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Dear Neighbor,
I’m proud of the results we’re delivering for District 9 and San Francisco. New data shows several public safety improvements on Mission Street since we implemented a moratorium on sidewalk vending to address the fencing and selling of stolen goods, violence and inaccessible sidewalks (more on that below). Caltrans finally committed to implementing fire mitigation measures on their properties at Holladay Avenue and the Cesar Chavez/101 underpass, as a result of multi-year advocacy from my office. Schools can now apply for Student Success Funds to establish new programs that support academic achievement and social emotional wellness at school sites. I authored the measure that established the fund to provide long-term support to our schools for programs that move the needle for students on those two key goals. Applications are open until February 23, 2024.
And also this month, a supermajority of the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution that I was proud to co-sponsor calling for a sustained ceasefire in Gaza, the provision of humanitarian aid, and the release of hostages. It also condemns antisemitic, anti-Palestinian, and lslamophobic rhetoric and attacks. Read the resolution here.
We continue to work tirelessly to address street conditions, homelessness, affordable housing, and the needs of D9 small businesses. Read on for more details on our work so far this year.
In community,
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Street Conditions
Vending in the Mission
60 days into the street vending moratorium on Mission Street, we are seeing extremely promising public safety results:
- A 30% decrease in incidents of assaults and robberies combined.
- A 23% decrease in 311 service requests for street cleaning along Mission Street.
- 67% of businesses have seen a positive change on Mission Street and 40% reported an increase in foot traffic in a recent survey conducted by the Office of Economic and Workforce Development.
Residents have written in to tell our office that they feel safe again walking on Mission Street and getting to their Muni and BART stops. Here’s a sampling of comments we’ve received:
“Thank you for implementing the Mission Street vendor ban. The area is much cleaner and much less chaotic. It looks and feels safer. I hope that people who have been turned off by the craziness come back to the area on foot, at restaurants and to use public transit. I hope the ban disincentivizes retail theft.”
“The amount of trash, violence and stolen goods really brought down the neighborhood and made it nearly impossible for small business owners to get the foot traffic needed to continue keeping their doors open.”
“The BART plazas are finally tolerable again.”
You can see coverage of these recent improvements in the SF Chronicle and Telemundo.
Also, we continue to support the street vendors formerly permitted on Mission Street. The City has dedicated resources through the Office of Economic and Workforce Development and our community partners to ensure permitted vendors have access to wraparound support services, including workforce training and placement, marketing support, and emergency relief funds for low-income households. Vendors are also being matched to existing resources based on their individual needs. You can support these permitted vendors directly by shopping at El Tiangue and La Placita marketplaces. You can read about hours and special events like Postres del Corazon (Feb 9) and Mission Loteria x Placita (Feb 17 and 24) here.
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You can read about hours and special events like Postres del Corazon (Feb 9) and Mission Loteria x Placita (Feb 17 and 24) here.
A big note of gratitude to our City workers from SF Public Works, SFPD and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development and our community partners at Calle 24, CLECHA, and the Latino Task Force for making these improvements and support possible.
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| Photo Credit: SF Department of Public Works. Capturing the current state of the 24th Street/Mission Street Bart Plaza that is now safer, cleaner and more accessible to transit riders. |
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Fire mitigation efforts on Cesar Chavez/101 underpass and Holladay Avenue
Earlier this month, we met with Caltrans for a walk-through of the Cesar Chavez/101 underpass area, and Holladay Avenue. For several years we have been advocating for the State agency Caltrans to implement concrete measures to address fire risk and lighting outages in the area. There have been repeated fires on these hillsides, threatening the residents on Peralta and Holladay.
We are excited to share that Caltrans has begun implementing a comprehensive plan, including targeted clearing of flammable brush on Holladay Ave., and installing more sturdy strategic fencing that is harder to tamper with in areas where repeated fires have come dangerously close to houses. Caltrans, DPW and SFPUC are also all working on fixing the lights that have been persistently out along the 101/Cesar Chavez freeway on and off ramps and the Bay Shore Blvd. exit, and the City bike path under the freeway that connects D9 and D10. And finally, the City is working together with Caltrans to come up with creative solutions to ensure additional lighting on the bike path under the freeway, so that it is safe for pedestrians, bikes and scooters.
Thank you to Caltrans, SFPUC, DPW, and the community for working closely with us to identify needs and push for effective fire mitigation and pedestrian/bike path safety.
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| Photo Credit: Jennifer Ferrigno. (Above photo) Caltrans employees and the District 9 office on a walkthrough assessing options for fire mitigation and bike path lighting. (Left) Caltrans District 4 Director Dina El-Tawansy and Supervisor Ronen at the walkthough, meeting to discuss options on Holladay Ave and the Cesar Chavez/101 underpass. |
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Homelessness
Shelter, transitional housing and services for families in the Mission
Hamilton Families has a new home in the heart of the Mission! On January 17th, this incredible organization hosted its grand opening ceremony for a new site in the Mission. They have served San Francisco families experiencing homelessness for nearly 40 years and I couldn't be more proud to welcome them into our community. Their services include temporary shelter, transitional housing, homelessness prevention programming, children and youth services, and more.
