Category: Update

By Joe Garofoli : sfchronicle – excerpt

Since opening shop five years ago, Manny Yekutiel has rallied patrons of his eponymous Mission District civic engagement space to raise $10 million for Democrats around the country. More recently, he helped to create the Civic Joy Fund, whose $2 million endowment is focused on revitalizing San Francisco with everything from volunteer trash cleanups to last weekend’s citywide drag shows.

Soon, though, Yekutiel may be more focused on spotlighting one particular cause: his own.

“I’m thinking about running for mayor,” Yekutiel told me. He said he will make a final decision on New Year’s Day, 10 months before voters will decide whether to reelect London Breed or go in another direction…(more)

By Tim Redmond : 489hills – excerpt

No, the supes didn’t ‘punt’ on housing bill 48hills.org

… All Mandelman is seeking is some guarantee that the “streamlining” won’t open the door for giant McMansions (instead of more apartments) and some indication that housing built before 1923 can’t be demolished without a hearing.

These are not radical ideas. They will likely get strong, perhaps unanimous support. (Do any of the supes want to be on record supporting the demolition of irreplaceable Victorians that are a key part of the city’s historic legacy?)

In a normal situation, the mayor of San Francisco would be calling the governor to say: Hey, we’re doing 90 percent of what you want. Back off on the last ten percent.

Instead, Mayor London Breed is siding with Newsom, against her own city, in the interest of promoting a policy that promotes luxury housing at the expense of affordable housing.

What the supes are doing isn’t “punting” or even delaying the bill for no reason. They are following the rules, trying desperately to put some sense into the city’s complicated housing rules, and waiting just a few days for a final version…(more)

This is why many people are joining the movement to replace our state representatives and roll back the bills they passed that removed local control over our development decisions and are trying to force communities to cover the costs of expanding the infrastructure needed to support a larger population by removing development fees. The state is putting our health and lives at risk of fires and floods and environmental disasters. When banks and insurance companies leave the state it is because they feel the risk is too high. The state is gambling with our lives and it is time to put a stop to it. Join us Saturday at Livable California to find out what you can do. Register here: https://www.livablecalifornia.org/

And sign up to support ourneighborhoodvoices.com

Editorial : sunsetbeacon – excerpt

Those who have recently moved to San Francisco may not be aware that the 55-acres of Strybing Arboretum were free to all comers until relatively recently, via four different gates from morning until evening. It was a great place where one could really relax and get away from urban life and meet a wide variety of people. Along with a UCSF library whose four floors were open until midnight, and a plethora of cheap food shops, this place was one of the reasons I moved to the Inner Sunset originally.

Unfortunately, wealthy people saw an opportunity for wealth and glory and, after paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to consultants such as BMWL’s Sam Lauter, privatized these 55 acres. As a result, many can no longer get in without paying; none of us can bring guests without paying; and the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society (originally the Strybing Arboretum Society) complete controls who enters, how much we pay. and what ID we must show to prove we are genuine San Franciscans and not San Franciscans exiled by skyrocketing rents to other locales. No meetings with locals and the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society have ever been held.

Gardens have been destroyed, but new commercial spaces have been developed. Taxpayers forked out $1.1 million for an imperial new fence. The San Francisco Botanical Garden Society has been granted complete control of the Japanese Tea Garden and the Conservatory of Flowers as well…(more)

Delegates at the November CSFN GA Meeting voted unanimously to oppose this and other enterprise projects that are selling public space for private gain. Perhaps it is time to talk to our leaders at City Hall about that practice that came about when the city decided to turn our public space into enterprise zones. We might also discuss how much of which services do we want to pay for. The make up mentality has made enough work and it is time to back down.

By J. K, ]. Dineen : sfchronicle – excerpt

San Francisco is poised to miss the first deadline state housing officials have set for reforming how it approves residential development, a blown due date that could cost the city local control over how projects are entitled and permitted.

