May 6, 2020
UPDATE REGARDING THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS ("COVID-19"):
A Message From The Supervisor:
As our City is coping with the effects of the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19"), I wanted to let each of you know that my office is working hard to stay up-to-date on all fronts so that you all can be informed of what is happening locally, statewide, and nationally. Lastly, please don't hesitate to email us at SafaiStaff@sfgov.org or call us at 1-415-554-6976 and we will immediately respond.
Thank you all for your time, cooperation, and perseverance -- we will all get through this!
Sincerely,
Supervisor Ahsha Safai
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New Deadline For Property Taxes: May 15, 2020:
On April 10, 2020, San Francisco’s homeowners know that property taxes are normally due, however the Board of Supervisors, once again, extended the deadline from May 4 to May 15, 2020. The legislation was introduced by Board President Norman Yee and the primary co-sponsor was Supervisor Safai. We hope this provides a bit of relief to all San Franciscans as we continue to fight this pandemic, more information below.
San Francisco’s Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector urges everyone to please pay on time, but if you can’t pay on time or can't the May 15 deadline for reasons related to the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) you should submit a request for a penalty waiver online AFTER the May 15, 2020 deadline.
Please note, the Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector will be TEMPORARILY OPEN ONLY FOR PROPERTY TAX PAYMENTS --NOT ANY OTHER BUSINESS -- ON THE FOLLOWING DATES:
Wednesday, May 13, 2020: 9AM to 4PM
Thursday, May 14, 2020: 9AM to 4PM
Friday, May 15, 2020: 9AM to 5PM
*ENTER AT CITY HALL'S GROVE STREET ENTRY
To apply for a Penalty Waiver, ONLY AFTER THE MAY 15, 2020 deadline, please click here:
https://sftreasurer.org/business/manage-your-business/penalty-waiver-refund-request
Please note, except for the above-noted dates and times and only for property taxes, currently, City Hall is still closed to the public and, therefore, not accepting in-person payments. To make a property tax payment you must pay by US mail or online, to pay online please click here:
https://sftreasurer.org/covid19
If you have any questions, please call 3-1-1 or visit the Treasurer & Tax Collector's website here:
https://sftreasurer.org/property-tax-deadline-frequently-asked-questions |
Update Regarding Commercial Evictions In San Francisco:
The Small Business Commission, today, informed the Board of Supervisors that there is now an official City-run email account to assist people field questions on San Francisco's existing moratorium on commercial evictions.
That email is: commercial.evictions@sfgov.org
The email will be monitored by the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD).
Currently, all small businesses affected by COVID-19 can keep their locations up-to six (6) months if eligible. To confirm, SMALL BUSINESS TENANTS AND SUBTENANTS MUST:
(1) Be registered to do business in San Francisco; and
(2) Have gross receipts at or below $2 million; and
(3) Missed a rent payment from March 17 to May 17, 2020.
If you meet the above-noted three-prong test, then you must provide written documentation to your landlord that the coronavirus outbreak has had a financial impact on your business.
Once you do this, then your landlord cannot evict you BEFORE GIVING YOU (1) A WRITTEN NOTICE AND (2) AN OPPORTUNITY TO CATCH UP ON YOUR PAYMENTS.
Commercial tenants must discuss a payment plan with their landlords.
Lastly, the website for all eviction-related inquiries FOR COMMERCIAL TENANTS (SMALL BUSINESSES AND
NOT RESIDENTIAL TENANTS) can be found here:
https://sf.gov/check-if-your-business-qualifies-eviction-moratorium
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The United States Small Business Administration And The United States Department Of The Treasury Both Issued A New Set Of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) For The Federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Designed To Help Small Business Owners Stay Afloat During This Ongoing Pandemic:
On Tuesday, May 5, 2020, the U.S. Small Business Administration ("SBA") announced its latest round of frequently asked questions (FAQs), you can find them here:
https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/Paycheck-Protection-Program-Frequently-Asked-Questions.pdf
One key issue for many people we have worked with focused on employees not wanting to return to work, the FAQs provide for the following test:
Employers must provide proof of (1) a good faith, written offer to rehire AND (2) the employee's rejection of that offer.
Other issues that are addressed are: seasonal businesses are covered (Question 9); paid sick leave (yes, the PPP covers this, Question 8); 500 employees or less (Questions 2, 36); felony conviction/s and eligibility (Question 12); calculating the amount of loan forgiveness (Question 20); laid-off employees or employees that refuse to return to work (Question 40).
To read the eligibility requirements, please click here:
https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program#section-header-11
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Tax-Aid, A San Francisco Nonprofit, Offers Free Income Tax Services To People Who Earn Less Than $55,000 A Year:
The District 11 office was contacted by Tax-Aid, a nonprofit that offers free tax services to people who earn less than $55,000 a year, below please find more information on Tax-Aid.
Currently, because of the shelter-in-place order, Tax-Aid has shifted all of its tax services online. Please note, Tax-Aid employs and has volunteers who are multi-lingual and who speak limited English or no English at all.
