March 22, 2021
A Message From The Supervisor:
Happy NowRuz! March 20, 2021 was the first day of spring and Persian New Year. Spring is an eternal symbol of renewal and rebirth, with light and hope filling the hearts of people around the world. Wishing everyone a prosperous, successful year that is filled with happiness and love.
It has now been over one year since we first sheltered-in-place in San Francisco. We’ve had some hard times but in this new year I know we will make a recovery. We have rescheduled our in person celebration at City Hall to March 2022. Looking forward to celebrating together next year!
Throughout this past year, we have seen a terrible rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and violence. I condemn these acts of hatred and violence. These horrific attacks against the AAPI community have to stop. Last year, I funded an initative, the Community Coalition for Safety and Restorative Justice (CCSJ) which is consists of community based organizations working to prevent violence against the AAPI community, promote racial harmony and provide services to victims of violence. I look forward to continuing to support organizations such as these in the upcoming budget process.
Last but not least, my office stands with the workforce of San Francisco. Like many essential working groups, the janitors have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many janitors became ill and some have passed away due to COVID while trying to provide for their families. Last week, I introduced an emergency ordinance to review the ventilation standards of San Francisco’s large office buildings. The ordinance will require buildings to certify that ventilation systems are operating in compliance with local guidelines. This ordinance serves to protect our office workers and over 5000 janitors that deserve clean air while working in our office buildings.
Please note - if you miss my weekly newsletter, you may find it later on the Board of Supervisor’s website. Click HERE to read past newsletters.
Although our City Hall Office is closed to the public due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are still here to serve you. If you have any difficulty during this time, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are available by email: safaistaff@sfgov.org or by phone 415-554-6976 (leave a message and we will call you back). You can also check for updates on my Twitter , Instagram, and Facebook. Stay safe and healthy.
Sincerely,
Supervisor Ahsha Safai
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Re-opening Guidelines
San Francisco is poised to enter the orange tier of reopening this Wednesday, March 24. The Office of Economic and Workforce Development hosted a meeting for best practices to reopen as we enter the orange tier. Click HERE to watch the recorded meeting.
As you may know, San Francisco returned to the red tier of re-opening starting on Wednesday, March 3. Click the following link to learn more about current reopening guidelines at SF.gov/reopening
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As you may know, last Monday, March 15, 2021, you can get the COVID-19 vaccine if you have any of the following conditions.
Health conditions
- Cancer, active
- Chronic kidney disease
- Severe chronic pulmonary disease, including COPD or those who are oxygen dependent
- Down syndrome
- Immune compromise from blood, bone marrow, or solid organ transplant; immune deficiencies; HIV; use of corticosteroids; or use of other immune weakening medicines
- Pregnancy
- Sickle cell disease
- Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies (excludes hypertension)
- Obesity (BMI greater than 30)
- Diabetes
Disabilities
- Developmental
- Medical
- Physical
- Sensory
- Behavioral health, including severe mental health or substance abuse disorders
Living situation
People experiencing homelessness are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
People living or working in congregate living settings, which include:
- Correctional facilities
- Homeless shelters
- Other congregate residential care or treatment facilities
Proof of eligibility
Proving your eligibility depends on where you are getting vaccinated.
With your own healthcare provider
Your healthcare provider can see your medical records. They will be able to determine your eligibility.
A vaccine site not associated with your healthcare provider
The vaccine provider will not be able to see your medical records. You may be asked to fill out an attestation form for your eligibility.
Alternatively, people who are eligible to be vaccinated can sign-up for an appointment as they become available at: SF.gov/getvaccinated or by visiting https://myturn.ca.gov/.
You can visit the following website to see the State's prioritization plan for distributing vaccine: https://covid19.ca.gov/vaccines/#When-can-I-get-vaccinated
You may also click here to sign-up for a vaccine notification to see when you may qualify to receive a vaccine. Below are links to some additional resources on the available COVID-19 vaccines and the State's prioritization plan:
Vaccine Town Hall in Cantonese (Recording)
Last week, SFDPH hosted a Vaccine Town Hall in Cantonese. Click HERE to watch the town hall and share it with your friends and family, if they wish to hear more information regarding the vaccine in Cantonese.
