. This development marks a significant shift in the oversight of Proposition C funds, which Friedenbach helped establish.

Friedenbach was the primary architect of Proposition C, a 2018 ballot measure that created a tax on large businesses to fund the city's homelessness services and housing programs. The measure has generated over $1 billion for these initiatives, with the OCOH committee overseeing its allocation. She has served on the nine-member committee since September 2021, with her term officially ending in April 2025.

The Rules Committee's recommendation will now proceed to the full Board of Supervisors for a final vote on November 11. Despite the initial setback, Friedenbach expressed a glimmer of hope regarding her position, stating, "We’ll see. It still has to go to the full board." Her potential departure comes amidst growing political tensions and differing philosophies on addressing San Francisco's homelessness crisis.

Mayor Daniel Lurie recently proposed reallocating approximately $34 million from permanent housing towards temporary shelter, a move Friedenbach vocally opposed. Critics of Friedenbach's approach, including the tweet's author Susan Dyer Reynolds, have long argued for a shift away from the "Housing First" model she champions, advocating instead for greater focus on drug treatment and mental health services. The proposed replacement, Billy Lemon, is an ally of Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and leads a sober space, signaling a potential change in the committee's strategic direction.