Supervisor Hillary Ronen - COVID19 Update 11192020 Newsletter

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November 18, 2020
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Big Updates on Elections, COVID-19, Homelessness and Schools

Dear Neighbors,

Thank you for reelecting me to represent District 9 for a second term. Serving our District -- and the wonderful residents of the Portola, Bernal Heights, and the Mission -- has been a great honor, and I look forward with renewed commitment and energy to the important work ahead.

But let’s not forget the election that is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. When the race was called for President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, the City erupted in celebration. People in my neighborhood were banging pots and pans in their pajamas. A woman ran down the street waving the American flag. Cars honked their horns as they passed by. Everyone took a moment to collectively breathe a deep sigh of relief. We are facing enormous and unprecedented challenges, but I have high hopes for our future, with federal leadership that is based on compassion, justice, and science.

While we celebrate this hopeful change, there is sobering news as well. Mayor Breed and Department of Public Health Director Colfax announced last week that the number of cases of COVID-19 in San Francisco has increased sharply. This week, San Francisco was moved to the red tier on the state’s reopening plan. To slow the spread of COVID-19 and avoid overwhelming our healthcare system, the City has temporarily eliminated indoor dining, reduced the indoor capacity of fitness centers and movie theaters, closed nonessential offices, and paused the reopening of high schools that have not already opened.

San Franciscans have shown that we believe in science and are willing to sacrifice in the short term to keep each other safe. We still need everyone to do their part. Please avoid gatherings, wear face coverings when leaving home, keep your distance from other people, and get tested for COVID-19 if you feel sick.

In this newsletter, we cover the latest updates on:

Advocating for Parents and Students
Local Election Wrap-Up
Bringing Transparency to Police Negotiations
Protecting Vulnerable Residents in Shelter-in-Place Hotels
Update on Response to Homelessness in the Mission
Mental Health SF Launching Crisis Response Outreach Teams
Honoring the First People of San Francisco
Celebrating Casa Adelante Affordable Housing Groundbreaking
McLaren Park Community Safety Meeting
Holding DPH Accountable on Latinx COVID-19 Response
COVID-19 Update
Testing Site at Alemany Farmers Market
Extending the Moratorium on Commercial Evictions
Small Businesses Loans
Interactive COVID-19 City Services Map
Casa Adelante is Accepting Applications for Childcare Units

My office may not be in City Hall these days, but we are still here for you. 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.

Advocating for Parents and Students

As we approach the end of the fall semester, there is still a lot of uncertainty about when public schools will be able to reopen. I have spent the last several months speaking with parents, educators, School Board members and School District staff, public health professionals, youth service providers, union leaders, and family advocacy groups to understand their perspectives. Many families and educators want schools to reopen as soon as possible, but with clear assurances that adequate sanitation, testing, and monitoring protocols will be in place. We need that for the students and educators alike.

I have continued to host bi-weekly hearings at Joint City, School District, City College Select Committee meetings to support the School District, the Department of Public Health, and the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families in troubleshooting obstacles that stand in the way of opening school quicker, including funding gaps and staffing capacity challenges in our school testing plans. I am also working with expert Doctors and Epidemiologists from UCSF to share data showing that opening up elementary schools with safety precautions is safe.

As a public school parent as well as your Supervisor representing thousands of public school families, I am focused on making sure that we are working with the utmost urgency as we prepare our schools to reopen safely.

Local Election Wrap-Up

Again, my deep thanks to District 9 for the vote of confidence to continue to represent you for a second term. In addition to the D9 race, all of the odd-numbered Supervisor Districts were on the ballot this November. I look forward to serving with returning colleagues come January and to welcoming our two new members: District 1 Supervisor-elect Connie Chan and District 7 Supervisor-elect Myrna Melgar. I am beyond excited to serve alongside these strong women!