Under a set of state mandates laid out in an Oct. 25 “San Francisco Housing Policy and Practice Review,” the California Department of Housing and Community Development, or HCD, gave the city 30 days to pass Mayor London Breed’s “constraints reduction” ordinance, which would slash red tape and allow many projects to go forward without a hearing at the Planning Commission.

While that deadline is Nov. 27, the ordinance has still not had a hearing at the committee level or before the full Board of Supervisors. While it could be heard at committee next week, it would likely not be before the full board for adoption until the second week of December.

San Francisco Planning Director Rich Hillis said he anticipates that next week HCD will send a letter warning that the city is out of compliance with state housing element laws, under which San Francisco is obligated to plan to accommodate 82,000 units before the end of 2031.

After the warning, the city would then have 30 days to come into compliance, or risk decertification of the housing element, which could allow property owners to apply for “builder’s remedy” projects, allowing them to bypass all local planning review. The city could also lose out on money for affordable housing and transportation as long as its housing element is not certified.

Hillis said he is hopeful the Board of Supervisors will pass the constraints legislation in time to avoid decertification. “It’s a tight window, but I think we can get there, given the schedule,” he said…

While the penalties for not following the state mandate are severe, some members of the Board of Supervisors are pushing back. On Nov. 7, Supervisor Aaron Peskin introduced a resolution urging the City Attorney David Chiu and the “city lobbyist” to work with state officials to extend the deadlines.

The resolution, co-sponsored by Supervisor Connie Chan, also takes issue with what it calls HCD’s “singular focus on private development policies and practices, and without sufficient measures to address racial equity, fair housing practices, affordability, and displacement.”

It points out that the city exceeded its goal for market rate housing over the last eight years, but fell short of its affordable housing goals. It said that the state deadlines “require adoption and action within time periods that may conflict with or are contrary to San Francisco’s Charter and other law.”

Rushing to decertify the city’s housing element “would completely deregulate development of market rate housing and put the approximately 65% of San Francisco’s population that are renters, as well as San Francisco’s historically marginalized low-income communities and communities of color at heightened risk of displacement,” the resolution reads.…(more)

Via email from rescuesf.org/

RescueSF participated in a project organized by the San Francisco Chronicle to propose innovative solutions to some of San Francisco’s biggest problems.

Government Reform

While San Francisco is simultaneously confronting multiple urgent challenges – such as homelessness, fentanyl, and downtown collapse – there is an even bigger crisis. Why is it so hard for City Hall to solve hard problems? RescueSF led the work on a proposal for San Francisco to launch a performance management pilot to make city government more effective, efficient, transparent, and accountable.

Read the proposal: Make City Government More Effective

Homeless Shelter: The Stabilization Center

We also collaborated on two proposals regarding new models for homeless shelters.

The first proposal, led by The Salvation Army, proposes to launch a new type of homeless shelter, called a stabilization center, that would address guests’ urgent primary and behavioral health needs. Homeless people in San Francisco suffer from serious physical health conditions – such as cardiovascular problems, respiratory problems, and skin conditions – as well as behavioral health issues – such as mental illness and substance use disorder. The stabilization center would give guests a place to rest, stabilize, and become healthier. The stabilization center would then connect guests to the most appropriate next step of their journey out of homelessness, such as behavioral health treatment, transitional housing, or permanent housing.

Read the Proposal: Open a Stabilization Center

Homeless Shelter: The Women’s Center

Homeless women, who represent approximately 34% of San Francisco’s unhoused population, are in critical need of safety, yet only 5% of the city’s homeless shelter and housing are designed specifically for women. The second proposal, led by Community Forward SF, proposes to launch a Women’s Center, a positive space where anyone who identifies as a woman can find housing, safety, healthy food, and a sense of community. The Center would provide women with immediate care and help them find a path to mental health support, long-term housing, and job opportunities.

Read the Proposal: Open a Women’s Center

Other Great Ideas for San Francisco

The Chronicle project included other great ideas for San Francisco on topics such as affordable housing, public safety, a downtown university, City hiring practices, and downtown revitalization.