March COVID-19 Testing in District 11
The City is encouraging residents who have insurance to get tested through their medical provider, so as to take the strain off of our free testing sites. If you have health insurance, schedule a test with your doctor. If you have symptoms or known exposure, your healthcare provider is required by law to get you a test.
Excelsior (Community Pop-up Site)
Mondays from 10am to 6pm
Crocker Amazon Park
799 Moscow (in the parking lot near Paris Street)
San Francisco, CA 94112
Walk-Through and Drive-through
OMI (Community Pop Up Site)
Fridays from 9am-4pm
50 Broad Street
No Appointment Necessary
Walk-Through, Free Parking Provided
Alemany Farmers Market (CityTest SF)
100 Alemany Boulevard
Walk-Through and Drive-through
Alemany takes a limited number of drop-ins. Make an Appointment for guaranteed testing. Click HERE to make an appointment at Alemany.
Visit sf.gov/gettestedsf for more information.
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Agreement on Spending Plan for $125 Million Surplus for Current Budget Year
There is currently a one-time current year surplus in the budget of $125 million. The spending plan focuses on immediate relief and recovery support for those most impacted by the pandemic, including protecting small businesses, preserving arts and culture organizations, supporting youth and families, providing more housing security, and preventing overdoses.
This $125 million was a one-time surplus for the current budget year resulting from revenue, including property taxes, coming in higher than had been projected when the City budget was approved in October 2020.
The legislation enabling this package was approved last week at the Budget and Appropriations Committee, and will now go to the full Board of Supervisors for a vote. Here are the programs that it funds:
Small Business Grant and Loan Program - $24.8M: This includes funding for loans and grants for small businesses, including $3 million to support entertainment venues; $2.3 million to fully fund the Shared Spaces equity grant program, which helps to fund improvements, barricades, ambassadors and staffing for closed streets, and technical assistance around design and permitting; and $1 million to provide grants to small businesses that have been victims of property crime.
Preventing Cuts to Arts and Culture Programs - $24.1M: This funding will backfill the loss of hotel tax funding that is dedicated for arts and cultural programs. In addition, this includes $1 million in funding to serve as a contingency in the current year if hotel tax collections underperform even further, and an additional $5 million to serve as a down payment for the projected funding gap for next fiscal year.
Deferral of Business and License Fees - $13.2M: This will support the deferral of business registration fee and license payments that were scheduled to be due in May 2021 to November 2021 for businesses with less than $25 million in gross receipts. This will allow nearly 80,000 total business filers to defer their payments.
Waive Business and License Fees - $15M: Funding will go toward implementing legislation passed by Supervisor Catherine Stefani to waive business registration fees for businesses most impacted by the Stay at Home order.
Youth Learning Support - $15M: Funding will support any gaps in the upcoming Summer Together program, as well as other emerging youth learning needs resulting from the school closures.
Youth Internship Programing - $2.7M: This funding will expand summer internships for San Francisco Unified School District high school students, to provide opportunities for employment in education, in partnership with Opportunities for All.
Rental Relief - $10.05M: Approximately $10 million will supplement State and City rent relief funding to prevent residential evictions for tenants affected by the pandemic and Stay at Home order.
Innovations in Affordable Housing - $10.05M: Approximately $10 million will be made available to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development for the acquisition, rehabilitation, development, and operation of affordable housing projects, including cooperative housing, publicly-funded housing, and innovative housing models not traditionally funded through available State and Federal funds.
Overdose Prevention - $1.6M: Funding will expand on pilot programming at the Department of Public Health for overdose prevention efforts, including $1 million over two years to expand the overdose prevention program in single-room occupancy hotels, and $600,000 to support street outreach-based overdose mitigation.
Family Relief Fund - $2M: This will support a continuation of the Family Relief Fund that was established last spring in the early days of COVID-19 to provide relief to vulnerable and undocumented families who were not eligible for other forms of state and federal financial support. The program was introduced by Supervisor Walton in summer 2020.
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Please click HERE for housing resources, eviction prevention programs, and other financial assistance related services offered to District 11 residents and all San Francisco residents.