Additionally, we are very fortunate that San Francisco voters recognized the need for increased local funding to keep the City operating safely and effectively and approved the the well-crafted, progressive revenue measures on our local ballot -- Prop A: Health, Homelessness, Streets & Parks Bond; Prop F: Business Tax Overhaul; Prop I: Luxury Property Transfer Tax; Prop J: Parcel Tax for Educators; and Prop L: Excessive Executive Salaries Tax. Likewise, the voters said yes to good government measures -- creating a Department of Sanitation and Streets (Prop B), opening the opportunity for noncitizens to serve on boards and commissions (Prop C), establishing oversight over the Sheriff’s Department (Prop D), and removing the minimum police staffing requirement (Prop E) -- along with temporary easing in commercial permit processing (Prop H) and authorizing future affordable housing development (Prop K). I’m proud of our City!

Bringing Transparency to Police Negotiations

Yesterday, I announced legislation that will require transparency when the City negotiates with the Police Officers Association (POA).

My legislation, the Police Sworn Personnel Transparency Ordinance, will require that communication between the City and the POA be noticed and public. This includes collective bargaining meetings with the POA as well any meet and confer and written communication.

The POA has historically paused or completely halted reform measures like use of force policies, bias training, and body-worn cameras by negotiating them as labor contract issues with the City's Department of Human Resources and away from the public eye. This legislation is the only way to make this process transparent for the public.

At a time when millions around the country are out in the streets demanding change, allowing reforms to continually be delayed as more civilians are hurt or killed is unacceptable. So far, the City's Department of Human Resources is failing to use its power to advance reform. The public should have a right to watch these negotiations and make sure the Department stops giving away the store and starts negotiating hard for the reform the entire world is demanding.

I want to thank fellow Supervisors Dean Preston, Matt Haney, Shamann Walton and Sandra Lee Fewer, along with San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, Public Defender Mano Raju, and civil rights organizations including the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club and the ACLU for supporting this measure.

Protecting Vulnerable Residents in Shelter-in-Place Hotels

Last week, Mayor Breed and the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) announced plans to close the city’s emergency Shelter-In-Place (SIP) hotels , where more than 2,300 vulnerable unhoused individuals have been safely sheltering during the pandemic. Before the end of the year, an initial group of seven hotels -- currently home to over 500 unhoused residents -- is expected to close.

Earlier this year, my colleagues and I passed legislation and fought hard to open these SIP sites throughout the city. These facilities have been essential in protecting homeless seniors and people living on the street with serious health conditions, and they have greatly reduced the risk of community transmission of the virus. Now, the city is rolling out a schedule to close the SIP hotels without a clear plan for where each person will go.

Supervisors Preston, Haney, and I held a special hearing last week pressing City officials to release more details about their plans. There are, in fact, few alternatives for safe shelter without these SIP hotels. Existing Navigation Centers and Safe Sleeping Villages are already operating at full capacity. With COVID-19 cases resurging citywide and across the country, there is no public health rationale to justify closing these critical resources at this time.

I refuse to allow our most vulnerable residents to be kicked out into the streets without a clear plan for where they will go. We will continue these hearings to help shape the City’s strategy around Shelter-In-Place hotels, and I will continue to fight for clear and concrete answers before we let go of these lifesaving rooms and undermine our efforts to tackle the city’s dual homelessness and public health crisis.

Update on Street Homelessness in the Mission

While we have worked hard to move people at high risk for COVID-19 into Shelter-in-Place hotels, there continue to be far too many people still living unhoused on our streets. Over the last few months, we have worked closely with homeless services providers, Mission community leaders, and various city agencies to support unhoused individuals in moving off of the streets of the Mission and into Shelter-In-Place hotels, the new Safe Sleeping Village at 1515 South Van Ness, and Navigation Centers that have reopened with heightened safety precautions. As a result of these coordinated efforts, we have managed to help relocate over 120 people into safer and healthier shelter alternatives that offer reliable access to food, restrooms, and showering facilities. More importantly, these shelters and safe sleep sites are helping connect unhoused people to family members, permanent supportive housing opportunities, housing vouchers, and other pathways to successfully exit homelessness and achieve long-term housing stability.

