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Joined District’s 8’s newest neighbors in Cole Valley during the Board of Supervisors’ summer recess in August.
Appreciate the warm welcome!
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WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON
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EXAMINING THE STATE OF TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT FOR SAFER STREETS: On September 6, I called for a hearing on the state of traffic enforcement and street safety in light of new data showing San Francisco is failing to make meaningful progress on its Vision Zero goal to eliminate traffic deaths by 2024. 2022 is on track for the deadliest year since the Vision Zero began in 2014. Meanwhile, SFPD is currently writing on average 10 citations per day citywide compared to 74 per day in 2019, according to a new analysis featured in the San Francisco Chronicle.
At a time when San Francisco is failing to meet its Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic deaths by 2024, it appears we as a city have all but given up on enforcement of our existing traffic laws. For too long enforcement has been largely missing from the conversation around street safety. This hearing will provide an opportunity for the Police Department and MTA to explain what obstacles need to be removed to begin effective enforcement of both moving and parking violations that pose a serious risk to cyclists and pedestrians on our streets.
MEETING OUR HOUSING NEEDS: This month, I announced a new effort to make it easier to build small multi-family buildings in residential neighborhoods citywide. First, I will be advancing a revised version of my "fourplex" ordinance to allow four and six-unit buildings in predominantly single-family neighborhoods across San Francisco. In addition, I am drafting a separate ordinance to create a local streamlining program for small and medium sized residential buildings provided that existing rent-controlled housing and historic buildings would not be impacted. While state programs like SB 9 have created streamlined approvals for duplexes and the voters will be weighing in on programs to streamline large buildings in November, my ordinance will focus on the mid-scale housing that we will have to provide a lot more of if we are going to meet our housing goals.
MAKING TREATMENT ON DEMAND A REALITY: On Tuesday, September 13, I called for a hearing on the Department of Public Health’s 2022 Treatment on Demand Report. Providing substance use treatment on demand is a long-standing goal that recognizes the urgency of connecting people with substance use treatment as soon as possible after they request it. Yet 26 years after San Francisco first expressed the goal of treatment on demand, it is clear we are far from making it a reality. With drug overdoses skyrocketing in recent years, we need a clear process for measuring and meeting unmet demand for treatment.
HEARING ON PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY SERVICES: On July 28, I convened the Board’s last hearing before the August recess to examine the status of psychiatric emergency services in San Francisco, particularly at SF General. One jaw-dropping takeaway from the hearing: Five individuals alone with alcohol use disorder took more than 1,700 ambulance trips costing the City’s taxpayers $4 million over 5 years. We need a concrete plan to open more facilities for people who require emergency psychiatric care – those who are far too frequently not getting that care on the streets.
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OPENING THE MISSION’S NEW DRUG REHAB CENTER: On August 2, I joined Mayor Breed and the San Francisco Department of Public Health for the grand opening of Victoria’s House, a 12-month rehabilitation center for individuals with serious behavioral health conditions and substance use disorders. Located at 658 Shotwell Street in the Mission, this residential and treatment bed facility will offer timely, accessible, coordinated, high-quality, and recovery-oriented care that is delivered in the least restrictive setting.
One the very first pieces of legislation I introduced as a Supervisor was a measure to protect existing Board and Care facilities and make it easier to build new ones. So I was especially proud to see the opening of a new and much-needed facility like Victoria’s House, which will both add to our housing opportunities for vulnerable residents and provide a rehabilitative setting for people struggling with addiction and mental health issues.
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Happy Birthday BART! This past weekend we celebrated 50 years of outstanding service to our region.
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Celebrating Transit Month all September long! Thanks to SF Transit Riders for calling attention to the critical importance that public transit plays in our city. Check out all the events here.
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It was an honor to welcome Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands to the Castro! We discussed the historical significance of the Castro Theatre & other landmarks, the legacy of Harvey Milk, and what we can all do to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people globally.
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Joined U.S. Senator Alex Padilla on Aug 25 at San Francisco General Hospital to urge the federal government for more MPX vaccines.
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DEMANDING A ROBUST FEDERAL RESPONSE TO MPX: On August 8, the Board of Supervisors held a special meeting to ratify the County Health Officer’s Declaration of a Local Health Emergency for Monkeypox (now known as MPX).
And on August 25, I joined U.S. Senator Alex Padilla at the MPX vaccine clinic at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. The federal government’s response to this public health emergency has been inadequate and generally disappointing. San Francisco is fortunate to have an advocate like Senator Padilla in Washington demanding a more robust response. Together we urged the federal government to expand access to the MPX vaccine so every Californian who wants a vaccine can get one, and those of us who have gotten our first dose can get a second.
