REP-SF Planning to the People Newsletter: March 2025
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Happy Women's History Month! February was a busy month of advocacy for the REP-SF coalition. Our REP-SF Planning to the People newsletter for March provides the latest news and ways to take action on behalf of grassroots communities for housing justice and equitable city planning – all in one place!
In community,
The REP-SF Team
Race & Equity in all Planning Coalition
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Our Citywide Coalitions Fighting for Tenant Protections at SF City Hall (Feb. 27, 2025)
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Last Thursday, our citywide coalitions REP-SF, SFADC, and CCHO threw down for tenants at the SF Planning Commission Hearing we requested to prevent displacement. Our community presentation focused on a set of comprehensive solutions to ensure residents are able to stay in the city with the escalating threats from upzoning and demolitions. Our coalitions hosted a powerful press conference ahead of the hearing, and our community members and allies delivered over an hour of emotional public testimony. Thank you to everyone who came out!
- Watch the full video of our press conference: vimeo.com/1061046282
- Find out more in our blog post on SF's proposed upzonings: bit.ly/REP_Blog_Rezone
- Check out our press release and great media coverage of the hearing below!
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Community leaders demand tenant protections in new zoning plans – 48Hills, Feb. 27, 2025
REP-SF featured! "In an extraordinary meeting, the San Francisco Planning Commission heard a presentation and hours of public testimony on the impacts the city’s proposal to increase height and density in neighborhoods would have on tenants and small business." The article includes quotes from our community letter to SF Planning and a quote from Mitchell Omerberg, member of REP-SF and SFADC, who has worked on tenant issues in the city for more than 40 years: "We’re talking about demolitions and more demolitions."
Author Tim Redmond writes, "This will be one of the most important tests of whether this mayor and the more conservative Board of Supes cares more about speculators than existing San Francisco tenants and small businesses."
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SF considers strengthening tenant protections ahead of upzoning – San Francisco Examiner, March 3, 2025
REP-SF featured! "Tenant advocates’ concern over San Francisco’s upzoning plans are driving a legislative push to draw up new safeguards for renters." The article features quotes from REP-SF members Jeantelle Laberinto, Reina Tello, and Joseph Smooke.
"I can’t count the number of friends, family and community members who have already been displaced," said Jeantelle Laberinto. "We know these displacement pressures are only going to get worse as The City moves forward with upzoning."
During Thursday’s hearing, dozens of renters and their advocates spoke about their own experiences with evictions. That included Reina Tello, who told commissioners that when her family was evicted, it took two years to find stable housing. "Can you imagine the last two years of your life living in turmoil," she said, "not knowing whether you’re going to have a roof over your head?" Such testimony seemed to move commissioners.
"We’re hopeful," said Joseph Smooke. Following Thursday’s hearing, he told The Examiner that he was encouraged by the response from commissioners. "We definitely felt like our message got through," he said.
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“La Muerte” in the Mission Rears Its Head Again at Planning
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“La Muerte” in the Mission Rears Its Head Again at Planning – Street Sheet, Lukas Illa, Feb. 14, 2025
Great article in Street Sheet, a publication of REP-SF member, the Coalition of Homelessness about the Feb. 6 Planning Commission hearing on "La Muerte," the newly proposed luxury housing complex at 2588 Mission St., on the corner of 22nd Street.
"It is the responsibility of this city to aggressively pursue the rights of protected classes— formerly housed, renting business, holding jobs—at this site, and to ensure that any project proposed here is serving the protected classes of this community to uphold their legal obligation to affirmatively further fair housing," said REP-SF member, Larisa Pedroncelli of United to Save the Mission.
Yet the commissioners signaled that the project will most likely continue as is, due to the restrictions placed upon the body by state law—much to the dismay of residents and community organizations urging the commission to overturn the project and slate it for fully affordable housing. Still, SF Planning Commissioner Theresa Imperial charged her colleagues to “find the courage to protect our most vulnerable communities … I think it’s time for us to make that kind of stand.” Final approval for 2588 Mission St. is scheduled for April.
For more background on the community's fight against "La Muerte," read our blog post: bit.ly/AboutLaMuertedelaMision
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Asian Law Caucus: Tenant Advocacy & Resources
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GLIDE: NBA All-Star Charles Barkley's $250K Donation
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Congratulations to our REP-SF member, GLIDE! During NBA All-Star Game weekend, NBA analyst and hall of famer Charles Barkley donated his time and money to GLIDE. Watch GLIDE's President and CEO Dr. Gina Fromer's TV interview about Charles Barkley's visit! Dr. Gina told KRON4's Justine Waldman: "He served food in the kitchen. He spoke with people in line. It felt warm. It felt authentic. He asked so many questions. When Charles Barkley left, he told her he would think about a donation – we never dreamed he was thinking of a quarter of a million dollars! But honestly, we need all the support we can get, especially now. As the NBA All-Star observed while chatting with the people in our meal line, hardworking families and seniors rely on GLIDE for food alongside unsheltered folks. We don't want to let ANYONE go hungry."
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Understanding the New AFFH Interim Final Rule
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On March 3, 2025, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published its version of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Rule to the federal register. Our friends at PolicyLink have summarized key takeaways of what has changed and what this could mean for states and local jurisdictions. Read PolicyLink's full explainer on the New AFFH Interim Final Rule.
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Mar. 6: REP-SF at Housing California Conference 2025
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We're thrilled to share that this Thursday, Dyan Ruiz of People Power Media will be speaking at the Housing California 2025 Conference! Dyan will discuss the REP-SF coalition’s successful advocacy to include over 100 equity-based actions into San Francisco's Housing Element! We are continuing to push the City & State to put equity & affordability first!
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Mar. 6: Women's History Month Celebrating Dolores Huerta
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On Mar. 6, join REP-SF member GLIDE’s Center for Social Justice in celebrating Women’s History Month and showing love for women and families! Join us in remembering those who paved the way in the struggle for gender equity in the U.S. – and recognizing history-makers and barrier breakers of today. This year GLIDE is honored to have an iconic American labor leader and civil rights activist, Dolores Huerta as a featured speaker. RSVP here!
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Tell the Board of Supervisors: Restore Remote Public Comment for Committee Meetings!
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Do you care about public access to democratic participation in San Francisco? Have you ever wanted to give testimony at a Board of Supervisors (BOS) or committee meeting, but been unable to because you can’t make it there in person? Contact the Board of Supervisors and urge them to restore Remote Public Comment for committee meetings! You can send them a message through this letter-writing tool.
Originally enacted at the beginning of the pandemic, the BOS repealed remote public comment in fall 2023, shutting out the voices of so many San Franciscans who can't, for myriad reasons, make it to City Hall in the middle of the day to give comment in person. Contact your Supervisors today! For more talking points and information on this issue, check out the Remote Public Comment campaign letter and sign up here to get more involved!
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Invite Your Communities to Subscribe to Our Newsletter!
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Our monthly Planning to the People newsletter (that you are reading now!) provides the latest news and ways to take action on behalf of grassroots communities for housing justice and equitable city planning – all in one place! Help us build our momentum by encouraging your networks and communities to subscribe to our newsletter: Share our subscription form!
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