Friends and Neighbors,
It’s been a busy stretch for the District 5 office! We have had some big wins recently, and we wanted to share the news with you along with some updates.
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➩ New Eviction Protections
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With a near-unanimous 10-1 vote, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors just passed legislation to provide permanent eviction protections for tenants unable to pay rent during this state of emergency.
This is a huge win for struggling tenants. Without this legislation, there is no doubt that we would have seen thousands of eviction filings as soon as the current eviction moratorium expires. Now, we have given struggling tenants peace of mind that they don’t have to fear eviction as they make up their back rent. People who have lost income shouldn’t also lose their homes in a global pandemic.
As has become abundantly clear, the worst health effects of COVID-19 have disproportionately fallen on low-income and communities of color. I believe it is our obligation to do everything in our power to offer them the fullest protection against eviction available by law.
Thank you to the Anti-Displacement Coalition for helping craft this proposal, the dozens of clubs and organizations for endorsing the legislation, and for the hundreds of people who called and wrote letters to voice their support!
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➩ Housing Stability Package
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The eviction protection legislation is a first step in a comprehensive housing package that my office has proposed to address COVID-19’s serious impacts to San Francisco’s already rampant affordability and displacement crisis.
The housing package includes a newly introduced ballot measure on the sale of buildings over $10 million, to pay for a program that will alleviate rent debt for tenants and landlords alike. It also paves the way for a social housing fund, which will provide dedicated resources to pursue housing models that will prevent future displacement and create permanently affordable housing.
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The premise is simple: As we reel from the worst recession in recent history, we need todemand more from the wealthiest investors and institutions, and we need to use the revenue generated by this increased tax to make sure San Franciscans can get back on their feet without worrying about keeping a roof over their heads.
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➩ Success at the Safe Sleeping Site
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It’s Official: The Safe Sleeping Site in the Haight is a RESOUNDING Success!
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Through everything that's been happening lately, I wanted to take a moment to pause and express our deep gratitude and appreciation for the HUGE SUCCESS that is our temporary Safe Sleeping Site in the Haight. It is an overwhelming benefit and well worth the hard work so many of you put in to make it the second site in the entire city. The Homeless Youth Alliance and Larkin Street Youth Services have done an ASTOUNDING job moving folks in, and we are grateful for the model they've used which has resulted in almost every person invited deciding to stay at the Site. We have heard zero reports of problems at the site, aside from wishing the site could accommodate more of our unhoused population!
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We know the homelessness crisis was raging before the pandemic hit, and while one Safe Sleeping Site certainly cannot solve the homelessness crisis, it is a testament to there being workable solutions available when we work together and think creatively. We look forward to fighting for more sites, more hotel rooms, and more permanent housing.
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➩ Stopping Muni Fare Hikes
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Last week I joined Supervisor Aaron Peskin and SFMTA Director Jeffrey Tumlin to announce an agreement to immediately halt any MUNI fare increases for the upcoming 2021/2022 budget cycle in exchange for dropping a Charter Amendment that would have eliminated the SF Municipal Transportation Agency’s exclusive authority to fix transit fares, among other things. This announcement ends a major standoff between the MTA and supervisors regarding fare increases and avoids a showdown at the ballot this November.
We led the fight against Muni fare increases because making people pay more for public transportation during a pandemic and recession is wrong. When we get out of this, our commitment to combatting climate change means incentivizing using public transportation -- not jacking up the price.
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On June 6, I was proud to march and take a knee with our labor allies for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery.
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And last week, I was thrilled to see Black Lives Matter displayed so prominently on the street connecting the Fillmore to City Hall.
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( Image via San Francisco Chronicle)
We are thankful to the African American Art & Culture Complex and all of the organizers, artists and activists for making this happen!
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➩ Golden Gate Ave Slow Streets
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Last week we announced that Golden Gate is the newest Slow Street in District 5!
MTA staff added barriers to Golden Gate Avenue from Masonic to Broderick. Golden Gate is the second Slow Street to be implemented in District and was one of the community-generated corridors from the last round of Slow Streets to be announced.
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Our office was excited to announcelast week, that service for the 43 Masonic will be restored as a shortened route between Masonic/Geary and Munich/Geneva and the 5 Fulton will resume its full route between the Salesforce Transit Center and Ocean Beach.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out requesting the 5 and the 43 to return, we know how critical these lines are to D5.
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Join the D5 team for our weekly office hours, coming up this Wednesday, June 17th at 1pm on Zoom Video Conference. Get an update from the Supervisor, celebrate Juneteenth, and get your questions answered.
D5 Virtual Office Hours
Wednesday, June 17 at 1pm
Click here to register
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