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MPX: MPX (pronounced "em-pox") is a virus that spreads through prolonged skin to skin contact, sex, kissing, breathing at very close range, or sharing bedding and clothing. Having sex or close physical contact with multiple people can put you at higher risk for monkeypox, and cases have been concentrated among gay, bisexual, and transgender men who have sex with men.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) recently released an FAQ on how to avoid exposure to MPX, how to know if you've been exposed, and when you're eligible to get vaccinated or tested.
For the latest information on the City’s MPX response, visit: http://sf.gov/monkeypox
MONKEYPOX VACCINATIONS
When SFDPH has enough supply, the Jynneos Monkeypox vaccine is available by appointment at clinics throughout the city, including at Kaiser Permanente and UCSF.
People who live and work in San Francisco are eligible for a Jynneos vaccine:
- Gay, bisexual, and other men or trans people who have sex with men, who have had more than 1 sexual partner in the past 14 days
- Sex workers of any sexual orientation or gender identity
- Persons who have had close contact within the past 14 days with someone with suspected or confirmed monkeypox
- Persons who had close contact with others at a venue or event or within a social group in the past 14 days where a suspected or confirmed monkeypox case was identified. This includes persons who received notice from a venue or event of a potential exposure within the past 14 days
- Laboratory workers who routinely perform monkeypox virus testing
- Clinicians who have had a high-risk occupational exposure (e.g., examined monkeypox lesions or collected monkeypox specimens without using recommended personal protective equipment)
VACCINE SITES
People should seek the second dose from their health care provider, regardless of where their first dose was obtained.
The vaccination clinic at ZSFG at 1001 Potrero, Building 30, will continue as a walk in clinic for both first and second doses. A limited number of second doses will be available every day from Monday, September 12 through Friday, September 16 (8 am to 4 pm) and on Sunday, September 18 (8 am-3:30 pm) or until vaccine supply is exhausted for each day. We will provide the community with updates as the situation develops.
The following locations have supplies of Jynneos vaccine by appointment only:
- San Francisco City Clinic patients: call 628-217-6600
- Strut patients: call 415-581-1600
- Kaiser-Permanente patients: call 415-833-9999
- SF Health Network patients: call your specific clinic, or 415-682-1740
- Adult Immunization and Travel Clinic (AITC) patients call: 415-554-2625
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Youth Transportation Advisory Board - application deadline 9/16. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is forming a Youth Transportation Advisory Board (YTAB), and we strongly encourage all interested youth to apply today!
The deadline is September 16th at 5 PM. Up to twenty youth between ages 14 and 19 will be selecting for paid positions on the board. SFMTA seeks to build an inclusive board that will represent the diverse needs of SF youth and their communities. YTAB coordinators are available to answer any questions you may have about YTAB or the application process at YTAB@sfmta.com.
You can also find more information on their website. Please consider applying if you are eligible or forwarding to any youth you believe might be interested.
SFPUC’s Green Infrastructure Grant Program Fall Cycle Now Open. SFPUC is excited to announce its Green Infrastructure Grant Program is now accepting applications for the Fall 2022 application cycle, with up to $10 million available for projects. Applications are due October 31st. Sign up for the upcoming workshop on September 20 to learn more and get ready to apply - register here .
SFUSD Enrollment Fair & Enrollment Workshops. Join SFUSD in-person for the 2023-24 SFUSD PreKindergarten and Elementary School Enrollment Fair on Saturday, October 22, 2022 at John O’ Connell High School! And join us online for the 2023-24 Middle and High School Enrollment Fair from Monday, October 24 to Thursday, October 27. Meet representatives from our schools! Learn about school programs, how to apply, and more! To subscribe to get updates about the Fair, visit sfusd.edu/fair.
Unlawful Detainer Guide for Small Business Owners. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area has released a self-help guide for representing yourself and your business in commercial eviction proceedings. The guide is available for free free at https://lccrsf.org/lse-resources/
Neighborhood Events
Mount Olympus Block Party
Sunday, September 18 2022
3:00 - 5:00pm
Note: To access Ashbury Terrace you will need to enter either from Upper Terrace or from Piedmont via Masonic or Ashbury.
Upper Noe Block Party
Join neighbors and local schools, organizations and businesses for an admission-free party featuring live music, food, children’s activities and special recreational opportunities for all ages.
Saturday, September 24
Upper Noe Recreation Center, 295 Day Street
Music, food and fun from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Announcements and speeches at noon
Find out how you can participate: info@uppernoeneighbors.com
Cole Valley Fair
Sunset Mercantile is honored to continue the tradition of the Cole Valley Fair – back for the 18th year — featuring fine arts and crafts, food booths, live music, a display of historic Cole Valley photographs, a full block of vintage automobiles owned by neighborhood residents, informative booths run by City departments and local NFP organizations, and many events for children. The Cole Valley Fair will remain the same as years past as a local, neighborhood fair with much community involvement.
