March 2017 Newsletter
Office of Supervisor London Breed
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 274
San Francisco, California 94102
Women's History Month
March is Women's History Month and we have a lot to fight for and to celebrate. It was a pleasure to address the crowd at the "A Day Without Women" rally at City Hall during International Women's Day on March 8th.
I am proud to be a part of this international movement fighting for gender and economic equality. We will continue to stand together to make sure the next generation is not left out of the equation.
Welcome to My New Chief of Staff
After four years on my City Hall staff, Conor Johnston, my Chief of Staff, has moved on from City Hall. I am proud to welcome Conor’s successor, former Editor in Chief of the San Francisco Examiner and Vice President of Editorial for San Francisco Media Company, Michael Howerton.
We set the bar high on my team, first with Conor, and now with Michael. Michael has done phenomenal work at the Examiner, and I know he will be a great asset to the City.
Let's keep up the great work for D5 and the City!
Read More: SF Examiner Editor named new Chief of Staff, Michael Howerton new Chief, Michael's Editorial on Joining Supervisor Breed
Policy Updates
A Champion for SF Nightlife
I am a huge supporter of our live music and nightlife culture, which not only brings almost $1 billion into the local economy and supports thousands of jobs but also helps define who we are as a city. In 2015, I wrote historic nightlife preservation legislation that is protecting San Francisco’s music venues and preventing conflicts with neighbors. The law is the first of its kind in the country.
Last year, I set out to make it even stronger. My original law protects venues from new residential developments nearby. The new law adds protections for new hotel developments.
There are six proposed hotels near existing venues: two near Ruby Skye, two near Temple nightclub, and two in an area with three venues in the immediate proximity.
My legislation requires hotel developers to work with nearby venues from the beginning of the process and make sure both proposed hotels and existing venues will be compatible neighbors. By working together, we are protecting our live music culture, and making residents and guests more comfortable in their homes or hotel rooms. The law passed unanimously last month.
Read more: Nightlife Legislation, Read the legislation
Congratulations Vas Kiniris & Fillmore Jazz
On February 27th, the same day my nightlife legislation passed out of committee, D5 small business owner and Executive Director of the Fillmore Merchants Association, Vas Kiniris, won an award at the annual Nitey Awards for San Francisco nightlife leaders.
Vas accepted the Marquee Award, on behalf of the Fillmore Jazz District, for "an iconic person, venue, neighborhood or event" in the entertainment industry.
“The Jazz heritage is part of our cultural DNA!” says Vas. “We need to know our past before we can move forward as a neighborhood."
Congratulations to Vas and the Fillmore!
Congratulations Vas! Excited to continue working with Nightlife leaders.
Protecting Your Transportation Dollars
In 2014, my colleagues and I supported, and voters overwhelmingly approved $500 million in bonds to refurbish our transportation infrastructure, improve Muni and streets, and make roads safer for all users. We all agreed this money was urgently needed.
Yet two and half years later, only $12 million of the $500 million has been spent. After 27 months, the SFMTA has spent only 2% of the bonds we all authorized—the bonds we all said were urgently needed.
Every day, the value of this money goes down and the cost of construction goes up. We are paying interest on the bonds we have sold but are not using.
So, last month, I called for a hearing to evaluate SFMTA’s plans to resolve these delays and deliver the transportation projects we were promised. We have to hold the MTA accountable, but we also have to improve the outreach process. We can’t continue to let a handful of people block transportation improvements that benefit thousands of people.
The hearing will be held on Wednesday, April 5th at 10:00 am at the Government Audit and Oversight Committee meeting at City Hall.
Read more: Unspent Muni Bond, SFMTA only spent $2 million of bond, Disuse of Bond Funds
The State of African American Employment in San Francisco
We love to brag about San Francisco’s 3% unemployment rate. But do you know what the unemployment rate is for African Americans in the City? It's 17%. And in some areas of the Western Addition, it’s as high as 64%. We are in a crisis and need to treat it as such.
This isn’t just about job placement, it’s about equity and economic mobility. We need to understand what the City is doing to help our most vulnerable residents get jobs and stay in those jobs.
Earlier this week, I introduced a hearing on our City’s workforce programs and the state of African American employment in San Francisco. I want to know how the Office of Economic and Workforce is spending its $21 million budget and how we can turn the tide on this issue.
