By Lisa Awbrey, HANC President

At HANC’s April meeting, paralegal and tenant counsellor Renee Curran gave updates on the state of tenant protections, evictions and strategies in the time of COVID-19. Current information is available at hrcsf.org. 

The current “ban on evictions” is not a ban at all, and without further action, will end on June 30, 2021. Previously, when HRCSF counseled tenants on the local rent moratorium, it was harrowing because the local eviction ban could only be extended on a monthly basis. People grew increasingly worried about unpaid rent piling up with the knowledge that the pandemic wouldn’t last just a few months. SB3038 changed that, giving more stability, but the tenants still had to pay 25% instead of no rent.

Read more ...

By Bruce Wolfe, HANC Board

At the April HANC Membership Meeting, Eric Albrecht (W2GMD) introduced us to the SF Amateur Radio Club (SFRC) (he is President) and to the Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) (he is the Radio Operations Lead), which operates under the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management. Because amateur radio operators, or HAMS, are members of both SFRC and ACS, the two entities are frequently mistaken to be the same.

            From their website, "The San Francisco Radio Club (SFRC) was formed in 1909 by a handful of radio enthusiasts with the objective of exchanging messages over the air. In 1916 the president at time, Henry W. Dickow (6HD), founded the club and published the first Yearbook. In the early days the club enjoyed a membership of as many as 300 radio amateurs!

Read more ...

By Christin Evans, HANC Treasurer

PG&E and the City of San Francisco’s dispute over electricity contracts has delayed the powering of traffic signals and pedestrian light poles installed last year.   As part of the Haight Ashbury Public Realm plan which started its implementation in 2017, SFMTA planned new traffic lights at intersections along upper Haight Street between Shrader and Central streets.  Those traffic lights were installed where stop signs now control the traffic flow.  The city’s plan was to use traffic lights instead to speed the Muni buses and reduce the hazards of pedestrian-involved accidents.  But while those poles have been in place since Fall, 2020, the DPW project manager says contracts disputes with PG&E have delayed both the traffic signals and pedestrian light poles from being powered on.

Read more ...

By James Sword, HANC Board

We’d like to thank both Jen Snyder from Supervisor Preston’s Office and Supervisor Connie Chan for presenting at the March HANC Membership meeting.  Jen Snyder presented on budgeting 101, addbacks, and where and how to get involved. Supervisor Chan presented on why questions should be asked about the odd situation surrounding the Ferris Wheel. Here’s a bit of a summary.

Budget 101

San Francisco has a budget upwards of $12 billion. Much of it is already pre-determined, but not all of it. This is where you/we come in and (may) have the ability to influence how some (not in the billions) will be spent.

Read more ...

By Lisa Aubrey, HANC President

Pre pandemic times were perilous enough for San Francisco tenants. Add a global pandemic with sweeping existential challenges like job loss, transit shut downs, food shortages, loss of elder and child care, school closures and a lack of health care for all, and you’ve got a local, statewide and national disaster on your hands. 

A cursory Internet search reveals that as of March 26, 2021, there are 7,326 apartments listed for rent on Zumper, with a -24.3% year over year change in rents. While headlines trumpet that the SF rents have softened since the pandemic, our city remains the most expensive rental housing market in the nation, with the average cost of a 1 bedroom apartment listing for $2650.

Current figures (in San Francisco and nationally) underscore a glaring gap between rich and poor. At the start of the pandemic, thousands of well-paid workers fled the city to less expensive locations while continuing to keep their well-paying jobs and continuing to work remotely. At the same time, less fortunate San Franciscans struggle mightily to pay their rent and provide food for their families, especially in lower income neighborhoods like the Bayview, South of Market and the Tenderloin, where sheriff’s deputies have carried out nearly 3 dozen evictions since last Spring. Incredibly, after an eight-month pause, court-ordered evictions have resumed in San Francisco, harming some of our most vulnerable residents.

Read more ...

Our next general membership meeting will again be online, on Thursday, April 8, at 7:00 pm.  Instructions for joining can be found in this issue of the Voice.

We have invited Joe Eskanazi, from Mission Local, to provide an update on the FBI investigation into City Hall corruption.

Renee Curran, long time housing rights activist, will provide an update and discussion on the current state of tenant protections, evictions, and strategies.

We will also hear from the Auxiliary Communication Service, a part of the Department of Emergency Management and from members of the San Francisco Radio Club about Ham Radio in San Francisco

Please join us for information you won’t get anywhere else.  Bring your questions and bring a friend (online).

HANC is saddened to learn of the passing of Robert M. Leon in March, 2021.  Robert served on the HANC Board from 2009 through 2011.

He served as Executive Director / Producer of the Haight Ashbury Street Fair from 2007 to 2019.  He served on the Street Fair’s Board of Directors since 1979.  He was awarded a Certificate of Honor by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in recognition of his commitment to Community Arts and Events.

Robert left Phoenix, Arizona when he was 25, and lived in San Francisco for the next 45 years.  He graduated from the International Association of Assembly Managers in 2003.  He was part of the activities and programs at Yerba Buena Gardens, various commercial theater production venues in San Francisco and was always involved in community arts and issues in the Haight-Ashbury.

Again, we are sorry to lose a good friend and neighbor.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help with his final arrangements.  Contributions can be made here:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/robert-m-leon-memorial-fund .

By Calvin Welch, HANC Board

Since the HANC General Membership meeting on UCSF’s massive 2 million square foot expansion plan for its Parnassus campus, three community groups have filed separate law suits opposing the proposed project.  While all three cite the significant environmental impacts of the projects, each advances different concerns. In the name of full disclosure, HANC is the fiscal agent of one of the organization suing UCSF, San Franciscans for Balanced and Livable Communities (SFBLC) ,whose members include current HANC Board members Tes Welborn and the author of this article, as well as former Planning Commisoner Dennis Antenore .  The two other groups filing law suits are the Parnassus Neighborhood Coalition (PNC) made up of residents literally next door to the UCSF Parnassus campus and the Yerba Buena Neighborhood Consortium (YBNC), a group from the South of Market.

Read more ...