Dear Neighbor,
Did you know that it's illegal for more than 5 people to live together in San Francisco if they're not related by blood?
Yes, you read that right.
Today, I’m introducing the Shared Housing Reform Act to fix this.
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Current city planning code from the 1970s limits the number of roommates that can live together – a change made around 1978 during a citywide downzoning process that was never rectified.
Since then, builders and developers have been afraid to build the shared housing and co-op housing we need to support our renters.
My Shared Housing Reform Act will resolve this by:
1. Removing the cap on the number of people who can live together
2. Instead, increase the number of permissible lease agreements to 9
3. No longer distinguish between related vs unrelated roommates. |
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San Francisco is a city of renters. In our City’s present housing affordability crisis, we must do all that we can to support households shared between unrelated roommates. These homes are often a first step to independence and a first step to a life in San Francisco for so many.
This legislation doesn’t change building code protections for overcrowding; it simply brings archaic code into the modern era. If we’re serious about fixing housing in SF, we have to bring our housing code up to date from 1978 to 2025.
This is about fairness, and following Pride, this legislation recognizes that today’s families and chosen families come in many forms. If it’s good enough for our inclusive values, it should be good enough for our zoning code.
The Shared Housing Reform Act is just the first step to get there. |
Last week, the Board of Supervisors passed the City’s budget. My office helped secure key wins, including:
✅ A Trump Defense Fund for the City Attorney
✅ More Immigration Defense Attorneys
✅ Recruiters to Help Fix Our Understaffed Police Department
✅ Community Ambassadors to Keep Streets Safe and Clean
✅ $1M Restored for Food Access Programs
✅ $3M for General Legal Services
These are hard-fought victories, and they wouldn’t have happened without your advocacy.
But this budget still leaves out critical support for neighborhoods like the Tenderloin — support we’ve been fighting for every single day. |
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There’s more work ahead. And no matter what, I’ll keep fighting for you.
The full Board of Supervisors will vote on the final budget on July 15.
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Pride Weekend
This weekend, Team Bilal celebrated the end of Pride Month at the 2025 Pride Parade! This event served as a powerful reminder that our LGBTQ+ communities deserve safety, dignity, and joy every single day.
This year, the parade ended right here in District 5, in the heart of San Francisco, where we don’t just raise the flag, we keep fighting to make equality real, every day.
In that spirit, Team Bilal paid homage to the queer-coded legacy of the X-Men, a story of chosen family, resilience, and radical acceptance.
Thank you to all who joined our contingent to make the day so special. Happy Pride! 🌈
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Last week, we celebrated Minister Marvin White on his visionary contributions to art, ministry, and justice. As a pillar of the Tenderloin community, his poetry, spirit, and leadership at GLIDE Memorial Church continue to inspire and uplift countless lives. Through founding and leading organizations such as Fire & Ink and B/GLAM, Minister White’s unwavering commitment to Black and LGBTQ+ communities stands as a powerful testament to the soul of San Francisco.
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Civic Center Soundtrack
The weather is great this week, why not take a long lunch and enjoy free live local music in downtown San Francisco? Come down to Civic Center this Thursday to support local musicians!
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Fillmore Jazz Festival
The long weekend is near! If you’re staying in the city for the 4th of July holiday weekend, be sure to stop by the Fillmore Jazz Festival – a free festival covering 12 blocks, 5 stages, food, and live music filling streets with jazz.🎶
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Win of the Week: Open for Pride, Open for Business
This Pride, we’re proud to share our office, helped to spread some of the Pride love! Working closely with our friends at the Tenderloin Community Benefit District, SF Pride, and small business owners at Larkin and Turk, our office helped ensure that this vibrant corner of the neighborhood stayed open and accessible during the festivities.
In past years, parts of the area were fenced off, cutting off critical foot traffic to local businesses. This year, we collaborated to make sure Turk and Larkin served as both an entrance and exit point, welcoming people into the heart of the celebration and into the small businesses that make the Tenderloin special.
It’s a joyful example of what happens when community, culture, and commerce come together. |
Need help? Don’t hesitate to reach out at [email protected]. We’re here to serve!
Let’s work together to make District 5 a better place for all.
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