It is time we hold our City accountable and achieve real results. We will be holding a hearing next month in City Hall.
Read more: SF leads in African-American employment disparity
 Thank you to the Juvenile Probation Department for honoring me during Black History Month. I look forward to continuing work with this great team, including Chief Probation Officer, Allen Nance, Yvonne Moore and Jack Jacqua, one of our youths' strongest advocates.
Creating More Solar Energy
Last year, I sponsored legislation to strengthen and expand the City’s solar energy incentive program, GoSolarSF. The program helps qualified residents and businesses afford solar power installations, and it ensures the companies doing installations are participating in our workforce training programs for San Francisco workers.
My amendments extend GoSolarSF through 2021, update the incentives, and allow the program to expand to new technologies like energy storage or electric vehicle infrastructure. The legislation passed unanimously last week.
Let’s keep growing our clean power infrastructure and creating good local jobs!
Read more: GoSolarSF legislation
Community Updates
Van Ness BRT Construction begins
After more than a decade of planning, we broke ground on the Van Ness bus rapid transit (BRT) system this month. Over the next two years, teams will be working to not only improve transit speeds and reliability, but also to update our lights, sidewalks, the fire department’s auxiliary water supply system, and more.
Construction may slow traffic a bit in the immediate future, but I am excited for how much this is going to improve the day-to-day life for the thousands of residents who commute through the Van Ness corridor each day.
 Let's get to work! Excited to partner with Ed Reiskin, Director of SFMTA, Mohammed Nuru, Director of Dept. of Public Works, Supervisor Aaron Peskin, and many others on this project!
Read more: Work begins on Van Ness BRT
Celebrating Black History Month
February was Black History Month, and I had the privilege of honoring my dear friend Rico Hamilton and his work as the Western Addition/Tenderloin/SoMa Coordinator for the Street Violence Intervention Program (SVIP).
The Street Violence Intervention Program is a program managed by the Mayor’s Office of Violence Prevention, the Department of Health, and the Department of Children Youth and Families. It aims to reduce street violence and homicides through street-level prevention and intervention.
Through his work, Rico puts himself on the front lines and helps de-escalate violent situations and counsels families, friends, and witnesses when a shooting or homicide occurs. Thank you, Rico, for everything you do and for continuing to make our community a safer place.
 Congratulations, Rico! Thrilled to celebrate Rico's accomplishments with his wonderful wife, Crystal, and their friends.
Celebrating Women's History Month
This month is Women's History Month, and I was excited to honor another incredible influence in our community, Roma Guy. Roma is a tireless advocate, powerful community leader, dear friend, and now celebrity of the ABC mini-series on the gay rights movement, When We Rise!
She founded the San Francisco Women’s Building, developed community-based institutions for women and families, and has helped redefine housing as a public health issue.
Roma has been a key leader in San Francisco advocating for local criminal justice reform, including alternatives to incarceration. She has consistently been at the forefront of critical conversations around public health, women’s rights, gay and transgender rights, and homelessness issues in the City for years. Thank you, Roma, for your dedication and hard work!
 Honored to celebrate Roma with her incredible wife, Diane.
Was proud to be with students from my former school, Rosa Parks Elementary, at the Annual Alliance of Black Educators event celebrating those who made the Honor Roll! Keep up the great work!
Coming Soon: New Seasons Market
As many of you have heard, New Seasons Market is finally coming to District 5 and will be located at 555 Fulton Street!
I’m thrilled we will soon have a healthy, affordable, and accessible grocery store serving our Western Addition and Hayes Valley residents. We worked incredibly hard with neighbors and stakeholders to make this a reality.
The store design is still in development, but I will let you know when we expect the market to open. Looking forward to opening day!
Read more: New Seasons Market
San Francisco has a new professional soccer team, the SF Deltas! We welcomed them during a press conference at City Hall on Friday, March 17th and they played their first game on Saturday, March 25that Kezar Stadium. Looking forward to a great season ahead!
Upcoming Events
First Friendship Institutional Baptist Church Crab Feed Fundraiser
Friday, March 31st
5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
West Bay Conference Center, 1290 Fillmore Street
First Friendship Institutional Baptist Church provides emergency shelter services for our community members in need. Funds raised through Crab Feed will benefit these services as well as assist with remodeling the kitchen, bathroom, and floors of the shelter facilities. Tickets are $50 Adults $25 For Children 12 & Under.
