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Dear D9 Neighbor,
We are in the final three months of my last term as your District 9 elected leader, and there is still much to be done. My end of term agenda is ambitious, with legislation in the works to protect workers rights, keep people housed, and more that I will be introducing in the coming weeks. Alongside the legislative track, we are putting in place protections for funding we spearheaded for SFUSD through the Student Success Fund, and advocating for our constituents every day.
For San Francisco’s public school students, we know there are many uncertainties for you and your families given the school closure announcement
that happened on Tuesday afternoon. This coupled with the SFUSD budget crises has us concerned about how this all impacts students in District 9, and indeed city-wide. We are monitoring the situation closely and engaging with the Department of Children Youth and Families and SFUSD leadership, calling for transparency and better communication with families on behalf of SFUSD’s administration. For those interested, there is a virtual town hall scheduled for Thursday, October 10 at 5 pm. Go here to find out about this meeting as well as the latest information from SFUSD on the process.
In other news, this past month, we have had many opportunities to support worker solidarity, from introducing legislation that creates a Worker Justice Fund for low-wage workers who were victims of wage theft; sponsoring a resolution to urge UCSF to address workplace inequities for their Clinical Social Workers; to cheering on the Amazon workers who have joined the @amazonteamsters
to fight and win dignity, safety, and fair wages on the job! I stand with these and all workers who are pushing for justice in the workplace, and so do the vast majority of San Franciscans!
As always, we are here for you. Please email ronenstaff@sfgov.org if you need any help. Read on for more news from around the neighborhoods, and as always, feel free to reach out to me or my staff to share concerns and bright spots from the District that you think we should know about.
In community, |
Street Conditions
Street Conditions in the Northern Mission
I am deeply concerned about unsafe and unsanitary street conditions in the northern Mission produced by fencers of stolen goods and individuals with substance use disorders. That’s why I convened top leadership from the Mayor’s Office, SFPD, SF Public Works, and the Department of Emergency Management to prioritize a coordinated response in this affected area.
At my urging, Mission Station’s new police Captain and the Department of Emergency Management are developing a plan with other City departments for addressing open air drug use in several alleyways where this activity is concentrated. As part of these efforts, they will engage the City’s Healthy Streets Operation Center and The Gubbio Project’s
homelessness services. SF Public Works is also coordinating cleaning efforts with The Gubbio Project for Caledonia and Julian alleyways.
SFPD’s Command Staff has committed to activating its Drug Market Agency Coordination Center (DMACC), a multi-agency task force that addresses street conditions and crime, to tackle the sale of stolen goods at 15th and Mission on the weekends when this activity is most pronounced. SF Public Works inspectors and SFPD patrol officers will continue to enforce the moratorium on street vending throughout the week. SF Public Works will also be coordinating its power washing of sidewalks in this area to keep the sidewalks clean and deter fencing.
We recognize how crucial it is to keep our streets clean and safe for everyone in our community. We will continue to advocate for the swift implementation of these safety and cleanliness measures.
Next Generation Fare Gates at BART
After teaming up with BART President Bevan Dufty BART to advocate that BART prioritize more effective fare gates at 16th and 24th Street BART Stations, it’s happening!
BART completed installation of the Next Generation Fare Gates at 24th Street BART in mid-September, and began installing new fare gates at the 16th Street BART Station on October 4. The 16th Street installation will take approximately two weeks. BART riders will enter and exit through two temporary fare gates while BART replaces the single fare gates at that station.
Once installed the taller swing barrier gates will deter fare evasion and improve safety. Usability improvements will include LED lighting to assist visually impaired riders, and sensors to detect wheelchair users and those with luggage, strollers, or bikes.
Thanks for your patience as BART works to complete this priority project. You can learn more about BART’s Next Generation Fare Gate project here.
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SFPD District Boundary Maps
SFPD has reached out to Supervisors to get input on changing police station boundaries. After several months of data analysis and subject matter expert discussions, they are ready to present a new SFPD District Station boundary map for feedback. This proposed map has 15 changes that aim to increase workload balance across stations and improve police services across the city. These changes affect 8 of the 10 district stations.
The next step in their process is to hear from the community. With input, SFPD will revisit their map proposal and refine their recommendations before submitting to the Police Commission.
Engagement opportunities end October 15, 2024. For more information, please visit SFPD Boundary Analysis Website.
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Defending Workers' Rights
Worker Justice Fund
In September, I introduced legislation to create the San Francisco Worker Justice Fund, an innovative new program that will provide relief to low-wage workers who have been denied their hard-earned wages. In San Francisco and throughout our country, low-wage workers are usually the most exploited. Greedy employers target and hire these workers, who are usually low-income immigrants and people of color, for wage theft precisely because low-wage workers have less power in the workplace. With this ordinance, San Francisco is letting these workers know that we have their back – we are doing everything in our power to ensure that our workers receive their owed wages. You can read more about the
impacted workers, workers’ rights advocates we collaborated with, and our efforts with this new legislation here. |
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| Photo credit: (Left) Ana Herrera; (Right) Jackie Prager. Worker Justice rally, September 17, 2024. |
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Supporting UCSF Clinical Social Workers
Last month, I also sponsored a resolution UCSF 240910: Urging UCSF to Address Work Conditions and Classification of Clinical Social Workers, Represented by University Professional & Technical Employees (UPTE)-CWA 9119.
