Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂
@bilalmahmood • 7,475 subscribers
Supervisor of San Francisco. District 5. | For all constituent related inquiries: 📧 [email protected]
Videos
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani recently announced an initiative to build thousands of units of housing on city-owned property. We should do the same in San Francisco. Building on city-owned property is faster and cheaper. State laws afford streamlined entitlement processes, and no land acquisition costs mean saving 10-30% on development. Accordingly, NYC has just announced the LIFT system to track 100 city-owned property that could be used to build 50,000 units of housing. But in San Francisco we have no comparable public database. That's why I have submitted a formal letter of inquiry to city departments to compile for the first time a public record of all city owned property, its vacancy status, size, and potential uses. Amidst an affordability crisis affecting our housing and food security goals, we must think bolder in our solutions. Leveraging our city-owned property to build affordable housing or expand a food bank, can make that possible.
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂30,418 views • 1 day ago
We're making Eid an official state holiday in California! Assemblymember Matt Haney today announced AB 2017, a bill in the CA state legislature that will officially designate Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as state holidays. For the hundreds of thousands of Californians, and the nearly thousand Muslims in the Tenderloin where I represent, this is an important moment. A moment where our culture, religion, and values will be represented in ink. Because our Muslim families, workers, children deserve to be recognized just like everyone else. Next week, I will be introducing a resolution in support of AB 2017 at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to formally endorse the proposal.
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂236,611 views • 5 months ago
Corporations are shutting down grocery stores in SF and leaving them vacant as zombie stores to push out competition. Today, I'm pulling back the curtain. I'm releasing emails, letters, receipts that show how Safeway rejected millions of dollars in bids to intentionally created a food desert in the Fillmore.
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂35,833 views • 1 month ago
Did you know in San Francisco, you can block housing from being built because it… causes a shadow? Over the last 10 years, over 2000 units of housing have been delayed or stalled because of this. That's why I’m announcing the SHADE Act - or Slashing Housing Appeals And Delays Everywhere. You see today, our city treats “shadows” the same as toxic waste in our environmental review process. It allows anyone to appeal a project and stop it from being built on the grounds of some shade caused by a new building. The SHADE Act will in turn: 1) eliminate local allowances for shadow as a reason for an environmental appeal, 2) streamline our environmental review processes from 30 days to 15 days, and 3) simplify and modernize our public notification processes. Because let’s face it, San Francisco is paying too high a price for being afraid of its own shadow. It’s time to fix that.
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂74,337 views • 3 months ago
Unfortunately, Mayor Lurie is trying to block even a single vote to even occur on the Affordable Groceries Act ballot measure. This is an extreme break of protocol. And just bad governance. Ballot measures have historically always been allowed at least a floor vote at the Board of Supervisors. But yesterday Budget Chair Chan unscheduled the hearing to vote on the ballot measure, apparently under the direction of Mayor Lurie. And after lobbying from corporations like Amazon. Even if you disagree with the policy, this type of backroom deals is what Mayor Lurie and I both campaigned against. Ballot measures should be allowed an up/down vote. To deny debate, is against the principles of democracy. On Tuesday July 14, I will be introducing a motion asking Board President Mandelman to invoke Rule 3.38 to call a committee of whole, and allow the actual democratic process to continue.
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂30,782 views • 1 month ago
The rent is too damn high in San Francisco. Prices are going up 15% year over year. A one bedroom averaging $3500 a month. This month I'll be introducing an affordability package at the Board of Supervisors. Legislation that will both make it easier to build more housing for new renters to live in, as well as advance rental transparency and eviction protections to make it easier for existing renters to stay here. Follow along in the weeks ahead as we announce each piece of legislation.
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂38,715 views • 3 months ago
Our Sanctuary City Ordinance has led the way for decades and today I Introduced legislation to make it abundantly clear: our Sanctuary protections apply to any federal agency doing civil immigration enforcement. Whether it’s ICE, the National Guard, DEA, or ATF — our city resources won’t be used to help with civil immigration enforcement.