To learn more about Tax-Aid, you can call 1-415-229-9240 or click here:
https://www.tax-aid.org/ |
San Francisco's Golden Gate Restaurant Association (GGRA) Is Conducting An Online Survey For Restaurateurs, Chefs, And Owners/Operators:
The Golden Gate Restaurant (GGRA) -- an entity that represents and advocates on behalf of restaurant owners -- is currently circulating a survey for restaurateurs, chefs, and owners/operators in San Francisco.
The survey information will be "shared with the San Francisco COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force to help restaurants reopen and try to survive."
To learn more about the GGRA, please click here:
http://ggra.org/
To take the survey, please click here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdS6YrLZmv-Ac9CcQvDJKIckzC7vU4LjCgXWjHgsRoxpGut9A/viewform?mc_cid=3f32381bb4&mc_eid=4645042f54
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Motivate LLC Is Hiring Bicycle Mechanics:
The District 11 office was contacted by Motivate LLC to inform us that they are hiring bike mechanics, Motivate LLC manages regional bike share programs.
To learn more about Motivate LLC, please click here:
https://www.motivateco.com/what-we-do/what-we-do/
Some of the skills needed for this specific position include the following: experience with working with tools, interest in learning new skills, and flexible schedule.
All inquiries should go to: recruiters@motivateco.com
To learn more about the position, please click here:
https://usr58.dayforcehcm.com/CandidatePortal/en-US/motivate/Posting/View/4733
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San Francisco Launches The Tenderloin Neighborhood Plan For COVID-19:
On Wednesday, May 6, 2020, San Francisco launched its Tenderloin Neighborhood Plan for COVID-19 following a block-by-block assessment of the area conduced by the Human Rights Commission’s Tenderloin Community Roundtable, on April 28th, and that was administered by the Healthy Streets Operation Center (HSOC), along with the help of over fifty City staff, nonprofit employees and volunteers across six geographic zones.
The report found consistent challenges relating to:
1. Inability to comply with social distancing, especially in lines for food and services.
2. Large tent encampments obstructing sidewalks and entrances for businesses and residences.
3. Increases in garbage and waste and resulting environmental health concerns.
4. Food and clean water insecurity for unsheltered individuals.
5. Inadequate access to hygiene stations for unsheltered individuals.
6. Significant concerns around criminal activity, including drug-dealing.
7. Lack of health services and education, especially for unsheltered individuals and residents of SROs.
8. Need to increase support for small businesses and nonprofit organizations.
9. Lack of safe recreational space, particularly for families, seniors and people with disabilities.
And, the report also made a number of recommendations urging for City resources to be utilized to:
1. Address encampments by offering safe sleeping alternatives to unsheltered individuals.
2. Facilitate social distancing compliance by closing streets and limiting parking.
3. Ensure that all residents, housed and unhoused, have safe passage and access to their homes and businesses.
4. Improve access to hygiene stations, restrooms and garbage disposal for unhoused individuals.
5. Address food and water insecurity for housed and unhoused residents alike.
6. Increase police presence and activate community care ambassadors to mitigate public safety concerns.
7. Increase health services in the neighborhood.
8. Increased education and outreach to residents and businesses through a community care ambassador program.
A link to the just-released (31-page) report can be found here:
https://sf.gov/news/san-francisco-releases-tenderloin-neighborhood-safety-assessment-and-plan-covid-19
The plan will initially focus on 13 blocks of the Tenderloin but will expand and cover an additional 36 blocks. As noted above, the report provides draft recommendations and assesses existing conditions. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has exacerbated the conditions on the streets of the Tenderloin and those living in tents or structures increased by 285 percent since January (total of 268 tents per the plan/report) of this year and on the heels of lawsuit against the City.
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San Francisco Launches Required COVID-19 Testing For All Residents And Staff At Skilled Nursing Facilities:
On Friday, May 1, 2020, Mayor London N. Breed announced that the next phase in the City's expansion of coronavirus testing will require that all residents and staff working at the 21 skilled nursing facilities ("SNFs").
Specifically, this new directive will require all residents and staff working at the 21 skilled nursing facilities in San Francisco to be tested for COVID-19. Testing of all staff at the 21 sites starts this week at Laguna Honda Hospital, please continue to follow the stay-at-home order. Thanks!
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IMPORTANT: California's Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program:
On Tuesday, April 28, 2020, California's Employment Development Department (EDD) started accepting online applications for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance ("PUA") Program.
What is California's PUA Program?
This is a newly available emergency unemployment assistance program under the federal CARES Act. PUA provides assistance for unemployed or partially unemployed individuals who are not eligible for regular unemployment insurance and who are unable or unavailable to work due to COVID-19 related circumstances.
Who should apply (covered individuals)?
- Independent contractors
- Self-employed
- Individuals without sufficient work history
- Individuals who have exhausted their regular and any extended UI benefits
- Must self-certify to be able and available to work except are unemployed due to COVID-19 related reason
When Do Benefits Begin?
Benefits can be retroactive to weeks starting on or after February 2, 2020, depending on your last day of work due to COVID-19 and regardless of when you submitted your claim application. The effective date of your claim will begin the Sunday of the week when you last worked and became unemployed due to reasons directly related to COVID-19.
How Long Will Benefits Be Awarded?
