Dear Neighbor,
Homelessness is one of the most intractable issues facing our city. For years, San Francisco has tried solutions to a problem that has continued to increase in our city and across our state. Yet, the solutions we’ve implemented do not effectively meet unhoused residents where they are needed — we need to guarantee equity in how services are deployed.
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That’s why next week, I will be introducing legislation, with support from Supervisors Matt Dorsey, Jackie Fielder, Myrna Melgar, Danny Sauter and Shamann Walton, to ensure geographic equity in homeless shelters and behavioral health facilities across our city. It works in 2 ways:
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Meet Residents Where They Are: The legislation will require each of San Francisco’s 11 districts to approve at least one homeless shelter or behavioral health facility within 12 months. This approach will ensure services are accessible to residents across the city, particularly in underserved areas that lack any shelter beds, despite some districts having over 150 homeless individuals who currently do not have local access to the services they need.
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Reduce Burden on Over-Saturated Neighborhoods: Currently, neighborhoods such as the Tenderloin and SoMa bare a disproportionate share of the city's homeless shelters and behavioral health facilities. This ordinance will help alleviate these concentrations by prohibiting new facilities within 1,000 feet of existing facilities, allowing for the distribution of services more equitably and preventing any single neighborhood from shouldering an unfair share of the responsibility.
I wrote this legislation as a commitment to treating all residents with dignity and compassion, a promise to adhere to our humanity and shared responsibility.
We are ONE city, and I’m encouraging all districts to contribute to solutions that uplift all of San Francisco. We must remember that collective effort is essential for making meaningful progress in addressing homelessness in a way that reflects the city's values of equity, service, and fairness.
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Neighborhood Transportation Program Survey |
Last week, my office introduced a survey to help us decide how to spend nearly $700,000 in Neighborhood Transportation Program (NTP) funds from the San Francisco County Transportation Authority. Safety in our district is a top priority for my office and I’d like you to be a part of the decision-making process on how to spend District 5's NTP funds!
We’ve already received nearly 200 responses! Fill out the survey here to help shape transportation safety in our district. The deadline to submit is May 30, 2025.
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In the Heart of the Community |
This week, we celebrated Arab American Heritage Month at City Hall, which featured songs sang by youth, speeches from community leaders, and delicious food. Arab Americans have made profound contributions to our city’s cultural and social fabric — I appreciate team for organizing this wonderful event to uplift our diverse communities.
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The Board of Supervisors passed a resolution declaring April American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month. Introducing this legislation and seeing so many community members come out to support one another was a touching reminder of the importance of speaking up for our diverse communities in San Francisco.
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I had the special honor of presenting Ghazi Shami with a commendation on behalf of the Board of Supervisors, recognizing his outstanding accomplishments as a leader, entrepreneur, and advocate for independent music. As the Founder and CEO of EMPIRE, the largest privately held independent music company in the U.S., he has empowered artists around the world and built a platform for both creative and commercial success—while also championing human rights and continuing to invest in the city that raised him. Ghazi’s humility and humanity serve as a shining example of San Francisco excellence.
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I'd like to hear more from you! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed meeting many of you during our monthly Community Coffee Chat. Last month, I extended the chats by an additional hour and will continue that format going forward.
These coffee chats are an opportunity to share your thoughts, ask questions, and discuss community issues in an informal, 1:1 setting directly with me. Sign up now to reserve your spot and engage in meaningful conversation about the future of our district.
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CAAM Fest
The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) presents CAAMFest, the nation’s largest Asian American festival, celebrating 43 years of Asian American stories May 8–11, 2025. CAAMFest is returning with another fully in-person festival where stories from Asian America shine. This year’s programs will take place around San Francisco, including the historic Japantown neighborhood. You can find more information, the full schedule, and tickets at CAAMFest.com
ABOUT CAAM
For 45 years, the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) has been dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. As a nonprofit organization, CAAM funds, produces, distributes, and exhibits works in film, television, and digital media. For more information, please visit CAAMedia.org.
