Lurie says San Francisco's future hinges on long-term affordability
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Mayor Lurie faces a nearly $1 billion budget deficit in his second year, testing his ability to deliver on lasting reforms. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Mayor Daniel Lurie delivered an optimistic outlook on San Francisco's recovery Thursday in his first State of the City address since taking office, while positioning affordability as his defining priority ahead.
State of play: Lurie framed his first year as mayor as a reset after a period of stalled progress on entrenched city challenges, casting progress on public safety and street conditions as the foundation of recovery.
- He touted affordability as the next, harder chapter that will determine whether families and businesses can remain in the city long term.
Lurie — a Levi Strauss heir who ran on the promise of restoring public safety — cited broad improvements, noting falling crime and traffic deaths, rebounding police recruitment, fewer homeless encampments, and rising downtown foot traffic and office leasing.
- To maintain momentum, he argued, the city must now prioritize turning those gains into lasting change.
What they're saying: "Our recovery is underway — the work now is to make it durable for everyone," Lurie said while speaking to a crowd of supporters, city and state officials, and residents at Angelo J. Rossi Playground in the Richmond.
The big picture: Lurie's affordability-first message aligns him with a growing bloc of Democratic leaders nationwide prioritizing cost-of-living relief.
Zoom in: Lurie announced a wide-ranging plan called the "Family Opportunity Agenda" to make housing, child care, education, food, health care, and transportation costs more affordable for residents.
- A central pillar of the plan is universal access to child care for San Francisco families with children under age 5. Starting this month, the city is expanding free and subsidized care at more than 500 providers citywide.
- Families of four earning under $230,000 will qualify for free child care, while those making up to $310,000 will receive a 50% subsidy.
- "When tech booms, opportunity grows, but so does anxiety about rising rents, displacement and a boom-and-bust cycle that has historically left far too many people behind," Lurie said. "Opportunity and stability must rise together for every resident in every neighborhood."
Zoom out: Lurie also hopes to stabilize public transit funding, push for more government changes like charter reform, simplify permitting processes and close the city's budget deficit.
The bottom line: "We are just getting started and we are not going to leave anyone behind," Lurie said.