Read All of the Proposals

Next Steps: Advocate for Great Ideas

City Hall should know that residents support innovative ideas to address our most serious problems. We will let you know about opportunities to advocate for these great ideas. Stay tuned!.

By Mary Jane Agnew : 48hills – excerpt

Rally suggests solution to downtown vacancies—and homelessness

“It’s been a real blessing to be able to focus on my personal healing,” Angel Heart said. “As a grandmother this is the first time in my life that I’ve been able to focus on the trauma and heal from the violence of poverty, and for that I’m so very grateful.”

Heart was talking about her experience with Homefullness in Oakland, which members describe as “a Poor and Indigenous–people led solution to homelessness.” Homefulness is a “sweat equity, permanent co-housing, education, arts, micro-business and social change project for landless/houseless and formerly houseless families and individuals.”…

Led by Tiny Gray-Garcia, a longtime activist, writer, and co-founder of POOR Magazine (and 48hills contributor), the creators and current inhabitants of Homefulness explained why this rent-free housing model should be replicated in San Francisco.

Co-founder of Homefulness and the Self Help Hunger Program “Auntie” Frances Moore declared that “with Homefulness its evident there’s power in the people. I’m asking San Francisco to take a good look, this is the template you need to be following. With APEC coming through… you’re going to sweep them all away, where are they going?”…(more)

By Bob Egelko : sfchronicle – excerpt

A new order by the state Supreme Court will require San Francisco to refund some of the taxes it assessed on the Westin St. Francis hotel after it was sold in 2015 — and, according to the hotel’s lawyer, will also bring millions of dollars in refunds to owners of other hotels across the state.

The court denied review Wednesday of San Francisco’s appeal of a state appellate court decision in August that found the city had overvalued the luxury hotel on Union Square by classifying some of its intangible assets, like potential income from guests for movie rentals, as taxable property.

San Francisco must now conduct a new assessment and refund the overcharges, which could amount to $1 million a year since the 2015 sale. The court’s order also means the ruling is binding on trial courts statewide, and it will apply to many transactions in other counties, said Colin Fraser, attorney for the Westin St. Francis owners.

“The most important impact of this decision is not just on this property, but that it will affect hotel evaluations for property taxes throughout the state of California,” Fraser said Thursday. He said local governments for many years have used the same method as San Francisco to assess the value of newly sold hotels…(more)

Another problem that comes with living on future projections has raised its ugly head in California. Better clue the national press in on the sad state of our economy. They are making a big mistake in hastily accepting the paid press and fancy footwork of lobbyists instead of looking at the reality that is punching us in the face. When the school board bounces checks we know there is a big problem.

By Joe Eskenazi : missionlocal – excerpt

In the latest instance of the San Francisco Unified School District having difficulty paying its employees, some of the city’s most-credentialed teachers had their stipend checks bounce last week.

Multiple public school teachers have reported to Mission Local that their attempts to deposit the $5,000 check the district pays to National Board Certified instructors have failed.

“Over the weekend, I went to the ATM to try to deposit it and the ATM said ‘error,’” said Tara Ramos, a teacher-librarian at Sanchez Elementary School in the Mission. “I took it to the teller and they tried three different ways and they couldn’t take it.”…(more)

By Tim Redmond : missionlocal – excerpt New ‘public-private’ entity would charge $40 admission to events, threaten flora and fauna, attract 180,000 visitors—with no public notice. The latest “public private partnership” under the Recreation and Parks Department is calling for a winter nightime light show in the Botanical Gardens that will attract between 80,000 and 180,000 people at $28 to $40 a ticket and bring the private Botanical Gardens and Rec-Park an estimated $500,000. The concept has upset some park advocates, including the California Native Plant Society, which says the crowded, noisy shows could disrupt the circadian cycles of both plants and wildlife in the park…(more) The residents living near the park must be very upset. They just saw the end of the Ferris Wheel with its night lights and now there are more plans for night lights. For a city that wants to be green and conserve energy, these constant light shows are a waste and environmental menace. Who is ready to stop this wanton abuse of nature in the park?