The Weekly Digest (December 8, 2024)

Dec 8

Happy Sunday, Brionies!

Here’s what you need to know about local politics this week and beyond:

San Francisco City Hall

Monday, December 9 at 10am: Regular meeting of the Rules Committee (agenda here):

Item 3 – Hearing to discuss the “progress, successes, and provisions left” to implement Mental Health SF, a program created in 2019 with the ambitious goal of providing “a comprehensive reform of the City's mental health system,” including “universal access to treatment for mental illness and substance use disorders, and to provide affordable access to psychiatric medications.” It’s hard to imagine there will be much “progress” or many “successes” to report.
Item 5 – Ordinance to establish an Office of Citywide Food Coordination and to dissolve the Food Security Task Force. The new office will be responsible for “coordinating citywide efforts to address food insecurity” and “preparing a Food Security Report every five years.” We have no doubt that creating a new agency, “coordinating efforts,” and “preparing reports” will solve food insecurity in no time.

Tuesday, December 10 at 2pm: Regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors (agenda here):

Item 38 and 39 – Resolutions relating to an affordable housing project at 1515 South Van Ness, including a proposed loan of $45,233,623 to construct the 168-unit multifamily rental housing property. The total development costs for the project are estimated at $167,689,658, and the City’s subsidy per unit is $269,247. Other major funding sources include a $37,930,397 State Multi-Family Housing Program loan, $78,930,397 in tax credits, and a $3,956,000 permanent loan from Housing Trust Silicon Valley. Forty-two units will be reserved for families exiting homelessness, five units for HIV-positive households, and the remainder will be general affordable housing units primarily designed for families.
Items 49 - 52 – Consideration of SFMTA’s October decision to allow towing of an oversized vehicle if an offer of shelter or housing is rejected.

Thursday, December 12 at 10am: Regular meeting of the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee (agenda here):

Item 2 – Hearing on traffic enforcement and street safety. Background materials prepared by the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee recommend several measures, such as increased funding to SFMTA for infrastructure improvements and data. As for enforcement, the committee recommends that SFPD “stop disproportionately citing people in Equity Priority Communities for traffic violations that do not affect public safety” and rely more on red-light cameras. One factor the committee does not consider: the dramatic decline in traffic enforcement in recent years. SFPD’s materials show that in 2014 and 2015 police issued 129,597 and 120,133 tickets, respectively, but in 2022 and 2023 those numbers had dropped to only 4,006 and 5,080.

Happenings around town

Monthly Happy Hour, Thursday, December 12, 5:30-7:30pm, location upon RSVP
Briones 101, Thursday, December 19 at 5pm
What is the Briones Society? What is our mission and what are our core principles? How can you get involved? And where the heck does the name “Briones” come from? Join us for a half-hour Zoom meeting to learn the answers to these questions and more. We look forward to meeting you!

What we’re reading

This week, the Chronicle published a devastating investigation of HealthRight360, which received $65 million from the Department of Health last year and is the City’s largest publicly funded addiction treatment provider. The report, which was based on public records and interviews with more than 50 clients and staff members, found rampant substance abuse, staffing shortages, and bleak living conditions. The organization’s CEO blames insufficient funding, but the interviews describe a culture of indifference and neglect that funding cannot fix: “‘It’s not a place that is really focused on helping people. Anyone in there can feel it,’ said Tyler Charlton, 41, who was homeless in San Francisco for nearly two decades and has gone through HealthRight’s treatment programs for his opioid addiction at least six times since 2012.” The Chronicle notes that managing HealthRight360 and other nonprofits will be “a crucial challenge for incoming Mayor Daniel Lurie.” Indeed.
Sunset residents launch effort to recall Supervisor Joel Engardio

Bill Jackson

The Weekly Digest (December 15, 2024)