Sunday, September 25
10:00am – 5:00pm
Cole St between Frederick & Grattan and Parnassus Ave between Shrader & Belvedere
Volunteer Work Day in Mount Olympus Park
Saturday, October 1, 2022
10:00am - 12:00pm
Noe Valley Art Festival
In partnership with SF Rec & Park, the first-ever Noe Valley Arts Festival celebrates the many local talents creating art around Noe Valley. Artwork on display will include ceramics, paintings, drawings, prints, structure, mixed media, textiles, and photographs. Plus art activities for adults and kids! https://friendsofnoevalley.com/
Sunday, October 2, 2022
10:00am – 4:00pm
Noe Valley Town Square
22 artists
Free to the public
Castro Art Mart is a monthly street fair on Noe Street between Market and Beaver the first Sunday of every month from 11am-5pm featuring LGBTQ art from local artists, live music, comedy and drag shows, and more. Learn more.
Noe Valley Town Square Events. Upcoming events at the Noe Valley Town Square include Acoustic Sunday and Free Sunday Morning. Details at noevalleytownsquare.com/events
Dolores Heights Improvement Club. Green Gardens group holds monthly clean-ups on the first Saturday of the month from 9am – 10:30am. More info: https://doloresheights.org/
Upcoming Neighborhood Meetings
Eureka Valley Neighborhood Association. Thursday, September 29 at 6pm. https://evna.org/
Upper Noe Neighbors. Every other month on the third Wednesday at 7:00 at the Upper Noe Recreation Center. https://uppernoeneighbors.com/
Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association. Tuesday, October 11 at 7pm. https://www.dtna.org/
Resilient Diamond Heights. Saturday, September 24 at 3:00pm at St. Aidan’s Church (101 Gold Mine Drive), there is also a virtual options. https://dhcasf.org/
Glen Park Association. Next quarterly meeting will be held October 6 at 6pm. https://www.glenparkassociation.org/
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S.F. Mayor Breed responds to Castro merchants’ protest over drugs, homelessness by pledging police help
San Francisco Chronicle, September 14
…Supervisor Rafael Mandelman pressed Breed during Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting on what she would do to fix the crisis on the streets. He said that in 2018, he asked her whether the Castro would feel the difference from adding shelter beds, and according to him, she said they would. But he said that despite her efforts and significant improvement since the height of the pandemic, the status quo of encampments, drug activity and people who are a danger to themselves or others on the streets is “unacceptable.”
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How much will downtown S.F.’s struggles hurt the city budget? Supervisors want to know
San Francisco Chronicle, September 13
Supervisor Rafael Mandelman sent a letter Tuesday to the city’s controller and treasurer asking them to complete an analysis by April 1 of how business tax revenue has been reshaped by the sharply reduced ranks of people regularly working in San Francisco’s many office towers.
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SF Supervisor Asks Health Department to Get Real on Drug Treatment
The San Francisco Standard, September 13
Supervisor Rafael Mandelman is calling for a hearing on Tuesday to ask the Department of Public Health to own up to its inability to provide sufficient drug addiction treatment. The hearing will focus on the annual treatment on demand report, last released in January 2022, which is intended to measure gaps in the city’s substance abuse treatment network. But Mandelman said that the report doesn’t adequately capture the demand for treatment because it surveys people who are already enrolled in rehab, leaving policymakers in the dark when attempting to allocate resources for the uninitiated.
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Officials ‘San Francisco Recovers' Strategy to Intervene Street Drug Market
NBC Bay Area, September 7
A group of San Francisco supervisors released an ambitious strategy to confront the city's rise in fatal drug overdoses on Tuesday. Labeled "San Francisco Recovers," the resolution plans to use some of the $100 million the city earned in opioid litigation settlements over the past few years in a three-pronged approach -- incentivizing and supporting those with substance-use disorders to seek recovery, ending street-level using and dealing and calling on 21 city departments to analyze their resources and obstacles to progress.
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S.F. just got its first royal visit in 17 years. Here’s what Queen Máxima of the Netherlands did in the Castro
San Francisco Chronicle, September 6
The queen did not disappoint: She greeted the pair with delight as she walked across the famous rainbow crosswalk, on her way to the Castro Theatre after visiting the GLBT Historical Society Museum with Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman. Flocked by a press gaggle, security entourage and two dozen royal fans, Queen Máxima sent the neighborhood into a tizzy during the first official visit from a European royal in 17 years. Fans waved Dutch flags or dressed in orange, the color that symbolizes national pride
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City says it’s expanding board-and-cares, but data shows otherwise
Mission Local, August 25
Mandelman is calling for a new and extensive report on the status of all mental health beds in San Francisco; the 2020 Health Department report is not cutting it as an adequate metric for city bed expansion, he said. “I have been dissatisfied with the 400-bed framework, and I’ve expressed that in a number of hearings,” Mandelman said. “It was not a master plan, and was not intended to be. I don’t think there is a plan.
