Civic

Legislators, activists and tenants are worried about real estate investors buying multi-unit housing properties only to evict all of the tenants and sell the buildings for a profit. They’re calling for an end to the state law that makes this possible, the Ellis Act. In the meantime, they want the city and the nonprofits it works with to buy those buildings instead of leaving them for speculators to snap up.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: Omicron detected in SF; Supervisors vote to allocate money for housing acquisition; School board members suggest different plan for budget cuts. Coming up: School board to consider budget proposal; Supervisors to consider approving $2.5 million settlement in lawsuit over police killing of Keita O'Neil.

Could the Bay Area address housing affordability and control water use in perpetually drought-stricken California at the same time? A report from SPUR and the Pacific Institute says yes. In fact, we’ve done it before. The key is to continue improving conservation methods while building infill housing rather than allowing urban sprawl. SPUR’s Laura Feinstein explains.

While a judge in Los Angeles was ending Britney Spears’ conservatorship after 13 years, mental health activists who call themselves the Mad Mob were protesting the very concept of conservatorship and forced treatment here in San Francisco. Hear from Mad Mob members, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, and a mental health services coordinator who has been conserved about how this works locally.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: Mayor supports school board recall, DA recall qualifies for ballot; activists mark the ending of Britney Spears' conservatorship by calling for better voluntary mental health treatment; opioid overdoses mapped; requests for rent relief far outpace allocated money. Coming up: School board and building inspection commission to discuss filling leadership positions; school board to discuss budget; Board of Supervisors to consider allocation for needs assessment at Buena Vista Horace Mann school, and making changes to the planning code to repeal oil and gas production and processing land uses.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: SF's corruption scandal, in interactive map format; off-duty SFPD officer arrested in San Mateo; SFUSD works to formulate budget cuts; Muni cutting service on some lines after unvaccinated operators suspended. Coming up: Mayor and Board of Supervisors to discuss homelessness; Board to vote on whether to get quarterly reports on domestic violence cases; Police Commission to receive report from Firearm Discharge Review Board and In-Custody Death Review Board.

San Francisco’s Healthy Streets Operations Center, a cross-departmental collaboration tasked with addressing tent encampments, is intended to clean up tents while offering residents services. But a report from the Coalition on Homelessness says only a minority of residents are successfully connected with services, and the practice of moving them and cleaning the street results primarily in property loss and distress.

In What's New & What's Next, the Civic team offers a roundup of San Francisco news and a look at what's ahead on the city's calendar. The news: Nearly 500 units of housing voted down; $40 million allocated to repairs at Buena Vista Horace Mann school; Muni adopts hybrid return plan; drop-in homelessness resource center dropped; report on City Administrator role. Coming up: Board of Supervisors to hold hearing on settlement of opioid suit; Planning Commission to consider authorizations for two more parking lot to housing conversion proposals.