London Breed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
London Breed
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Official portrait, 2019
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| 45th Mayor of San Francisco | |
| In office July 11, 2018 – January 8, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Mark Farrell |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Lurie |
| Acting December 12, 2017 – January 23, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Ed Lee |
| Succeeded by | Mark Farrell |
| President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors | |
| In office January 8, 2015 – June 26, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Katy Tang |
| Succeeded by | Malia Cohen |
| Member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from the 5th district |
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| In office January 8, 2013 – July 11, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Christina Olague |
| Succeeded by | Vallie Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
London Nicole Breed
August 11, 1974 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of California, Davis (BA) University of San Francisco (MPA) |
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London Nicole Breed (born August 11, 1974) is an American politician. She served as the 45th mayor of San Francisco from 2018 to 2025. Before becoming mayor, she was a supervisor for District 5. She also led the Board of Supervisors from 2015 to 2018.
London Breed grew up in the Western Addition neighborhood of San Francisco. After college, she started working in government. She was first elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2012. In 2015, she was chosen to be the president of the Board. When Mayor Ed Lee passed away in December 2017, Breed became the acting mayor. She held this role until January 2018.
Breed won the special election for mayor on June 5, 2018. She made history as the first Black woman elected mayor of San Francisco. She was also the second Black person and second woman to hold this position. She officially became mayor on July 11, 2018. She ran for re-election in 2024 but was not successful.
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Early Life and Education
London Breed was born in San Francisco. Her grandmother raised her in public housing in the Western Addition neighborhood. Growing up, she lived with her siblings and an aunt. She has shared that her family faced financial challenges.
At 14, Breed worked as an intern through a youth employment program. She graduated with honors from Galileo High School. She played in the band and was active in student government. She first studied chemistry in college. Later, she earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Davis in 1997. In 2012, she received a master's degree in public administration from the University of San Francisco. While in college, she worked to help pay for her expenses.
Starting Her Career in Public Service
After college, Breed worked as an intern for Mayor Willie Brown. In 2002, she became the executive director of the African American Art & Culture Complex. She helped raise over $2.5 million to improve the building. This included an art gallery, theater, and recording studio. She was appointed to the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency Commission in 2004. In 2010, Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed her to the San Francisco Fire Commission.
Serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
In November 2012, London Breed was elected to represent District 5 on the Board of Supervisors. She won against the person who held the seat before her. She officially started her role as supervisor on January 8, 2013.
During her time as supervisor, Breed worked on several projects. She helped speed up the creation of new bike lanes on Oak and Fell Streets. She also secured money to redesign Masonic Boulevard. This project added bike lanes and made the street safer. The project was completed in August 2018.
On January 8, 2015, Breed was elected President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. This meant she led the meetings and discussions of the Board.
Breed supported Proposition A in 2014. This was a $500 million plan to fix streets, improve public transportation, and make walking and biking safer. It passed with strong support. She also helped pass Proposition B, which increased funding for transportation as the city grew. This provides about $25 million each year for transit, bike, and pedestrian improvements.
In 2015, Breed helped pass a law to give neighborhood residents priority for affordable homes built in their area. She also worked to remove rules that limited how many homes could be built on a piece of land. This helped create more housing in the city.
Breed pushed for improvements in the San Francisco Fire Department's emergency response times. She helped secure $47.3 million to hire more emergency workers and buy new equipment. This helped reduce ambulance response times. She also worked with Mayor Ed Lee to add 400 new police officers to the San Francisco Police Department.
Breed was a key supporter of two housing plans. Proposition A in 2015 provided $310 million for affordable housing. Proposition C in 2016 used unused city funds for affordable housing. Both measures passed with strong support from voters.
In 2017, Breed helped create a law to provide legal help for tenants facing eviction. This helped prevent people from unfairly losing their homes. She was re-elected as Board President in January 2017.
Mayor of San Francisco
After Mayor Ed Lee passed away in December 2017, London Breed became the Acting Mayor. She held this role until January 23, 2018. The Board of Supervisors then chose Mark Farrell to be the interim mayor until a special election.
Breed ran in the special mayoral election held on June 5, 2018. She won the election after a close race. She officially became mayor on July 11, 2018. She was then elected to a full term as mayor in the 2019 election.
In March 2019, Mayor Breed honored Sinn Féin politician Martin McGuinness. She later apologized after some people raised concerns about his past.
Breed supported Kamala Harris for president in the 2020 Democratic primaries. Later, she endorsed Mike Bloomberg. In December 2020, she expressed disappointment that the new U.S. senator for California was not an African American woman. In 2024, she again endorsed Kamala Harris for president.
Breed ran for re-election in 2024 but lost to Daniel Lurie. She conceded the race on November 7, 2024.
Public Safety Initiatives
In July 2019, Mayor Breed signed a law that banned the sale of e-cigarettes in San Francisco.
In 2021, Breed declared a State of Emergency in the Tenderloin neighborhood. This allowed the city to quickly put in place a plan to help the community. The plan focused on community outreach, addressing problems, and improving public safety. Reports showed progress in the area after the emergency period.
In late 2023, Breed announced a new task force. This group included the San Francisco Police Department and other agencies.
In September 2024, it was reported that San Francisco's crime rate was at its lowest in 10 years. Violent crime and property crime rates had significantly dropped compared to 2023.
To combat retail thefts, Breed started a "Retail Theft Blitz." This effort led to many arrests in 2023. She also supported Proposition E, which voters approved in March 2024. This law allows the police to use drones and improve reporting methods. The city reported a large drop in auto break-ins in 2024, partly due to these new tools.
Housing Goals
Mayor Breed supports building all types of housing, including affordable and market-rate homes. She has said she would not approve any laws that stop housing development. In 2019, she sponsored a $600 million housing bond that voters approved.