Up to 39 weeks (minus any weeks of regular UI and certain extended UI benefits). Last week is week ending December 26, 2020.**
** Under the CARES Act of 2020, the $600 additional benefits are available through 07/31/20. However, the U.S. DOL has issued guidance to clarify that, for most Californians, the last full week of benefits will end on 07/25/20. Similarly, the PUA program has a legislative end date of 12/31/20, but for most Californians the last full week of benefits will end on 12/26/20.
What is the amount of benefits?
Amount of Benefits
- Minimum weekly benefit amount of $167 (but weekly amount may be higher and equal the amount provided under regular UI, depending on proof of prior earnings)
- PLUS $600 for weeks between March 29, 2020 to July 25, 2020.*
To learn more, please click here:
https://edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019/pandemic-unemployment-assistance.htm
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The M Line Is Now Running Again, Starting Monday, May 4th, 2020:
Due to the advocacy from our office and many community leaders, SFMTA will return a portion of the M Line via bus starting this upcoming Monday.
Beginning Monday, May 4th the M line will return as a bus from Balboa Park to West Portal. This line will ensure that transportation to the OMI is not cut off and that community members can reach essential services outside the neighborhood.
The frequency will be as follows:
5 days per week
6 am - 9 pm
20 min frequency
Thank you to all of the community leaders who worked hard to bring this crucial line back to work, thank you.
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Mayor London N. Breed Announces Universal COVID-19 Testing For All Essential Workers In San Francisco:
On Monday, May 4, 2020, Mayor London N. Breed announced that all essential workers -- including health care workers, first responders, grocery clerks, construction workers, drivers, childcare workers, and many more -- are now eligible for COVID-19 testing, regardless of symptoms or exposure.
This expansion is another step toward the City's goal of universal access to testing for all San Franciscans.
Please be safe, and please note that the shelter-in-place order was extended till June 1, 2020. |
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This is an incredibly difficult time for our city, and many of us are experiencing significant uncertainty, anxiety, and fear. Below is a list of resources that provide useful strategies and support to help maintain and improve our mental health.
I would like to thank my colleagues, Supervisors Catherine Stefani and Hillary Ronen, for compiling these resources.
- Coronavirus Disease 2019 Managing Anxiety and Stress from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Tips for Taking Care of your Mental Health and Social Distancing, Quarantine, And Isolation During An Infectious Disease Outbreak from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- Mental Health And COVID-19 – Information And Resources from Mental Health America
- If you are feeling anxious, stressed, depressed or isolated, you can call the San Francisco Mental Health Warm Line at (855) 845-7415 or chat with them online at www.mentalhealthsf.org/peer-run-warmline.
- If you are a senior who is feeling isolated due to the coronavirus, the Institute of Aging has a warm line called The Friendship Line. It operates 24 hours a day at 800-971-0016.
- If you are having thoughts about harming yourself, you can call the San Francisco Suicide Prevention hotline at (415) 781-0500, and they can provide you with confidential emotional support. You can also chat online with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/.
- If you are co-quarantined with an abuser or are worried about having to self-isolate in a dangerous home situation, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-7233 or chat online at www.thehotline.org.
- For those with alcohol and addiction issues, you can find help in programs like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. For confidential support from Alcoholics Anonymous, you can call their helpline at (415) 674-1821 or email them at help@aasfmarin.org. To reach Narcotics Anonymous, call (415) 610-7294. Online meetings are also available at https://www.weconnectrecovery.com and www.intherooms.com.
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The City and County Of San Francisco Has CLOSED McLaren Park's Shelly Drive and Golden Gate Park's JFK Drive Starting Tuesday, April 28, 2020, At 6:00 A.M. For As Long As The Shelter-In-Place Order Is In Place:
On Monday, April 27, 2020, Mayor London N. Breed announced that beginning Tuesday, April 28, 2020, at 6:00 a.m., a portion of John F. Kennedy Drive -- from Kezar Drive to Transverse Drive -- in Golden Gate Park and John F. Shelley Drive in John McLaren Park will be closed to vehicles 24 hours per day throughout the duration of San Francisco's Stay Home Order.
Why?
The street closures are intended to ensure there is enough space for people who choose to exercise in Golden Gate Park McLaren Park to maintain required physical distancing.
Please note, while the street closures are intended to increase space for people to get outside all park users must still practice social distancing and people over 60 years of age and/or those with underlying health conditions or who are sick are encouraged to not leave their homes.
To review the social distancing guidelines, please click here:
https://covid19.ca.gov/
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The Stay-At-Home Order Is Still In Effect In San Francisco:
Please note, as a friendly reminder, that the Stay-At-Home Order was recently extended again by Mayor London N. Breed till June 1st.
Please continue to wear a face mask if you are out in public, practice social distancing (six feet apart), and only be out in public for essential business or if you are an essential worker.
As of today, San Francisco has a total of 1,754 COVID-19 reported and confirmed cases along with 31 total deaths (our condolences to the families of these individuals). To keep daily track of COVID-19 in San Francisco, please click here:
https://data.sfgov.org/stories/s/dak2-gvuj
Thank you and be safe. |
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