There has been a longstanding discrepancy in wage, benefits, and advancement opportunities between their Clinical Social Workers (CSWs) stationed at the UCSF's medical centers versus those at UCSF's "Campus" clinics associated with SF General Hospital and other community clinics. This resolution calls on UCSF to stop their two-tiered mental health system that is at the root of pay gaps and other injustices in the workplace.
We are grateful for the expansive range of behavioral health services at UCSF Medical Centers and highly specialized clinics located offsite at their “Campus” locations, including the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, where patients have serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and various forms of severe trauma. The majority of these patients are underinsured and/or may be unhoused. The Clinical Social Workers who work at the Campus sites are behavioral health professionals who have dedicated years to obtain specialized credentials and advanced degrees, and who selflessly commit to serving the Bay Area’s most vulnerable and historically marginalized communities. The Board of Supervisors supports the workers who are calling for a
change to this unjust system and better support for all of their CSWs.
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Photo Credit: Screenshot from sfgov.tv Juliette Suarez, Licensed Clinical Social Worker at UCSF Trauma Recovery Center, providing public comment at the Board of Supervisors meeting, September 17, 2024. |
A Commendation for Bryan and Edwin Suchi
On October 1, I recognized Bryan and Edwin Suchi, two special young men who have a remarkable history at City Hall. I met Bryan and Edwin 10 years ago, after they had recently arrived in the United States after fleeing dangerous conditions in their home country as unaccompanied minors. While adjusting to a brand new country is already daunting enough as a child, Bryan and Edwin were forced to face deportation proceedings alone. Immigrants who are in deportation proceedings are not provided any legal representation regardless of income level. That means that children like Bryan and Edwin, at ages 11 and 7, have to face a judge and DHS prosecutor by themselves, without any trusting adult to
guide or let alone represent them.
Remarkably, Bryan and Edwin came to City Hall, walked these halls, and spoke before the Board of Supervisors then, and at their young ages, advocated for emergency funding for attorneys to represent unaccompanied immigrant children like them. To watch their testimony, check out my instagram or facebook posts.
I was Chief of Staff for Supervisor David Campos at the time, and together with an incredible collaborative of advocates and individuals like Bryan and Edwin, we created one of the first Right to Counsel programs for unaccompanied children in the country, the San Francisco Immigrant Legal and Defense Collaborative, or SFILDC. Thanks to their advocacy, Bryan and Edwin, and thousands of children like them, secured legal representation in San Francisco.
Today, Bryan is studying electrical engineering at UC Santa Cruz and Edwin is a senior at City Arts & Leadership Academy. They regularly volunteer and mentor young students in the community.
Unfortunately the political discourse around immigration has gotten so much worse since Bryan and Edwin first arrived here 10 years ago. Even in our own sanctuary city of San Francisco, scapegoating immigrants has recently reared its ugly head. It’s critical that we resist these harmful political tactics and instead uplift our values and the incredible immigrants who make our city proud.
Bryan and Edwin remind all of us of what is possible when we invest in our communities and provide meaningful opportunities to immigrants and those who are most in need. |
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Photo credit: (Top two photos) Ana Herrera, Supervisor Ronen honoring Brian and Edwin Suchi at City Hall, October 1, 2024. (Bottom photo) screenshot from sfgovtv.org, a young Brian and Edwin speaking at the Board of Supervisors on September 10, 2014. |
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Education & Youth
Reappointing Commissioner Dang to the Youth Commission
We were proud to reappoint Commissioner Skylar Dang to serve a second term on the San Francisco Youth Commission. Commissioner Dang is an inspiring young leader from Balboa High School who in her first term, worked with our office to explore issues ranging from public health strategies in schools to address the opioid crisis, to pushing for Resolution
240564
that I sponsored, Supporting California State Assembly Bill No. 1975 (Bonta) - Medi-Cal: Medically Supportive Food and Nutrition Interventions. The bill is part of the “Food is Medicine Initiative
,” and would make California the first state in the nation to provide covered food prescription interventions. Examples of this would be a physician prescribing medically targeted and tailored meals, or prescriptions for produce and other healthy foods, to people with chronic illnesses that are responsive to such measures. We look forward to working with Commissioner Dang in our final few months in office, and know that she will continue in her advocacy with the incoming Supervisor and their team. |
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| Photo Credit: Jennifer Ferrigno. Mayor London Breed at the swearing in of the 2024/2025 Youth Commission. |
Hearing on the Whole School Lesson Study Math Pilot at the Committee of the Whole
Last week I met with Flynn Elementary School and learned that their test scores in math and literacy made big gains, attributable to the Whole School Lesson Study Pilot that I championed with City funding got 4 schools in school years 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 at Flynn, John Muir, Malcolm X Academy, and Sanchez Elementary Schools. The results were incredibly positive among the entire cohort of schools, with significant jumps in 3rd-5th grade math and literacy SBAC scores, especially for Latinx and African American students. The program is in its third year, and has added three additional schools: Daniel Webster, Rosa Parks and Willie Brown Middle School.
