REP-SF Planning to the People Newsletter: July 2024
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We're excited to share our first REP-SF Planning to the People newsletter! We are hoping to get this out to you once a month, so you can get 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 solidarity,
The REP-SF Team
Race & Equity in all Planning Coalition
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Act Now! Demand SF Put Affordability and Equity First!
Thank you so much to everyone who has signed and shared REP-SF's petition calling on San Francisco to put equity and affordability FIRST!
Last week, REP-SF, and allied coalitions, SFADC, and CCHO, met with California’s Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD). HCD celebrated our work in holding the City accountable for the equity-based actions in the SF Housing Element and recognized that we are among the few organizations in the State that are doing this type of much-needed advocacy!
We are encouraged that HCD is actively monitoring and working with our coalitions to move forward real solutions for housing affordability, tenant protections, and community planning.
Let’s keep up the pressure: Help us spread the word to keep up the momentum!
Sign Petition: bit.ly/REPSF-Equity-Petition; Share Petition: bit.ly/REPpetitionToolkit
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Rules Committee Hearing – Monday, July 8, 2024 | 10 am: City Hall, Room 250
Speak at public comment on two important measures REP-SF is supporting:
- Agenda Item #3: Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund for Seniors and Families: This proposed ballot measure will create housing subsidies for people with disabilities, seniors, and families who are extremely low-income. Without the creation of subsidy programs like this fund, extremely low-income households are unable to find housing that they can afford.
- Agenda Item #5: Supporting The Justice for Renters Act – California State Proposition: This resolution reaffirms San Francisco’s support for repealing the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act. The California State ballot measure proposed for the November 5, 2024 election would make it possible to expand rent control in cities throughout the state.
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SF ‘truly in a new era’ as it must fast-track housing projects – San Francisco Examiner, July 2, 2024
We were quoted! Senate Bill 423, which REP-SF has warned against in the past, is now kicking in and it's a huge developer giveaway. Dyan Ruiz of REP-SF argued that streamlining will do little to produce the kind of housing that average San Franciscans will be able to afford. "Profit-driven developers get their approvals faster" under this change (SB 423). "Their land becomes more valuable, and what does the community get? We get a lot that sits there empty for years until maybe one day housing most of us can’t afford gets built."
SF pro-housing advocates, opponents battle for rhetorical high ground – San Francisco Examiner, June 30, 2024
We were quoted! Finally, the mainstream media is paying attention to pushback against the “build, build, build” YIMBY misinformation! "I think everyone has pulled the curtain back on that YIMBY message and seen that if we just go with pro-housing, ‘build build build’ focused policies, it’s not building anything that our communities need," says Dyan Ruiz of REP-SF.
Ruling from the Supreme Court on Criminalizing Unhoused Neighbors – Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP), June 28, 2024
Terrible news. We were devastated to hear about the Supreme Court ruling that makes it legal to criminalize homelessness in the “City of Grants Pass v. Johnson” decision. "Criminalizing poverty and homelessness not only fails to address systemic causes of mass homelessness, it also exacerbates both the underlying structures of oppression that continue to plague our society, racism and classism," says Paul Boden of WRAP. Jennifer Friedenbach of the Coalition on Homelessness says: "We want to see everyone have a safe and decent place to call home. Homelessness kills, housing saves lives – these protections against inhumane policing are critical to forcing local government to solve the crisis."
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Rezoning shows chasm between young, older San Franciscans – San Francisco Examiner, June 18, 2024
We were quoted! SF Planning's proposed rezonings of large areas of San Francisco threatens tenants and small businesses with displacement. The REP-SF coalition does not believe that rezoning will solve the City’s affordability crisis because the private market simply isn’t capable of producing the housing that San Franciscans need. Joseph Smooke of REP-SF says: “You have to prioritize investment in affordable housing.” The City can zone to allow taller buildings tomorrow and have staff members hand out building permits on the street corner, Smooke said, but conditions in the private market aren’t fueling new housing development. To learn more, read REP-SF's educational resource about SF Planning’s Upzoning Proposal.