If you are facing any difficulty, please reach out to my office at SafaiStaff@sfgov.org and we will connect you with a housing resources available to all residents.
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CalTrans
If you have any questions or requests for Caltrans, please visit the Caltrans’ Customer Service Request tool: https://csr.dot.ca.gov/
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OEWD Request for Proposals (RFP) #112 "Build Back Stronger" Bid Opportunity
The Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) is focused on providing critical relief to our vulnerable communities and neighborhoods and building the foundation for a strong, equitable economic recovery that offers every San Franciscan an opportunity to share in the next economic expansion.
RFP 122, “Building Back Stronger,” supports workforce services grants and funding to support the Black community as we prepare to safely reopen the economy and advance our racial equity goals.
Thank you all for your continued partnership in this essential work.
Request for Proposals #122
Deadline: March 31, 2021 by 5:00 P.M.
Submission: oewd.org/bid-opportunities/RFP-122
For more information: oewd.org/bid-opportunities
Contact us with questions: oewd.procurement@sfgov.org
OEWD Request for Proposals (RFP) #216: Dream Keeper Initiative Bid Opportunity
The Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) is focused on providing critical relief to our vulnerable communities and neighborhoods and building the foundation for a strong, equitable economic recovery that offers every San Franciscan an opportunity to share in the next economic expansion.
RFP 216, “Dream Keeper Initiative - African American Economic Development Investment,” provides economic development grants to nonprofit organizations that serve African American businesses and entrepreneurs and can support programming to boost neighborhood economic activity. These resources are part of a larger investment led by OEWD's Invest In Neighborhoods division, in partnership with the San Francisco Human Rights Commission (HRC).
Request for Proposals #216
Deadline: April 2, 2021 by 5:00 P.M.
Submission: oewd.org/bid-opportunities/RFP-216
For more information: oewd.org/bid-opportunities
Contact OEWD with questions: oewd.procurement@sfgov.org
CA RELIEF GRANT
The state recently announced four new funding rounds for businesses and nonprofits to apply. A total of $2.1 billion is being made available as part of a comprehensive package to provide financial relief to individuals, families, and businesses that are suffering economic hardship from the impacts of COVID-19.
Round 4 (for non-profit cultural institutions only)
- Opens on Tuesday, March 16th
- Closes on Thursday, March 23rd
- Eligible applicants: Only non-profit cultural institutions any revenue size that meet eligibility criteria found at CAReliefGrant.com.
- Eligible grant award: $5,000 to $25,000
- Details: Eligible non-profit cultural institutions must complete a new application even if they already applied in Rounds 1 and 2; grants will only be available to non-profits cultural institutions that did not receive funding in Rounds 1, 2, or 3; grants will be prioritized based on the documented percentage revenue declines based on a reporting period comparing Q2 and Q3 of 2020 versus Q2 and Q3 of 2019.
Round 5
- Opens on Thursday, March 25th
- Closes on Wednesday, March 31st
- Eligible applicants: Current waitlisted small businesses and non-profits not selected in Rounds 1, 2, or 3 and new applicants that meet eligibility criteria found at CAReliefGrant.com.
- Eligible grant award: $5,000 to $25,000
- Details: Applicants not selected to receive a grant in Rounds 1, 2, and 3 do not need to reapply as they will be automatically moved into Round 5. New applicants will need to apply at CAReliefGrant.com.
Round 6 (dates to be announced soon)
- Eligible applicants: Current waitlisted small businesses and/or non-profits not selected in Rounds 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 and new applicants that meet eligibility criteria found athttp://avenuegreenlight.com/.
- Eligible grant award: $5,000 to $25,000
- Details: Applicants not selected to receive a grant in Rounds 1, 2, 3, and 5 do not need to re-apply and will be automatically moved into Round 6. New applicants will need to apply at CAReliefGrant.com.
Legacy Business Website
The Office of Small Business is pleased to announce our new website for the Legacy Business Registry: www.legacybusiness.org
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Free Programming Through 'Summer Together' Initiative
We're proud to announce #SummerTogether free summer learning programs for San Francisco's public school students. Enrollment begins in April.
