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I know that for many of you, it seems like this year just can't get any worse. On top of dealing with the health and economic fall-out from our federal government's abysmal failure to address the COVID-19 pandemic, Californians are now dealing with the additional pressures of some of extreme heat waves, rolling power blackouts and raging wildfires - oh, and let's not forget parents' mad scramble to understand what the first week of school is supposed to look like!
While you take a deep breath and contemplate what seems like end times, know that our office is here to help. District 3 has some of the highest concentrations of low-income seniors in older group housing in the city. We are currently working with the Department of Emergency Management and the Library to identify "respite" locations where seniors in particular can go to escape the heat and air, in the event that we go into Red. Access more helpful information here: www.sf72.org/hazard/air-quality-covid-19.
We are also partnering with San Francisco Unified School District, DPH, DCYF, Rec & Park and our Library system to identify improvements to the distance learning system, as well as problems parents are having with accessing resources. Read last month's Marina Times column to learn more about my recommendations culled from community input.
My office is working hard to allocate resources necessary to provide alternatives for my constituents to cope with this challenging time by identifying innovative solutions to housing, education, small businesses, census engagement, and more. Please don't hesitate to email us at Peskinstaff@sfgov.org if you need assistance or learn how you can get involved to have an impact in your neighborhood.
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Veritas, to Forgive 50% of Missed Rent,
April Through July
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For the last several weeks, I have mediated a dispute between San Francisco’s largest landlord, worth $3B in assets, and their tenants. Veritas‘ refusal to come to the table dehumanizes tenants and their needs during this pandemic. As we face ongoing challenges due to the pandemic, I am working tirelessly to introduce legislation and identifying housing solutions to address housing issues. Read more here.
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My office and Supervisor Shamann Walton worked closely to place the Caltrain measure on the November ballot, promoting shared responsibility and equitable standards. This measure will minimize the financial burden on essential workers in San Francisco by splitting Caltrain operational costs among San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara. The Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board’s placement of a three-county measure to impose a one-eighth of one percent (0.125%) retail transactions and use tax to be used for operating and capital purposes of the Caltrain rail service at an election to be held on November 3, 2020.
Read more here.
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As the District 3 Supervisor, I accepted the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA) and 2020 San Francisco Complete Count Committee's Citywide Census Challenge to get all San Franciscans counted. As of now, only 61% of the residents of San Francisco have responded to the 2020 Census, which means that there are still more than 153,000 households and an estimated population of more than 400,000 have not been included.
San Franciscans must be counted in order to obtain congressional representation and at the same time access to federal funding for schools, housing, small businesses, and other resources. We only have a chance to count this number correctly every 10 years. We must come together as San Franciscans to make sure everyone gets complete the Census by September 30.
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Reach out to my staff Sarah Souza to learn how you can get involved and support our efforts to get everyone counted in San Francisco.
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San Francisco fishing men & women have lost millions of dollars in fishing gear. As a community, they have lost approximately 2/3 of the capacity to harvest the fresh seafood that is delivered to San Francisco and the essence of our livelihoods. You can make a difference in your community by contributing to this cause. |
| The “CU Sooner” legislation , expedites the process for conditional use authorization for small business applicants. Instead of removing critical opportunities for community input, this legislation says that those opportunities for input are key to resisting the gentrification of our neighborhood commercial. The legislation has received unanimous votes from the Board of Supervisors. This legislation is next in a string of legislative efforts to make life easier for small businesses seeking to operate in San Francisco. |
I am proud to share that I played a leading role in convincing the owner of a 237-room residential hotel in his northeastern district to submit an application for the Homekey program. Amid the pandemic, I am working diligently to addressing homeslessness and housing challenges in San Francisco.
California’s new Homekey program approved $100 million to convert Bay Area hotels and motels into permanent homeless housing.Click here to learn more about this project.
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I worked closely with SFCTA Director Tilly Chan on the Neighborhood Transportation Infrastructure Project (NTIP) and allocation of proposition K sales tax dollars to fund these neighborhood-led projects.The intersection of Columbus Avenue, Stockton Street and Green Street is a symbolic bridge between the two neighborhoods, with high Muni ridership numbers, bustling small businesses and many seniors and pedestrians all needing mobility.
The community has been working together for the past two years to secure engineering and funding for pedestrian safety improvements to one of District 3’s busiest intersections.
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The San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Chinatown Community Development Center jointly announced the Chinatown Outdoor Dining Support initiative that will provide financial relief for restaurants impacted by Covid-19. My office has been working closely with Chinatown community stakeholders to implement the City’s outdoor dining program. Reach out to us at Peskinstaff@sfgov.org to learn how you can support this effort.
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We have made significant progress for the Shelter in Peace legislation and received extensive community input. As a result, my office has included vital amendments to promote positive communication between landlords and tenants and implement the best solutions to address tenants' concerns.
On August 18, the "Shelter in Peace" legislation passed overwhelmingly at the Board of Supervisors. This emergency ordinance is essential amid this pandemic when tenants are complying with COVID-19 guidelines. If you have any questions, please contact my staff Lee Hepner or Sarah Souza.
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A fire tore through a building in North Beach displacing 10 tenants from their homes. Many lost everything.The fundraising campaign for the Powell St fire victims was started by other displaced tenants of the building to benefit their elderly neighbors, the type of selflessness & community that makes us proud in North Beach. Thank you, Juan and Connie. If you can, make a contribution to these families facing such a tragic time. Click here to make a contribution.
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Free meals are available to students who qualify or attend certain schools. If a student is not eligible for free or reduced-price meals, $22.50 per bag will be charged to their meal account.
The Multipurpose Family Income form for the 20-21 school year is available online .The form is available in English, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. A new application needs to be submitted each school year to qualify for meal benefits. For assistance, please reach out to SNS at 415-749-3604 or SchoolLunch@sfusd.edu.
For distance learning in the fall, SFUSD is preparing to loan Chromebook devices and Internet access for students in grades PK-12 who need technology to engage in distance learning. Technology distribution currently prioritizes students who need technology. Schools will distribute technology to families who need it at the beginning of the year along with instructional materials and resources. If you need to borrow technology, please fill out the Fall 2020 Technology Request Form.
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Spring Valley Kick celebrated the start of the new school year by giving every student free learning materials to support Distance Learning. Principal Sonny Wong and all the school staff deployed laptops and hotspots to families in need. My office has been working consistently with the San Francisco Unified District schools and educators to collaborate on efforts to bridge the digital divide and get resources to our families.
If you would like to learn how you can support public schools, please contact my staff Calvin Yan.
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You can help keep the power on by turning your lights off. The heatwave is putting a lot of stress on California’s electric grid, which can cause power outages. Save energy between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. by turning off unused lights, avoiding charging electric vehicles, and avoiding using large appliances like a washer or dryer.
For more information and energy saving tips, visit www.flexalert.org/save-energy. Learn how to prepare for power outages by visiting https://www.sf72.org/hazard/electric-outages
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Visit the SF.GOV Coronavirus Main Page here.
Access the District 3 Master Resources List here.
Browse Small Business and Employee Resources here.
Find Eviction Protections for Residential Tenants here.
Access Past District 3 Newsletters here.
Reply directly to this email or find contact info for my whole staff here. |
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Board of Supervisors | District 3 | Aaron Peskin
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