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US Sen. Padilla pushes for more monkeypox vaccines during SF visit
Bay Area Reporter, August 25
Mandelman, who held a hearing at the Board of Supervisors July 21 about the slow government response to the outbreak, praised Padilla's presence. "The federal government's response to this public health emergency has been inadequate and generally disappointing," Mandelman stated in a release issued by Padilla's office. "That is why we are so grateful to have an advocate like Senator Padilla in Washington demanding a more robust response. We urge the federal government to expand access to the Mpox vaccine so every Californian who wants a vaccine can get one, and those of us who have gotten our first dose can get a second.
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As San Francisco awaits more Monkeypox vaccines, Latinos account for 30-percent of city’s cases
El Tecolote, August 25
Rafael Mandelman, District 8 supervisor and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, said the Latino community and particularly men should be aware of monkeypox and take steps to protect themselves. “[People] should be thoughtful and be communicative with their partners, you know what’s going on with your body and people you may be having sex with,” Mandelman said
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Restoration of poignant HIV/AIDS mural completed with vibrant colors & new additions
Hoodline, August 18
The Castro's nearly 25-year-old The Hope For The World Cure mural at 16th and Market streets was recently restored with vibrant colors and three new additions."I'm excited to see the mural fully restored, and grateful to Susan Cervantes, everyone at Precita Eyes who worked on the restoration, and everyone who donated to support this project," said District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman. "We hope the restoration of this mural will represent a turning point for the neighborhood, while continuing to honor the meaning and emotions behind its colorful imagery for decades to come," added Mandelman.
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Castro Starbucks Votes to Unionize, May Become First Unionized Starbucks In San Francisco
SFist, August 16
The Castro District’s supervisor, Rafael Mandelman, said in a statement on Twitter, "Many congratulations to the Castro Starbucks employees on their historic vote to become San Francisco's first unionized Starbucks store. In an era of growing income inequality, successful efforts to organize low-wage private sector workers remind us that there is still power in a union and San Francisco is still a union town."
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San Francisco hopes emergency declaration will bring more vaccines
Axios, August 1
Why it matters: One of the declaration's main objectives is to "send a signal" to the federal government that the city needs urgent help — namely, more vaccines, District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman said in an interview with Axios.
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Special Hearing on Mental Health Emergency Care In SF Brings Proposal for New Long-Term Care Hospital
SFist, July 29
San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman held a special hearing Thursday on the mental health crisis in the city, discussing ways it might be addressed with representatives from the Department of Public Health, the police, and others. Since taking office, Mandelman has been outspoken about the need to provide better care for people, especially homeless people, experiencing mental health crises on the street.
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SF Hospitals Grapple with Repeat Psychiatric Patients, Frustrated Workers
San Francisco Standard, July 28
A hearing led by Supervisor Rafael Mandelman on Thursday revealed gaps in psychiatric care amid an ongoing substance use and mental health crisis, with hospitals reporting repeat emergency patients who don’t seem to get connected with sustained care. More than 60% of patients who cycle through Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital’s psychiatric emergency unit leave with nothing more than a referral for outpatient treatment, according to a presentation by the Department of Public Health.
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S.F.’s Laguna Honda halts controversial patient transfers after outcry over deaths
San Francisco Chronicle, July 28
Now that the discharges are paused, said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, “the work of addressing the issues at Laguna Honda can continue without jeopardizing the lives and well-being of residents.”
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5 patients cost $4 million in ambulance rides: S.F.’s struggling behavioral health system exposed in hearing
San Francisco Chronicle, July 28
Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who called the hearing, grilled health department officials about whether new programs are relieving the overburdened department and voiced skepticism that programs would be effective without more dedicated resources for people in the most acute crises.
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NEIGHBORHOOD OFFICE HOURS
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Have questions or concerns for the District 8 Office? Our neighborhood office hours will be on Sunday, October 2, from 10am-12pm, in the Castro at Spike’s Coffees and Teas (4117 19th St).
Email MandelmanStaff@sfgov.org to request a 10 minute appointment. Appointments are on a first come first served basis.
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YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC SAFETY LIAISON
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Have you met Dave yet? Dave Burke is a civilian employee of the San Francisco Police Department and serves as the District 8 Public Safety Liaison. Reach him at dave.burke@sfgov.org.
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