Supervisor Hillary Ronen - 03072022 Newsletter

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March 7, 2022
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District 9 Mission
Improvement Plan

Dear Neighbors,

My office has been working with City Departments for weeks to develop a comprehensive plan to address ever-worsening street conditions in the Mission.

Businesses and residents have been suffering with unpassable sidewalks, unpermitted street markets of predominately stolen goods, and trash everywhere, creating an overall feeling of a forgotten and unhealthy community. Meanwhile, poor immigrants struggle to earn some extra money as economic opportunities are limited. People experiencing homelessness are suffering on the streets, many dealing with severe mental illness or addiction, living in squalored conditions.

We must and will do better to ensure that the neighborhood's natural vibrancy is restored while helping those in need find dignified places to heal, and helping vendors find ways to earn extra money without hurting local mom and pop stores.

This is a balancing act that we will continue to hold, refine, and focus on.

We are available by email: ronenstaff@sfgov.org or by phone at 415-554-5144 (leave a message, and we will call you back-- we are checking voicemail frequently). Check for updates on my Twitter and Facebook.

Mission Plan to Improve Street Conditions, Support Neighborhood Health
and Small Business

Photo from Mission Local. To read the article, click here.

PURPOSE

Current street conditions in the Mission are unacceptable. Sidewalks are unpassable, litter and trash plague the neighborhood, and San Franciscans experiencing homelessness are living in unhealthy and unsafe conditions on the streets.

To address these issues, we engaged City departments charged with care of street conditions - San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD), Public Works (PW), Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH), the Healthy Streets Operation Center (HSOC), and the Department of the Environment (DOE) to make new and specific commitments to the Mission.

We have also introduced legislation and have engaged the American Indian Cultural District, Mission Economic Development Agency and the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District to support community efforts to activate BART plazas, clean the streets and address the culture of littering. Below is our immediate plan to address the most serious issues on the street. This is a work in progress as we are constantly advocating for additional resources and services to improve living conditions in the Mission.

STREET VENDORS

Permit Process:
In collaboration with the Mayor's office, we have introduced legislation to create a permit system for street vendors. The purpose of this legislation is to stop the sale of stolen goods on the street and provide structure and order for those vendors who seek honest economic opportunity. The ordinance will require all street vendors to obtain a city permit to vend and provide proof of ownership for all new and labeled merchandise. If proof of ownership of new or labeled goods cannot be provided upon request, Public Works may confiscate the goods until proof of ownership is provided. After 3 months, Public Works will donate any unclaimed goods to organizations serving people experiencing homelessness.

Indoor Flea Markets:
This week, a storefront in the Mission will be converted into a permanent indoor location for street vendors. Vendors on the street will be asked to come inside and will be provided a clean and orderly place to vend, off the city streets. We are currently working with the Mayor's office and community based organizations to locate additional store fronts along the Mission corridor with the goal of encouraging most street vendors to sell their goods inside.

BART Plazas:
We are coordinating with BART to prevent unlicensed street vendors from selling goods in BART plazas.

STREET FIRES

Abatement of Hazards:
SFFD will coordinate with Public Works and the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) to identify and abate observed fire hazards throughout the Mission. Public Works will clear all debris and potentially flammable materials from locations identified by SFFD. SFPD will confiscate any dangerous fire accelerants or other materials used to start fires.

HOMELESSNESS

Encampments:
The Healthy Streets Operation Center (HSOC) has committed to weekly encampment resolutions in the Mission, where they will offer safer spaces for people to sleep in navigation centers, safe sleep sites, shelters, hotel rooms, small cabin structures, and/or in permanent supportive housing. HSOC will also clean the areas around encampments multiple times a week. Previously, HSOC was only working in the Mission on occasion.

Shelter:
HSH will be reopening Jazzie’s Place and Santa Maria/Santa Marta Shelters in the Mission with a total of 53 new beds to offer more safe and dignified options to individuals living on the streets of the Mission.

Areas Around Homeless Services:
HSH will work to keep areas around homeless services such as the Division Circle Navigation Center, 1515 South Van Ness Safe Sleep Site and Jazzie’s Place free from encampments and debris. The area around 1515 South Van Ness will receive special attention.

