San Francisco will set aside specific funding for the health care of senior citizens and adults with disabilities for the next two decades following the apparent passage of Proposition I on Tuesday.
Prop. I, which required more than 50 percent of the votes to pass, creates a guaranteed chunk of cash — $38 million in the first year — that will increase over the next two decades for seniors and adults with disabilities.
While The City provides for seniors in a myriad of ways, there was not a special set aside fund specifically aimed at paying for such services. It’s estimated that by 2020, there will be an additional 100,000 senior citizens living in San Francisco.
Prop. I amends the charter to guarantee funding of such services by requiring a set aside from city funds. The new fund will be administered through the Department of Aging and Adult Services, and services include home health care, food and caregiver programs as well as community centers and advocacy programs.
The fund will begin at a $38 million baseline, which was set because it represents what The City spent on such services in fiscal year 2016-17. It will grow by $6 million in the first year and then by $3 million each year until 2027 at which point it will cap at $72 million.
The fund will be in place for 20 years and be overseen by an 11-member panel.