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂69,046 views • 9 months ago
I am calling for a hearing at the Board of Supervisors into both PG&E and Waymo in light of the service disruptions during the blackout this weekend in San Francisco. Thousands without power for days due to fires at PG&E substation, stalled autonomous vehicles hindering the ability for SFFD fire trucks to speedily address the fires, and resultant traffic congestion across the city — and residents deserve answers. The hearings will be called on January 6, 2026, when the Board of Supervisors is back in session.
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂46,350 views • 7 months ago
Today San Francisco took its first step to authorize ICE Free Zones at the Board of Supervisors Rules Committee. We've seen what has happened across the country when immigration enforcement occurs at or near public facilities. Kids miss school. Families avoid collecting benefits. Witnesses stop reporting crimes. This ordinance today is about rebuilding trust between residents and city services in 3 ways: 1. Prohibiting the commandeering of city property against city purpose, and explicitly stating civil immigration enforcement is not a city purpose. 2. Setting disciplinary action procedures against employees who collaborate with an external agency to violate city purpose. 3. Authorizing the City Attorney to take action when an entity commandeers city property. I want to thank the many members of the community who helped us craft this legislation, including the SF Public Defender's Office, SF Rising Action Fund , Chinese for Affirmative Action, SF Latino Parity & Equity Coalition, and AROC #FreePalestine #AbolishICE, alongside many labor and community advocates. And I want to thank my coauthor Supervisor Chen, and cosponsors Supervisors Walton, Melgar, Sauter, Fielder, and Mandelman for their support as well. The ordinance now goes to the full Board for a vote tomorrow, and we expect to pass into law in the next month.
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂35,906 views • 6 months ago
Today I announced the Affordable Groceries Act to address our growing affordability crisis in San Francisco. For years, the price of milk, fresh vegetables, and more has been rising by double digits. At the same time, large chain corporations are leaving grocery stores and pharmacies as "zombie stores" - paying their lease to keep the storefronts vacant and block competition. The Affordable Groceries Act aims to end those food deserts by providing stimulus incentives to new grocery stores and pharmacies, while taxing zombie stores to generate revenue that could be used to fund new stores that sell affordable, fresh food. It works in 3 steps: 1. Streamline new stores, by eliminating conditional use permits for new groceries and pharmacies on vacant lots, while providing tax credits to reduce pharmacy gross receipts taxes. 2. Tax zombie stores, by ensuring that large chain corporations that deliberately leave grocery stores and pharmacies empty pay a vacancy tax for as long as they block competition from using the storefronts. The tax would not apply to small businesses, or to any new store that opens after January 2027. 3. Fund affordable groceries, by establishing an Affordable Grocery Fund that will subsidize operators that provide fresh affordable food. This could help corners stores convert into full grocery stores with fresh food, or let the city purchase buildings and rent them out to grocery operators who agree to keep prices low. We're bringing Affordable Groceries Act to the ballot this November, so you can make your voices heard that every San Franciscan deserves fresh affordable food in their neighborhood.
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂13,695 views • 1 month ago
The median rent in SF crossed $4000 for the first time. As the AI boom puts increased pressure on the housing market, renters deserve to know the true price of their rent. Our No Hidden Rent Act will help renters know every fee they may be charged, before they sign a lease.
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂15,404 views • 2 months ago
How do we revitalize downtown? By investing in public safety, small business, and the arts. Today, I'm announcing a proposal to realize that vision through the Theater Arts District. Over 1 million visitors come to the mid market neighborhood to visit our theaters - Warfield, Golden Gate, Orpheum, ACT Strand, and Bill Graham. That brings in potentially over $1.3 billion in economic impact to our city every year. To boost this economic engine, my office and Public Works, Rec Park, and Mid Market Foundation developed a proposal for a public realm enhancement which will include: - Art filled crosswalks and murals inspired by plays and musicals - Interactive lighting and digital displays to brighten the corridor - Street performances and small business activations to bring energy and foot traffic These enhancements will build on ongoing public safety and small business investments. SFPD has increased foot patrols at key intersections on the corridor and our Drug Market Agency Coordination Center is now operating 24/7. The Office of Economic and Workforce Development is expanding its Storefront Opportunity grant to provide $50K - $100K in funding to open new small businesses in the Mid Market corridor. Combined, the Theater Art District proposal can help drive potentially $100 million in economic impact via just a 10% increase in shows at the theaters. The proposal will be funded by private philanthropy and we hope to kick off the pilot in 2026-2027. If you're interested in helping, please reach out and let's partner to create the Theater Arts District together.