This year the City’s summer offerings will focus on continuity of learning and will expand beyond traditional programs to include curriculum to combat learning loss, ensure credit recovery for high school students, and provide comprehensive support for families. Each individual family will be offered a range of supports for their children from free summer reading books easily picked up at any San Francisco Public Library to a full day of in-person learning at school sites, Community Hubs, or Recreation and Park Camps. For more information, click the link below.
Sign up for updates about enrollment or volunteer opportunities (or both!) at https://summertogether.org/
James Denman Middle School
Wednesdays from 9am-1pm
Address: 240 Seneca Avenue, San Francisco, 94112
Minnie and Lovie Ward Rec Center
Saturdays from 9am-1pm
Address: 650 Capitol Avenue, San Francisco, 94112
Stonestown YMCA
Wednesdays from 12pm-4pm
Address: 333 Eucalyptus Drive, San Francisco, 94132
Cow Palace
Fridays from 9am-1pm
Address: 2600 Geneva Avenue San Francisco, 94014
Food Bank participants can inquire about the home-delivery service or apply directly by calling their Hotline: 628-272-8430.
Or, the agencies can refer participants to the program via the link below:
To be eligible for the Pantry at Home program, participants must be:
- 65 years or older, OR
- Have an underlying health condition that puts them at greater risk for complications from COVID-19, OR
- Have difficulty attending a food pantry due to a physical or cognitive disability.
Please visit the following link for a schedule of food pantries open in San Francisco sponsored by the SF Marin Food Bank: https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/find-food/
Bridge to Excellence Scholarship
Mayor London N. Breed announced this year’s Bridge to Excellence Scholarship Program is now accepting applications. The Bridge to Excellence program will provide scholarships to highly-motivated graduating high school seniors from low-income and under-resourced communities in order to help overcome financial barriers they face to attend college.
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be a San Francisco Unified School District high school senior graduating in spring 2021 with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.20. Applicants must demonstrate a significant financial need and be the first in their family to attend a four-year college.
The application window will be open until Wednesday, March 31, 2021. The Mayor’s Office will review all qualified candidates and notify recipients by the end of April. Interested students can apply at: sfmayor.org/bridgetoexcellence
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The Student, Family, and Community Support Division (SFCSD) Advisory Group Opportunity
The Student, Family, and Community Support Division (SFCSD) is creating a short-term advisory group of students, families and community partners, who will provide critical feedback and help co-create SFCSD’s approach to some of its site-based services.
Students can earn up to $300 as a paid intern to participate in the Advisory Group through an SFCSD internship. Through this internship, students will gain valuable job skills, strengthen their leadership and advocacy skills, and help shape how SFCSD works with and serves students and families. Internships are available for current SFUSD high school students who will be 14 or older by 4/1/21. Students need to commit to all of the following dates and times:
- Wednesday, April 7th, 3pm - 5pm
- Saturday, April 17th, 10am- 1pm
- Saturday, May 1st, 10am - 1pm
- Wednesday, May 5th, 3pm - 5pm
- Wednesday, May 12th, 3pm - 5pm
Families will receive a $100 gift certificate for a local Black-Indigenous- or a People of Color-owned business and need to commit to the following dates and times:
- Saturday, April 17th, 10am - 1pm
- Saturday, May 1st, 10am - 1pm
Additional benefits include:
- Meetings will be virtual
- All participants will have the opportunity to share their stories and be heard
- Their feedback will help shape the redesign of SFCSD programs and practices
- Students can put this experience on their resume/college application
- Families can put this experience on resumes
Here are the links for application forms:
Students: English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic
Families: English, Spanish , Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic
The application deadline is March 19, 2021, by end of the day. For questions or more information about this project, please contact Georgia Williams Bratt or Kashina Turner Pierce.
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| A new San Francisco Public Library To Go-Go pop-up site launched in the OMI neighborhood on Wednesday, February 3. You can now pick up and drop off books at 50 Broad Street in the parking lot of Catholic Charities on Wednesdays between 2-6 pm. Visit the Library's website to check out your books today! https://sfpl.org/sfpl-to-go |
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