As the numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations begin to rise again, we will continue to advocate for sustained funding for our Shelter-In-Place hotels and Safe Sleeping Villages to ensure that these life-saving resources remain available as long as the pandemic continues to jeopardize our collective public health.

Mental Health SF Launches Crisis Response Outreach Teams

Photo taken when Mental Health SF passed in 2019.

Tackling homelessness requires a multi-pronged approach, which is why I fought so hard to pass Mental Health SF last year. This complete overhaul of how we help people in crisis from mental health illness and/or addiction will provide tangible relief soon. As a first step, the City will be launching its very first Crisis Response/Street Outreach Teams by the end of the year.

Nonviolent psychiatric emergencies make up more than a quarter of police calls. Instead of relying on police to respond to health crises on the streets, the new Crisis Response Outreach Teams will include a specially trained psychologist or social worker, a paramedic, and a peer support expert, often someone with lived experience in recovery from alcohol or drug abuse or homelessness. When we have a system as broken as ours, fundamental change is needed -- there is no quick fix. But with this first step, and the work we are now doing to implement the other components of Mental Health SF, we have set a new course for the City.

Honoring the First People of San Francisco

November is Native American Heritage Month. This is a time when we not only celebrate the diverse traditions, histories, and contributions of Native people, but also engage in the critical work of recognizing and repairing the generations of harm caused to Native communities at the hands of our own government institutions.

The Board of Supervisors has a responsibility to honor the First People of San Francisco -- the Ramaytush Ohlone Nation -- by recognizing their continued connection and relationship to this land.

This month, I introduced a motion to require the President of the Board of Supervisors to read a statement acknowledging the Ramaytush Ohlone community of San Francisco during all future public meetings of the Board. Going forward, this permanent statement will serve to recognize the presence and power of San Francisco’s American Indian residents and inspire others to take action in support of native communities.

Celebrating Casa Adelante Affordable Housing Groundbreaking

On November 2, the District 9 community, along with Mission Economic Development Agency and Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation, celebrated the groundbreaking of Casa Adelante at 681 Florida , 130 new units of affordable housing. The project is the result of a long and hard-fought fight to preserve blue-collar jobs and protect the working-class community of the Mission. Casa Adelante / 681 Florida will be the seventh new affordable housing building in our district in the last few years, for a total of nearly 800 units. We have another 220 on deck to start construction in the next two years, and, with your support, I will continue to push for many more.

McLaren Park Community Safety Meeting

I will be hosting a community safety meeting in response to reports of gun violence in McLaren Park on Thursday, November 19, at 6 pm.

Please join me, along with SFPD Captain Dangerfield, to hear your concerns and share plans to improve safety in the park.

You can join the Zoom meeting here.

And if you are a Portola resident and are not already signed up to the Bayview Precinct newsletter, make sure you sign up by emailing sfpdbayviewstation@sfgov.org; they provide neighborhood updates and more importantly, announce the monthly public safety meetings with the Captain.

Holding DPH Accountable on Latinx COVID-19 response

Two weeks ago I held a hearing at the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee on the Department of Public Health’s (DPH) response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Latinx community. During the first weeks of the emergency, we learned that the Latinx community accounted for 50 percent of the City’s COVID-19 positive cases. Now, eight months later, this statistic remains the same.

The Latinx community deserves to know what DPH has been doing to respond to the disproportionate amount of cases. We’ve been told that $28 million dollars is going to the Latinx community, but we haven’t seen the details or any evidence of how it is being spent. I fought for DPH to support the heroic efforts of the Hub, which is being run by the Latino Task Force on COVID-19. Since July, the Hub has been running a resource center, food distribution, and testing once a week, but to date, it is almost entirely dependent on volunteers, with no City funding.

At the hearing, DPH assured us that specific and culturally competent services aimed at the Latinx community will soon be on the streets. At my request, we will have another hearing to continue the discussion and to hold DPH accountable for their promises.