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Lifelong Fillmore resident’s walking tours would showcase neighborhood history – San Francisco Examiner, June 19, 2024
REP-SF member featured! Ericka Scott of the African American Cultural District is a lifelong Fillmore resident organizing walking tours to highlight the neighborhood’s history as the center of Black life in San Francisco and the impacts of Redevelopment. Ericka Scott says: “So much comes with having a community that supports each other. We really lost that, and we’ve been consistently trying to get it back.”
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SF nonprofits say vital city programs would suffer under mayor’s budget – San Francisco Examiner, June 6, 2024
REP-SF member featured! PODER and other REP-SF organizations have been fighting against the Mayor's steep budget cuts to critical programs and services for the City's most vulnerable residents – advocating for the SF People's Budget. "Families are going to have to be pushed out to find something better for their kids," said Reina Tello of PODER. With so few activities geared toward young people in San Francisco, she said, "By not having these programs, you’re exposing them to being on the street."
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REP Love In-Person Gathering – June 8, 2024
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our REP Love in-person gathering! We had a great time welcoming our new REP-SF members & Action Team members, building community, and celebrating our members with REP Love Awards!
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SF Planning Commission Hearings – May 23 & June 6, 2024
Our REP-SF members made their voices heard at City Hall at the May 23 and June 6 hearings on SF Planning’s proposed upzonings and density deregulation. REP-SF members spoke on the negative impacts for tenants, small businesses, and communities across SF, urging the Commission to protect tenants and small businesses.
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"Sa Amin: Our Place" Documentary Screenings with SF Planning & SF Public Works – May 28 & June 12, 2024
REP-SF members People Power Media and SOMA Pilipinas recently hosted screenings of their documentary "Sa Amin: Our Place" with the SF Planning Dept. and SF Dept. of Public Works (SFDPW), bringing the firsthand stories, histories, and perspectives of the Filipino community in the SOMA directly to SF Planning and DPW staff. Follow @saaminfilm on Instagram for updates on upcoming screenings!
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2024 People's Summit: First Stop, First Choice in San Francisco – June 1, 2024, Communities United for Environmental Justice (CUHJ)
REP-SF member CUHJ hosted the People's Summit at June Jordan School for Equity, a partner in advancing their community vision. A community with a strong record in People Powered planning solutions! That same planning that brought the Kapuso affordable housing development to D11 is creating a pathway towards: A People’s Platform for true Sustainability in D11.
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REP Members: Heroes for Housing Justice
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Video of the History of People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights (PODER)
WATCH this viral video of our REP-SF member organization PODER's amazing 30+ year history fighting for economic and environmental justice. Video produced by People Power Media, including archival footage of PODER’s transformative community victories!
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Housing Rights Clinics hosted by REP-SF Member Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus:
Currently, our Housing Rights clinic is open every other Tuesday from 10am–1pm on an appointment-only basis until we return to 55 Columbus. Tenants interested in one of our clinic slots should call the front desk at tel: 4158961701 and complete an intake with one of our paralegals or our intake coordinator. From there, we will review their file and determine if a clinic consultation is appropriate or if some more immediate form of assistance needs to be provided. As a general reminder or FYI, all of our services we provide at the Asian Law Caucus, including our Housing Rights Clinic, are completely free of charge.
Location: Our clinic currently operates out of our temporary office at 50 California Street San Francisco, CA 94111 until mid-October (FYI: this date is tentative and subject to change).
Consult Info: Clinic consultations are scheduled to be an hour long with two appointments happening simultaneously (but in different, private rooms). Clinics are currently staffed by the entire team with three attorneys supervising and three advocates leading and facilitating consults. We handle a wide-range of housing and tenants' rights-related issues, but we specialize in: evictions, rent increases, harassment, know-your-rights (KYR) presentations, and general landlord-tenant law.
Language Capacity: We make our best efforts to schedule professional translators and/or interpreters, so no one should feel as though they can't receive services because of their language needs. We try our best to schedule translators and/or interpreters in-person, but more often than not, we have them appear via Zoom.
For your convenience, here are our next clinic dates:
July 9, 2024 from 10am–1pm [by appointment only]
July 23, 2024 from 10am–1pm [by appointment only]
August 6, 2024 from 10am–1pm [by appointment only]
August 20, 2024 from 10am–1pm [by appointment only]
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