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂31,591 views • 5 months ago
To tackle our open air drug market, we have to take multiple approaches to cut off the supply. Drug dealers in San Francisco continue to adapt - from selling different drugs to operating out of different storefronts. Recently, City Attorney David Chiu in collaboration with San Francisco Police launched an operation to investigate - and shut down - Tenderloin corner stores that have been serving as fronts for illegal meth dealing. Over the last year and a half, these operations have resulted in lawsuits or closures of over a dozen such businesses. The families, immigrants, and refugees who live in the Tenderloin deserve to feel safe when walking down the street or simply visiting their neighborhood corner store. Operations like these will help to ensure that, and I will continue to work to support our public safety officials in accomplishing that goal.
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂10,243 views • 1 month ago
There's progress on building housing on San Francisco's most infamous car wash! This week, the Department of Building Inspection approved a site permit for 203 units of housing on the site. This means the overall project has been approved at a high level, and now the developer can begin applying for specialized permits to demolish the car wash and set the foundation of the building. It's taken years to get here - in part due to permitting bureaucracy years way before I was elected. I even had to pass a law earlier this year to change rules around permit expiration timelines to make sure projects that have such a lengthy process can still be built without having to go to the back of the line. Now the work won't start immediately, but its a necessary first step to the transformation this neighborhood has been waiting for. We expect movement on the site before the end of the year.
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂19,019 views • 3 months ago
I just finished my third ride along with SFPD since being elected Supervisor in San Francisco. Here's what I saw and learned: - The drug market is significantly smaller since last year. - Due to increased SFPD enforcement and action from our DA, the drug market has constrained its hours of operation to midnight to three am. - The dealers themselves are adapting to increased enforcement, and shifting from selling in crowds to instead becoming mobile and doing drop-offs increasingly. - The drug market has in turn shifted into smaller pockets dispersed in Hayes, Mission, upper Tenderloin - The RESET center is also starting to help individuals suffering on our streets with an alternative to jail SFPD, the DA's office, and Mayor's office are all working together to create new strategies now to tackle this changing landscape to the open air drug market.
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂14,247 views • 3 months ago
This empty car wash at 400 Divis is proof of SF’s housing death spiral - over 200 homes stalled for nearly a decade I’m working to change the law so projects can build under the rules they applied with, cutting millions in costs and finally turning sites like this into housing.
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂30,580 views • 11 months ago
Over the course of my campaign, I made a promise to the Tenderloin that I would work tirelessly to shut down open air drug markets by funding and expanding our coordinated public safety efforts like the Drug Market Agency Coordination Center (DMACC). In our first week, we are delivering on that promise.
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂39,049 views • 1 year ago
Until recently, it was illegal for more than 5 people to live together in San Francisco, if they weren't related by blood. You read that right! And while this byzantine law wasn't often enforced, San Franciscans like Josh and Lisa who wanted to set up co-ops and shared housing establishments were choosing not to for fear of non-compliance. That's why we passed the Shared Housing Reform Act earlier this year. So San Franciscans can choose to live with whom they want, where they want, and not fear being afoul of the law. Josh and Lisa have been able able to start work on a shared housing project in the Mission now that the Shared Housing Reform Act has passed. And we're excited to see the residents move in in the years ahead!
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂11,273 views • 4 months ago
Why is it so hard to operate a small business in San Francisco? One word: Overregulation. In this city, we regulate everything — from the font size of interior signs to window sign placement. Today in Land Use and Transportation Committee, we took a step toward cutting the red tape by voting in favor of PermitSF legislation, sponsored by Mayor Lurie and cosponsored by me. This legislation will make it easier for small businesses to do what they do best — provide the best experiences the city has to offer.
Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂24,778 views • 1 year ago