To learn more about Hamilton Families, the work that they do, or the programs they offer, please visit their website: hamiltonfamilies.org
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| Photos: The ribbon cutting at the opening of Hamilton Families. (Bottom right) Kyriell Noon, CEO Hamilton Families speaking at the event. |
New Board Committee Assignment
Rules Committee Chair
On Monday I chaired my first Rules Committee meeting since the end of 2021. This body is responsible for hearing items regarding appointments to the city’s various commissions, task forces, and committees, ballot measures, charter amendments, amendments to the Administrative Code and the Board Rules of Order.
I look forward to working alongside my Vice Chair Supervisor Shamann Walton and member Supervisor Ahsha Safai to make these important decisions.
The Rules Committee convenes every Monday at 10:00am.
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TRANSIT
MTA increasing buslines to address overcrowding on popular school routes
We are happy to share that MTA listened to students and families, and several Supervisors, including my office, expressing concerns about overfull buses frequently passing students by on many a school morning, leaving kids stranded and causing them to be late for school. MTA responded and has added additional lines as of January 20th, to address overcrowding and skipped stops.
Based on community input and MTA’s own analysis, they added frequency times during the weekday on the 24-Divisadero, 29-Sunset, 38R-Geary Rapid, 44-O’Shaughnessy, 48-Quintara-24th Street, 49-Van Ness/Mission, to provide services to students who use transit to get to and from schools situated among the major bus lines. They also increased frequency on weekends for the 28-19th Avenue. Because MUNI has financial constraints it must work within, the flip side is that they had to slightly decrease the frequency of three other lines: 5-Fulton, 5-Fulton Rapid, 9-San Bruno, and 33-Ashbury/18th Street which adds a few minutes of wait time between buses on those lines. MTA worked hard to balance community needs and minimize disruption to the lines affected, and we are thankful that they found a solution.
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EDUCATION
The Student Success Fund rolls out!
The Student Success Fund has released its RFP for the 2024/2025 school year! The turn around is a quick one, but necessary to align with school budgets that take shape in the spring. This is a great opportunity for schools to plan and dream big for implementing long-term programming to address the unique needs of students at specific schools site to improve student academic achievement and social emotional wellness. Student Success Funds are an opportunity to re-imagine how to effectively educate and support the wellness of students.
Student Success Funds will fund a school's selected intervention programs, as well as a site-based Community School Coordinator who will ensure school-wide engagement, support for program implementation, and evaluation of effectiveness. There are three areas of funding in the coming school year, including Readiness/Technical Assistance Grants to get schools ready for full grants the following year; Implementation Grants, for those schools who have a program plan ready for full implementation this coming year; and SFUSD Innovation Grants in which the District can apply for a school or set of schools, with their consent, to implement innovative programs that improve student outcomes for one or both of the fund's critical goals: academic achievement and/or social emotional wellness. Deadline for applications is February 23, 2024. For more information go here. You can also reach out to Jen Ferrigno in my office by sending an email to ronenstaff@sfgov.org if you have any questions.
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Spotlight on a D9 Community Organization
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To lift up the amazing work that is happening every day in Bernal, the Mission and the Portola, we are featuring the work of one D9 organization in each newsletter. This month features…
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Family Connections Center (FCC), located in the Portola neighborhood, is a nonprofit that serves over 2,500 individuals each year. For over thirty years, they've worked to build healthy and safe communities that foster the growth and development of children, providing a continuum of care from birth through adulthood and engaging with multiple generations in families. Through prenatal and parenting classes, early childhood education, licensed preschools, summer camps, afterschool programs, civil rights and health workshops, case management services, basic needs assistance, and so much more, they work to ensure children and families can thrive.
Interested in getting more involved? You can sign up to volunteer with them or join them for one of their next programs and events:
Portola Lunar New Year
Friday, February 16, 4:30 - 6:00 pm
A free cultural celebration of the new year, with crafts and fun for families, raffle prizes, and a lion dance performance; register here.
Bloom Shaboom
Sunday, March 24, 1 - 4 pm; 2675 San Bruno Ave (BMO parking lot)
Join FCC for a free community celebration with food from local restaurants, a Beer & Wine Garden, planting workshops, arts and crafts for all ages, live music, games, and more. More information and registration here.
Summer Camp
Enrollment for our summer program is now open. Blast off into the summer on an exploration of new worlds, time, and space! From catapult launches and rocket construction to cooking classes and gardening projects, children will grow their skills in STEAM and literacy.
3 sessions, beginning June 17 - August 9; more information here.
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