The GrowSF Report: Homelessness surges, not enough housing for those in need
The GrowSF Report: Homelessness surges, not enough housing for those in need
PLUS: Bill to expand rent control bill is a trick to block housing
What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of May 20, 2024:
- Homelessness surges and not enough housing for those in need
- Republicans propose bill to expand rent control bill, but it’s a trick to block housing
- Supervisor Matt Dorsey proposes charter amendment to increase police staffing
- Donate to support Alamo Square resident after house fire
Recent & upcoming openings:
- Popular iced Vietnamese coffee comes to Merced Heights
Homelessness surges and not enough housing for those in need
There has been a surge in the number of people experiencing homelessness over the last few years, driven by job losses and an influx of migrant families, according to city officials. Unfortunately, the increased demand has forced the city to stop accepting new referrals to its Rapid Rehousing program, according to David Sjostedt at the Standard.
Over 15,000 households applied for financial aid and housing in 2023, which is a marked increase from 2019, when fewer than 10,000 households applied for aid. Unfortunately, San Francisco currently funds a fraction of what is needed: 316 units of shelter and transitional housing; 1,000 supportive housing units; 540 long-term rental vouchers; and over 800 time-limited rental subsidies.
According to the Point-In-Time estimate released last week, there is a 7% increase in total homelessness and a 94% increase in homeless families since 2022. These are staggering numbers. There is some hope on the horizon as the Mayor plans to include additional shelter and new housing units for Rapid Rehousing as part of her two-year budget.
Homelessness is a complex issue that will require a coordinated regional response. But for the amount of investment that San Francisco taxpayers have made, we should expect better results.
Republicans propose bill to expand rent control bill, but it’s a trick to block housing production
An upcoming rent control ballot proposition in California, set for November 2024 and supported by Republicans, aims to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995. This would allow anti-housing cities to impose or expand rent control measures on any rental properties, including single-family homes and newer housing units.
Why would Republicans, who normally oppose rent control, support this bill? The bill contains a “trojan horse” which gives local governments more control over housing policy, potentially allowing wealthy cities to impose rent control requirements specifically designed to stop new housing, according to Dustin Gardiner at Politico.
State Senator Toni Atkins and Assembly Appropriations Chair Buffy Wicks are seeing through the bill’s nefarious goals and are working to fight the measure. We need to build more housing in California, this measure is doing the opposite.
Supervisor Matt Dorsey proposes charter amendment to increase police staffing
Megan Cassidy at the Chronicle reports that the police department is short approximately 500 police officers, based on the recommended staffing level of 2,074 police officers for 2023, according to a staffing analysis.
Supervisor Matt Dorsey has a plan to fix that. Earlier this week, he proposed a charter amendment which would establish a new minimum staffing level of 2,074 full-duty officers citywide and create incentives so that officers stay on the force through a voluntary deferred retirement option program (DROP).
The amendment, which received initial support from a majority of the Supervisors, next heads to the rules committee before a full board vote hopefully puts it on the November ballot. We are pleased that Supervisor Dorsey is taking our public safety challenges seriously, and we look forward to diving in more closer to the election.
Donate to support Alamo Square resident after house fire
Terry Williams, an Alamo Square resident and local dog walker, had his home set on fire this week. Luckily, Terry's parents and dogs were able to escape the home.
The incident is just one month after Terry appealed to authorities about being the target of racist threats and packages. He reported receiving “a voodoo doll depicting a Black person with a noose around its neck, as well as postcards and other mail containing racist and threatening language,” according to Nora Mishanec and Annie Vainshtein at the Chronicle. The police are currently investigating the incident as a hate crime.
A GoFundMe has started to help Terry’s family rebuild after the fire.
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Recent & upcoming openings
A great city is constantly changing and growing, let’s celebrate what’s new!
Popular iced Vietnamese coffee comes to Merced Heights
WHERE: 3931 Alemany Blvd unit 2003
WHEN: 8am-10pm, Monday-Sunday
7 Leaves Cafe, known for its Vietnamese-style iced coffee and milk tea with boba, has opened a store in San Francisco. The store specializes in tea and coffee and will offer snacks like macarons. The California-based company has several stores in the San Jose area, as well as dozens nationwide, but this is the first for San Francisco. We look forward to pulling up a chair and seeing what the fuss is about!
The Spirit of San Francisco
There’s a lot to love about our city and the Bay Area. Here’s what makes it great. Brought to you by The Bold Italic.
What we’re doing this week
BottleRock Napa
The 2024 music festival will feature headlining performances by Stevie Nicks, Pearl Jam, Ed Sheeran, Megan Thee Stallion, Maná, and Queens of the Stone Age, among others. Past headliners have included Imagine Dragons, Robert Plant, No Doubt, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Foo Fighters.
The festival provides official hotel packages in Napa, Sonoma, and surrounding areas, as well as shuttle services from major cities like San Francisco and Sacramento. Downtown Napa hotels tend to sell out early and have inflated pricing during the festival weekend.
WHEN: May 24–26
WHERE: 575 3rd St, Napa
Free movies in San Francisco parks
Sundown Cinema is a popular free outdoor movie series held annually in San Francisco from May to October. It features seven films screened at seven different parks across the city, offering a unique cinematic experience under night skies.
The screenings begin shortly after sundown and are completely free and open to the public. However, reserved seating can be purchased through SF Parks Alliance membership. Notable screenings in 2024 include a Selena sing-along at Dolores Park, Bullitt at the Presidio, Barbie at the Ferry Building, and The Nightmare Before Christmas with a costume contest at Jerry Garcia Amphitheater.
What we’re writing about
Scenes from Bay to Breakers 2024
San Francisco’s Bay to Breakers has always been a celebration of the city’s eclectic spirit, and the race on Sunday drew its typical runners alongside video game characters, superheroes, farm animals, and pretty much every costume in between.
This was Bay to Breakers 2024 in photos by Courtney Muro. We sent two reporters and also published a history by Alec Scott.
Why I love Bay to Breakers now and always
“The last time I ran the San Francisco Bay to Breakers race, I was balancing a stiff martini — shaken not stirred — in my left hand and a cigarette in my right, running in fishnet stockings and a black satin slip. Not my conventional running style, but then again the Bay to Breakers is not your conventional running race. In fact it’s the most famous unconventional running race in the world.
Come race day you will be uplifted — I certainly witnessed the joy of San Francisco on Sunday while hanging around the finishing line festivities at the 113th Bay to Breakers.” TBI writer Schatzie Frisch shares her experience at this year’s Bay to Breakers.
This quartet gave us all the Bridgerton we needed at the Palace Hotel
For those who have not watched Bridgerton or found your parents’ soft instrumentals Pandora station playing the haunting melodies of “WAP,” the Vitamin String Quartet formula is thus summarized: Classical-esque arrangements of pop music on string instruments.
Surreal at times, but depending on which of the two genres you prefer, the results are more or less elegant. But when set in the Palace Hotel’s Garden Court, it is decidedly on the classy side. While the quartet is now gone, the show served as a preview for Festival Napa Valley’s summer lineup.
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