COVID-19 Update

This week, the City announced that it would adjust its reopening due to a significant and rapid increase in COVID-19 case rates in San Francisco, coupled with the current increase in cases and hospitalizations in California and across the United States. San Francisco is moving from the least restrictive Yellow Tier to the Red Tier.

The Department of Public Health released a Travel Advisory on November 12, urging San Franciscans to refrain from traveling outside of the county and recommending a 14-day quarantine for those who do decide to travel. As cases continue to climb throughout California and the rest of the country, this advisory is even more important to follow.

The following activities will halt indoor operations until further notice:

Indoor dining at restaurants or bars serving meals in any context including standalone restaurants, food courts in shopping centers, and dining establishments in hotels, museums or other venues. These changes went into effect on Friday, November 13, 2020.
Non-essential offices. Offices will have to return to 100% remote and telework operations. These changes will go into effect on Tuesday, November 17, 2020.

The following activities will pause until further notice:

High schools that are not already open with approved plans. (Switching to outdoor instruction within certain parameters). These changes went into effect on Friday, November 13, 2020.

The following activities will be required to reduce indoor capacity:

Fitness centers (including gyms, hotel fitness facilities, and climbing walls) may remain open at 10% capacity. These changes will go into effect on Tuesday, November 17, 2020.

New Testing Site at Alemany Farmer’s Market

The CityTestSF site at the Alemany Farmers Market is now open. The site will operate five days a week and has the capacity to test as many as 500 people a day, with both walk-through and drive-through tests. Appointments can be scheduled online at sf.gov/gettestedsf, and residents or essential workers without appointments are welcome.

The hours of Alemany CityTestSF are:

Monday: 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday - Thursday: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Extending the Moratorium on Commercial Evictions

This week, the Board passed legislation that I co-sponsored that will temporarily restrict landlords from evicting commercial tenants for non-payment of rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will extend the moratorium immediately to March 31, 2021 , and will continue to extend it if the state allows. The legislation is shaped to give the most generous relief to the smallest businesses, will help many hang on while many are trying to weather this pandemic through creative, but reduced, operating capacity, and will save neighborhood business corridors from scores of vacancies. You can check to see if your business qualifies for an eviction moratorium here.

Added Funding for Small Businesses Loans

San Francisco small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and the soul of our neighborhoods.

At the start of the pandemic in April, I spearheaded and won the establishment of SF HELP, the SF Hardship Emergency Loan Program.

SF HELP provides interest-free loans of up to $50,000 with flexible repayment terms to small businesses in crisis during COVID-19. Money quickly ran out as the need for small business help continues to grow.

The good news is that the City has added $3.5 million to the fund. The loans can be used for payroll, rent, other fixed costs, and inventory. Small businesses interested in applying for SF HELP can visit link.oewd.org/zeroloan. The deadline to submit a Loan Inquiry Form is November 25 at 11:59 p.m. Mission Economic Development Agency is implementing SF HELP in partnership with the City of San Francisco. Businesses will be selected via a lottery to formally submit an application once the Loan Inquiry Form is closed; this lottery will include a preference for low- to moderate-income-owned businesses throughout the city.

Interactive COVID-19 City Services Map and New BOS Newsletter

The Office of the Clerk of the Board created an interactive map to provide information about COVID-19 resources available within the City and County of San Francisco. The map features resource icons for various services—childcare, testing sites, education, hand washing stations, homeless and low income to-go food, homeless and low income technology resources, mental health substance abuse resources, pit stops, senior and older adult resources, and summer camps. View the map here.

The Clerk of the Board has also launched a new newsletter; you can view it here! This newsletter will be a resource for you to learn how to participate in local government. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact the Clerk of the Board at BOS@sfgov.org or at (415) 554-5184.

Affordable Family Childcare Units - Apply Now

Casa Adelante 2060 Folsom, brand new affordable housing by Mission Economic Development Agency and Chinatown Community Development Center, is accepting applications for two new Family Childcare units!