Google Training for Small Businesses
Wednesday, April 5th
9:00 am - 11:45 am
Google's San Francisco Campus, 345 Spear Street
Join Google for a training for small businesses in San Francisco. At the training, you can learn more about how to take advantage of online tools to run and promote your business. The session will focus on Google AdWords, an essential tool for connecting with your customers. Please RSVP here if you would like to attend. You can also contact Emily Alpert (ealpert@google.com) with questions. For more information, click here.
Walk to Work Day
Thursday, April 6th
8:45 am - 9:30 am
Starts at Ritual Coffee/Patricia's Green (432 Octavia St.) and ends at City Hall
Walk San Francisco is hosting Walk to Work Day again! People who live and/or work in San Francisco are encouraged to walk just 15 minutes of their daily commute (whether traveling to work, school, church, temple, or shops). On Walk to Work Day, get rewarded at one of the hosted “Hubs” across the city, where you can enjoy FREE giveaways including safety lights, backpacks, coffee, or breakfast snacks. For more information and a map of "Hubs" throughout the City, click here.
Community Resources
Summer Youth Internship Opportunity: Spotlight on the Arts
Youth ages 14-17 are encouraged to apply for an internship at arts organizations, attend workshops and performing arts events for seven weeks, and earn a stipend of $1,200. It's a wonderful employment training opportunity for youth interested in all arts disciplines. The application deadline is April 14. Applications are available here and you can find more information here.
Middle School Art and Essay Contest
In recognition of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management is conducting an Art and Essay contest for San Francisco middle school students focusing on the topic: “Making Preparedness part of Everyday Life.” This contest invites San Francisco middle school students to share their ideas on how they can make emergency preparedness a cultural norm. Participants are encouraged to interview their friends and family about their thoughts on emergency preparedness. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 24th. For more information click here or contact Caroline at the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management: (415) 558-2753 orcaroline.truong@sfgov.org.
Apply for the 2017-18 Civil Grand Jury
The San Francisco Superior Court is currently recruiting members for the 2017-18 Civil Grand Jury. The application deadline is May 31, 2017. For more information please click here. The application is available here.
Have You Adopted a Drain Yet?
Are you familiar with Adopt a Drain? By pledging to keep your drain clear of leaves and debris, you are joining your neighbors in helping to protect the environment, manage storm water, and minimize neighborhood flooding. With the SFPUC’s Adopt a Drain Program, everyone can take small and easy steps and get involved in taking care of the city we all love, so join us by adopting your own drain today at adoptadrain.sfwater.org.
Become a Clean Power Super Hero with CleanPowerSF
Visit www.cleanpowersf.com for more information and sign up today!
San Francisco Department of Child Support Services
The San Francisco Department of Child Support Services strives to ensure that all children receive the financial and medical support they need from their parents to be healthy and successful. Services are available at our main office located at 617 Mission Street, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, or by calling (866) 901-3212
Looking For a Job?
Western Neighborhood Success Center hosts regular workshops and career fairs that can help you connect with potential employers! The center is located at 1449 Webster Street, and is open from Monday - Thursday: 9 am - 7 pm and Friday: 9 am - 12 pm. For more information on the services available and upcoming events, check out the center's website; visit the center; or call (415) 549-7000.
Looking for Housing?
The Mayor's Office of Housing provides many resources that can help you find affordable housing. The office is located at 1 South Van Ness Street, and is open Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm. For more information on services available, you can visit their website, review the San Francisco Housing Resource Guide, view Below Market Rate (BMR) rental opportunities, or call (415) 701-5500.
Free Legal & Financial Services
Housing and Economic Rights Advocates aim to support the economic well being of all residents by providing free legal services focusing on all household financial concerns. From medical debt and identity theft to student loan concerns, how to build credit safely, unfair debt collection, and mortgage concerns, the organization's goal is to help people be successful and break free from abuse. For more information, please visit www.heraca.org.
Intern for me in City Hall!
Do you want to become involved in local neighborhood and citywide issues? Would you like to gain experience working in a local government office? I am looking for hard-working and passionate District 5 residents and/or college students to help support me and my staff! For more information and to apply, please visit my website.
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