‘Eligible Black Adults’ to Get $5M, $1 Houses For 250 Years For Reparations

San Francisco Reparations Committee recommends $5M payouts, debt and tax relief, annual income, and $1 homes for eligible Black residents.

San Francisco To Give $5M to Eligible Black Adults for Reparations

Eligible Black adults would receive $5 million, personal debts and taxes would be erased, and a guaranteed minimum annual income of $97,000 would be provided for 250 years. In addition, families could purchase homes in San Francisco for $1.

A reparations committee appointed by the city made over 100 recommendations to address centuries of slavery and systemic racism. At a hearing, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors expressed enthusiastic support for the proposals, with some members stating that the city should do what is right regardless of financial considerations.

Some supervisors expressed surprise at the pushback from politically liberal San Franciscans who appeared unaware of the ongoing impact of slavery and racist policies on Black Americans, resulting in poor health, education, and economic outcomes, as well as overrepresentation in prisons and homeless populations.

Some supervisors expressed surprise at the pushback from politically liberal San Franciscans who appeared unaware of the ongoing impact of slavery and racist policies on Black Americans, resulting in poor health, education, and economic outcomes, as well as overrepresentation in prisons and homeless populations.

Non-Black Families Would Need to Pay $600,000 to Implement the Proposal

“Those of my constituents who lost their minds about this proposal, it’s not something we’re doing or we would do for other people. It’s something we would do for our future, for everybody’s collective future,” said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, whose district includes the heavily LGBTQ Castro neighborhood.

The December release of the draft reparations plan was remarkable for its comprehensive and detailed scope, setting it apart from similar efforts across the country. While the committee did not provide a cost analysis, opponents have criticized the plan as financially and politically unfeasible.

A report from the conservative-leaning Hoover Institution at Stanford University estimated that each non-Black family in San Francisco would need to pay at least $600,000 to implement the proposals.

Some supervisors have said previously that the city can’t afford any major reparations payments right now given its deep deficit amid a tech industry downturn.

The concept of providing reparations for slavery has gained popularity among cities and universities. In 2020, California established the first state-level reparations task force, but has yet to determine the exact cost of what is owed.

The idea has not been take up at the federal level.

The San Fran Black Community

Black residents in San Francisco formerly comprised over 13% of the population, but currently account for less than 6%, and make up 38% of the city’s homeless population. The Fillmore District was once a thriving community of Black-owned nightclubs and shops, but government redevelopment in the 1960s resulted in the displacement of its residents.

There are currently less than 50,000 Black residents living in San Francisco, and it is unclear how many of them would meet the eligibility criteria for reparations. These criteria may include having lived in the city during certain time periods or being descended from someone who was incarcerated due to the “War on Drugs” policies.

Opponents argue that providing reparations in a state and city that never enslaved Black people is illogical. They believe that taxpayers who did not own slaves should not be required to pay money to those who were not themselves enslaved.

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