April 4, 2024

Dear Neighbors,

In the Richmond, we are seeing commercial landlords raising rents at astronomical rates, often displacing small businesses. We are actively connecting merchants with the City’s Office of Small Business for assistance, and providing our small businesses legal support. With the Mayor’s proposed plan to upzone our City, we will see a rising wave of small businesses facing significant threat of rent increases in the Richmond.

We will also see tenants, especially those living in affordable units, who will face rent increases and difficult living conditions. Even those who live in areas that are seemingly stable face potential zoning changes in their neighborhoods, particularly in the Outer Richmond and by Ocean Beach.

On March 6th, I joined a townhall hosted by the Planning for the Richmond Association to discuss the Mayor’s upzoning plan and related legislation, specifically how this legislation could impact the Richmond. The Richmond needs and deserves more housing that the our residents can afford, like the 98 units of 100% affordable housing for seniors at 4200 Geary or the upcoming housing development at the Alexandria Theater, but the reality is is with this one-sized-fits-all upzoning approach will lead to a wave of displacements for our tenants and small businesses with to commercial and residential investors and developers’ buying and selling the Richmond.


Map of  Mayor Breed's proposed upzoning plan 

Rendering of proposed upzoning (Neighborhoods United SF)  

Here are way that you can help us to protect the Richmond from speculative displacement:

• Sign up with Planning for the Richmond Association
• Sign up with Neighborhoods United SF
• Attend the Planning Commission informational hearing upzoning is next scheduled on May 23rd. 
• Stay informed, sign up for our District 1 newsletter
• Register and attend our neighboring D4 townhall on upzoning:
  • Thursday, April 11th, 6:30pm-8:30pm 
  • Christ Church Lutheran - 1090 Quintara St., Between 20th & 19th Aves
  • or online 
• Learn about the National Park Services Ocean Beach Project and submit your comments by April 30th. 

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