Qualified applicants (those who have a valid child care license) should email 2060folsom@chinatowncdc.org. All questions can also be forwarded to this email. For further application assistance, feel free to contact a housing counselor at https://housing.sfgov.org/get-assistance.
Applicants should upload completed application and current child care license to https://tinyurl.com/2060FChildcare.
Submit applications to https://tinyurl.com/2060FChildcare by the deadline, Monday, January 25, 2021.
Leasing is on a First Come, First Served basis. All applicants who are not contacted will remain on the Waitlist for a future vacancy.
Applicants must meet qualifying criteria of income, household size, and the rules of the building.

Resources and Announcements

Resources and Announcements

BART Public Safety Discussion with BART Directors Bevan Dufty and Janice Li
BART is conducting outreach on new public safety approaches that emphasize responding to homelessness, behavioral health and substance use issues without relying on armed police.

BART invites you to join BART Board of Directors Bevan Dufty and Janice Li for a facilitated, virtual discussion about how BART currently addresses these societal issues in our system and get your recommendations on how to address them in future.

When: Saturday, November 21, 2020
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Where: https://zoom.us/webinar/register /WN_3wrL7qkOQ7WW8aFkYN4-Pw
(Please click the above link to RSVP/register in advance. Instructions on how to join event will be emailed upon registration)

SFUSD has New Grab + Go Meal Schedule
Starting Nov. 10, the weekly pick up time for all grab and go sites will change to Tuesday, 2:00-3:30 p.m. On Tuesdays, 5 days’ worth of meals, including breakfast, lunch, supper, fresh fruits and vegetables, and milk is available. Brown, Lau and Mission stay open until 4 p.m.

SFPUC’s Floodwater Grant Webinars
Tune in on Nov 18* or Dec 9* to start your Grant application to get reimbursed up to $100k for your project. If your property experiences flooding or sewage backing up when it rains, apply for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)’s Floodwater Grant Program:

With up to $100k reimbursement for your project
Assistance throughout the process

Register at sfwater.org/FloodwaterGrant for a webinar on November 18 (12pm) * or December 9 (5:30pm) * where they will help:

Determine your eligibility
Start your application

*Both sessions will be the same. Resources to get rain ready at sfwater.org/RainReadySF.

SFMTA Fare Help
When times are tough, even paying for the bus can be a challenge. During times like these, the SFMTA has programs to help get you where you need to go, like Free Muni for Youth, Seniors, and People with Disabilities, the Lifeline and Clipper START reduced fare program and their Essential Trip Card.

SFPUC Bill Relief
The SFPUC has extended their Emergency Residential Assistance Bill Relief Program until the end of the year. Their emergency bill relief efforts include:

Emergency Discounts of 15%-35% for Residential Customers on their SFPUC water, sewer and Hetchy Power bills.
Emergency Discounts of 20% for Small Business and Non-Profit customers on their water and sewer bills.
Ongoing long term discounts for low-income water, sewer and Hetchy Power customers.

To read more about eligibility rules and other details, please visit our bill relief webpage: sfwater.org/billrelief.

Essential Worker Ride Home: SF Environment the SFCTA (SF Environment and SF County Transportation Agency) launched a program to help essential workers commuting home late at night and don't have a reliable transit option. Click here for more.

For families who are looking for access to the Internet for distance learning: AT&T is offering an affordable way to stay connected with Internet service for $10/month and expanded eligibility requirements. More details at att.com/access or call (855) 220-5211.

Housing

COVID-19 Eviction and Rent Increase Moratoriums – Emergency tenant protections, including more time to pay your rent, suspension of evictions during the pandemic, and a rent freeze in City-subsidized housing.

Give2SF Housing Stabilization Program – Financial help to pay rent, utilities, and other housing costs if you have been financially impacted by COVID-19.

COVID-19 Homeowner Emergency Loan Program (HELP) – No-payment loans of up to $25,000 to cover HOA dues, property taxes, and lump-sum deferred mortgage payments