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San Francisco Public Library Presents: Tech Week
Building new skills for your resume or just getting started with technology? Mark your calendars! Tech Week 2025 (May 10—17) is here to help with nearly 40 free programs and one-on-one tech support.
A collaborative effort between San Francisco Public Library and many community partners, Tech Week is for all of San Francisco, featuring sessions on everything from AI education and robotics to basic tech help and smartphone fundamentals. See our full lineup: sfpl.org/techweek
Tech Week 2025 features both in-person events and virtual sessions, and includes events in English, Spanish and Chinese. In-person programs take place at various Library and partner locations throughout the City. All Tech Week events are free.
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SFMTA Transportation Workshop
SFMTA is introducing Transportation Options Workshop on Wednesday, May 7th from 2:30pm – 4pm at the Western Addition Senior Center located at 1390 ½ Turk Street.
This workshop will focus on the Shop-a-Round program which has both shuttle and discounted taxi components for riders to go to grocery shopping locations in San Francisco. After the presentation, eligible attendees will be able to complete their application, and the first 25 applicants will be able to take their program ID photo onsite. Applicants will receive their program ID cards in the mail 3-5 days later. To be eligible, applicants must be age 65 or older, and/or have a disability and bring their government-issued ID.
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🏠 Affordable Housing Lottery Opening Soon – May 7 to May 21!
The San Francisco Housing Authority is opening its Section 8 RAD / PBV (Project-Based Voucher) and Public Housing lottery waitlists to the public.
📅 Application Period:
Opens Tuesday, May 7, 2025 at 8:00 AM PT
Closes Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 5:00 PM PT
🔢 24,000 applicants will be randomly selected by lottery to be placed on the RAD/PBV and/or Public Housing waitlists and will be sorted by priority preferences.
📍 How to Apply:
Apply online at sfha.org/housing-programs/waitlist
Or by phone at (415) 715-5200 (available 8 AM–7 PM weekdays, 8 AM–12 PM weekends)
Applications by phone may take 15–25 minutes to complete.
🙋♀️ Need help?
Community service providers are ready to assist — find them at sfha.org
Language translation services and reasonable accommodations for disabilities are available
Hearing impaired individuals may also request support
NOTICE for an emergency sewer repair on Ellis, between Mason and Cyril Magnin
WHAT: The contractor working for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) will be repairing a collapsed brick sewer main that is over 100 years old. We appreciate your understanding and will be working to minimize impacts to the area.
WORK LOCATION: Ellis Street, between Mason and Cyril Magnin Streets
ANTICIPATED WORK SCHEDULE: *Start of work can be postponed or canceled, and duration of work may extend due to weather or other unforeseen construction issues.*
• May 5, 2025, from 9 AM to 9 PM: Excavation of the roadway
• May 6, 2025, from 9 AM to 9 PM: Excavation of the roadway
• May 7, 2025, from 9 AM to 9 PM: Repair of the damaged sewer main
• May 8, 2025, from 9 AM to 9 PM: Repair of the damaged sewer main
• May 9, 2025, from 9 AM to 9 PM: Repair of the damaged sewer main
• May 10, 2025, from 9 AM to 9 PM: Restoration of the roadway
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Wheel-y Good News from Baker & Fell
This week, we rolled away a small—but stubborn—source of neighborhood blight: a rogue shopping cart locked to a pole at Baker & Fell that had started to attract trash and paint cans like a magnet. Thanks to sharp-eyed neighbors and partnership with DPW, we untangled the confusion between departments and got the cart carted off.
Sometimes, it's the little things—like one less piece of street clutter—that make our neighborhoods feel just a bit more cared for. Appreciate everyone who flagged this and helped us push this to solution!
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Don’t hesitate to reach out at MahmoodStaff@sfgov.org. We’re here to help!
Let’s work together to make District 5 a better place for all.
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