TRASH

Increased Service:
Public Works and Recology will increase service of city owned trash bins along the Mission Street corridor between 14th and 26th Streets. Public Works will also increase service of bins around the BART plazas and parks. Public Works will assign cleaning teams to walk the Mission corridor daily. This will ensure maintenance of cleanliness for the most impacted areas.

Downtown Streets:
An additional Downtown Streets team will be walking the Mission Street corridor to provide trash and litter removal 5 days a week in the afternoon and evening hours. There will also be three Downtown Streets teams focusing on the neighborhood streets from 14th to 26th street between Mission and Folsom.

Gravity Bin Pilot Program:
Public Works and Recology will prioritize distributing updated disposal bins to Mission merchants called gravity bins. These bins come with a locking mechanism that prevents people from rummaging through the bins and will not open when kicked over.

Cardboard:
We are working with the Department of the Environment to develop a new policy around cardboard collection and assist merchants to properly recycle the cardboard without abandoning large amounts of it onto Mission Street.

Community Engagement:
The Mission Economic Development Agency and the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District have agreed to launch merchant and community education programs to educate merchants on their rights and obligations to maintain cleanliness around their storefronts. They will also be hosting monthly community street clearing events. Public Works will also begin notifying large store fronts of their obligation to clean the streets in front of their property.

ACTIVATION

Bart Plazas:
My office has funded The American Indian Cultural District and the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District to organize culturally relevant and community-oriented events for the 16th and 24th Street BART plazas.

1979 Mission Street (former Walgreens):
The city is working with the Plaza 16 Coalition, Marshall Elementary School and both the American Indian Cultural District and the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District to develop a comprehensive plan for the large site during pre-development of the 100% affordable housing complex.

FEEDBACK

We are continuing development of this plan. If you have idea of how we can further enhance health and safety in the Mission please email us at RonenStaff@sfgov.org

Resources and Announcements

Small Business Grants for Past Due Rent due to COVID-19

Apply for a grant for your small business to pay rent debt due to COVID-19- this grant will pay for a portion of the rent debt you accrued from March 2020 to September 2021 if your property owner agrees to extend your repayment term to September 2024.

Grant Details
The pilot program will provide a grant of 50% of the amount of back rent you owe up to $35,000. Businesses must be current on rent payments starting October 2021.

Program Timeline
The application will close on April 1, 2022 at 5 PM. Awardees will be notified on April 22, 2022, if they were accepted into the program. Click here to find out more.

California Rent Relief: Apply by March 31

Trouble paying rent? Landlord pressuring you to leave?You don’t have to move.

Apply now for rent relief! The state has committed to funding all eligible applications completed by March 31, 2022.

Applying for rent relief before April 1 can protect you from eviction even if your application is still pending.

To apply for rental assistance, call 833-430-2122 or visit Housingiskey.com

Notify your landlord that you applied and save a copy of the letter for your records.

If you receive any paperwork or notices from your landlord or are facing harassment, reach out to a tenant rights group right away for help responding. If you receive court eviction papers, Don’t move out! Free legal help is available. Call the Eviction Defense Collaborative ASAP: 415-659-9184

For information about your rights and where to get help, visit SFADC.org or call a local tenant counseling clinic:
English, Spanish, Russian: 415-703-8644 (HRCSF)
Chinese: 415-984-2728 (CCDC)
Filipino: 415-552-5637 (SOMCAN)
Arabic: 415-513-5177 (BISHOP)

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Got an upcoming event or opportunity to include in this newsletter? Email Nikita.Saini@sfgov.org

Our mailing address is:
Hillary Ronen, District 9 Supervisor
San Francisco City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244
San Francisco, CA 94102-4689

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Supervisor Hillary Ronen - 03072022 Newsletter

District 9 Mission
Improvement Plan

Mission Plan to Improve Street Conditions, Support Neighborhood Health
and Small Business

STREET VENDORS

STREET FIRES

HOMELESSNESS

TRASH

ACTIVATION

FEEDBACK

Resources and Announcements

Supervisor Hillary Ronen - 03072022 Newsletter

District 9 Mission Improvement Plan

Mission Plan to Improve Street Conditions, Support Neighborhood Health and Small Business

STREET VENDORS

STREET FIRES

HOMELESSNESS

TRASH

ACTIVATION

FEEDBACK

Resources and Announcements

Stay Connected

District 9 Mission
Improvement Plan

Mission Plan to Improve Street Conditions, Support Neighborhood Health
and Small Business