Breed also created the "30x30 Plan." This plan aims to bring 30,000 new residents to San Francisco by 2030. It involves turning office buildings into homes and businesses. It also focuses on building new student housing. To make it easier to convert office buildings, Breed started a program to simplify the approval process.
In March 2024, voters approved Proposition C, which gives a tax break for the first time commercial properties are turned into homes. Mayor Breed and Supervisor Matt Dorsey also proposed removing fees for office-to-housing conversions. These fees can add a lot to the cost of each new home.
Breed is a strong supporter of modular housing. She believes it can be built faster and cheaper. As Acting Mayor, she announced a plan to build a modular housing factory.
Mayor Breed has worked with leaders like State Senator Scott Wiener and the SF YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) group. In her first speech as mayor in 2018, she said she wanted to change the "politics of ‘no’ to the politics of ‘yes’" when it came to building housing.
In 2024, Breed's planning department introduced a new zoning plan. This plan aims to help the city reach its goal of 82,000 new homes. It includes allowing more homes in certain western neighborhoods, especially near transit lines.
Transportation Improvements
Muni and Transit Service
In 2024, most Muni riders rated the service as "good" or "excellent." This was the highest rating since 2001. San Francisco now has over 75 miles of bus lanes, with many added during Breed's time as mayor. Her administration also created Bus Rapid Transit routes, like the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit and Geary Bus Rapid Transit corridors.
Breed supported laws that allowed Muni to buy hundreds of new buses and replace its entire fleet of trains. These new trains are quieter and more reliable. The first new Siemens train started service in San Francisco in 2017.
Breed also worked to add cellular service for riders on Muni's underground trains. This had been a common request from riders for a long time.
Bikes and Street Safety
Mayor London Breed has continued San Francisco’s commitment to Vision Zero. This is a goal to eliminate all road accidents that cause injuries or deaths. By spring 2024, 72% of all bike lanes in San Francisco were built during her time as Mayor. In 2018, Breed asked the SFMTA to speed up their projects. This led to "Quick Build" projects, which are fast and affordable ways to improve safety on dangerous streets. The city has completed 39 of these projects.
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Breed closed 1.5 miles of JFK Promenade to cars. This created more outdoor community space. In November 2023, San Francisco voters approved keeping JFK Promenade car-free permanently. This created a long, car-free path from the Panhandle to Ocean Beach. Breed also supports creating more pedestrian spaces in other parts of the city.
The Slow Streets Program was also started in 2020. This program created safe routes with low car traffic for walking and biking. A 2021 study found that this program reduced vehicle speeds and collisions.
San Francisco has also started installing speed cameras. This was previously not allowed by state law. San Francisco is one of five cities in California to use these cameras, which have been shown to reduce traffic speeds and accidents.
Addressing Homelessness
In September 2024, Mayor Breed announced that her administration was on track to increase San Francisco's shelter capacity by 90% by 2025. Since she became Mayor in 2018, the city has provided shelter to nearly 10,000 people. It has also helped 5,250 people move into housing. In 2024, the number of people experiencing homelessness on the streets was at its lowest in 10 years.
Breed has made homelessness a key focus. In October 2018, she announced plans to build 1,000 shelter beds. She also worked to expand mental health recovery beds. She supported laws to fund housing and homelessness programs.
After a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2024, Breed has supported and allowed the removal of homeless encampments. San Francisco is the only Bay Area city where the homelessness rate is decreasing.
COVID-19 Response
San Francisco declared a state of emergency for COVID-19 in February 2020. This was before the federal government suggested it. San Francisco was one of the first American cities to go into lockdown. On March 2, Breed advised residents to prepare for possible disruptions.
In April 2020, Breed reported that San Francisco's orders for protective equipment were being sent to other cities and countries. She described situations where supplies meant for San Francisco were diverted elsewhere.
During the pandemic, sidewalks and parking spaces were turned into outdoor dining areas. In 2021, Breed supported allowing small businesses to use these spaces permanently.
Environmental Protection Efforts
CleanPowerSF Program
One of Breed's major environmental achievements is helping to launch CleanPowerSF. This program allows San Francisco to buy clean, renewable electricity for its residents. The goal is to achieve 100% clean electricity in the city. This program is expected to greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
When Breed took office in 2013, CleanPowerSF had faced many delays. Breed worked hard for 17 months to get the program started. She often had to push for its approval. In January 2015, the program finally moved forward.
Breed also worked with others to create Proposition H. This measure required the city's utility provider to share information about its use of nuclear power. It passed with 80% support from voters.
Polystyrene Ban
In 2016, San Francisco passed a strong ban on products made from polystyrene foam. This included foam food containers, egg cartons, and packing peanuts. This law made national news.
Drug Take-Back Program
In 2015, San Francisco passed a law requiring drug manufacturers to fund a drug take-back program. This allows people to safely dispose of unused medications at pharmacies. This helps prevent pollution and accidental poisonings. San Francisco was one of the first places in the nation to start such a program. It has collected over 20 tons of medications.
Basic Income Programs
Breed has explored different ways to provide guaranteed income. In March 2021, she launched a program to give guaranteed income to artists affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2022, she started a program to provide income for low-income transgender individuals.
Panda Diplomacy
At the end of the APEC United States 2023 summit, Mayor Breed asked Xi Jinping for pandas for San Francisco. In 2024, Breed traveled to China to try and bring pandas to the city.
Personal Life
As of 2020, London Breed lives in San Francisco's Lower Haight neighborhood. Before becoming Mayor, her apartment was rent-controlled.
See also
- List of mayors of the 50 largest cities in the United States