I am calling for a Committee of the Whole hearing at the Board of Supervisors where schools will present their results from the first two years of the math pilot, and ask SFUSD and the Department of Children Youth and Families about their commitment to this program, including with dedicated resources to shore up this successful program not only these initial schools, but in planned expansion to others. Why is this important? Members of the Board of Supervisors have called for the return of 8th Grade Algebra, and we know that the only way all students will be successful is if they have mastered the fundamentals of math in elementary school. This math program is one path to that end goal, and the Student Success Fund can ensure its continued success. |
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Uplifting the Mission's culture, history, and small businesses with the SF Tour Guide Guild
I was asked to provide a one-hour tour for the SF Tour Guide Guild in September to showcase some of our most beloved businesses in the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District. An hour is far too short to cover all the bases, but I put together a sampling of highlights, including:
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Dianda’s Bakery where we grabbed coffee and snacks at this iconic bakery owned originally by an Italian family that sold the business to Latinx workers in 2003 who continue to run the bakery with the same passion and attention to detail as the Dianda family that opened the shop over 60 years ago.
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Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts – one of the 7 city-owned, community-based cultural centers
– has been a beacon ofLatino culture and arts since 1977. We checked out their second floor gallery, first floor theater, and lobby, where MCCLA sells artesanías and souvenirs.
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Permitted street vendors at 24th and Mission BART plazas that form part of our City’s pilot program for bringing authorized street vendors back onto the Mission Street corridor.
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Murals of Carnaval and Chata Gutierrez at 24th and South Van Ness that we landmarked this year as part of Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, preserving Latinx culture and heritage.
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Casa de la Mision, located at 24th and Harrison, offers44 studio apartments for seniors transitioning out of homelessness. It opened two years ago, and I wholeheartedly supported it as part of my broader goals for affordable housing in the district.
I am so proud of the Mission and the cultural identity that these organizations, artists, businesses, and my office have worked so hard to cultivate and preserve. Together we are working to address the most entrenched challenges in our District, and we are making headway. But meanwhile, this tour was a reminder that the 24th Street Corridor and Cultural District is lively and still thriving after several years of recovery from the pandemic. |
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| Photo credit: Greg Quist, SF Tour Guide Guild. Supervisor Hillary Ronen on a tour with SF Tour Guide Guild, Sept. 12, 2024. |
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Spotlight on a D9 Community Organization
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To lift up the amazing work that is happening every day in Bernal, the Mission and the Portola, we are featuring the work of one D9 organization in each newsletter. This month features… |
Helping Young People Elevate
The HYPE Center
HYPE Center (Helping Youth People Elevate) is a dynamic drop-in center serving youth ages 14 to 24. With the mission to collaborate with young people and prevent vulnerabilities for sex trafficking, the Center was designed and founded by SF youth to create a youth-centered haven. HYPE Center provides a safe and positive space where young folks from all walks of life can relax, be themselves, and connect to a variety of resources and services.
Rather than reinvent the wheel, HYPE Center partners with local service providing experts to offer mental health support, career counseling, housing access, holistic wellness, legal clinics, and health and safety education. They also offer basic needs resources like food, clothing, hygiene, showers, laundry, and a computer lab. HYPE Center is always adding new services and resources so be sure to follow them on instagram (@hype_415sf) or check out their website
here
. We also encourage you to watch their short video showcasing a "Day in the Life".
The HYPE Center is located at 198 Potrero Ave. in San Francisco. To reach out, email: hypecenter@freedom-forward.org |
Photo credit: Raissa Madamba. (Top left) HYPE Center's young people engaging in Somatic Play and Reiki Session, (Top right) Freebies for HYPE's young people and additional information about the Center, (Bottom) HYPE's young participants sitting on bean bags, engaging in a group art therapy session. |
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District 9 Upcoming Events & Opportunities
•• SFUSD Enrollment Fair
Saturday, October 19 from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Balboa High School (1000 Cayuga Avenue)
Families who will apply for PK, elementary school, middle school, or high school for the 2025-26 school year can come to the fair to learn about the application process, meet school Principals and other representatives, and access the resources provided by SFUSD and other city agencies and community organizations. For more info go here.
•• KQED FEST!
October 19 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
KQED (York Street between Mariposa and 18th Street)
Spend a Saturday with KQED, the Bay Area’s beloved public media station, for a free and festive block party and open house at their headquarters in San Francisco’s Mission District. Highlights include:
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KQED, NPR and PBS programs live on stage.
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Crafts, games and resources from neighborhood vendors and cultural organizations.
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Fireside chats with KQED reporters and personalities.
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Behind-the-scenes looks at the KQED newsroom operations and on-site reservation for limited studio tours.
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Community media-making workshops and studio recording sessions.
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Interactive all-ages art, science and learning activities.
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Bites from food trucks and carts featured in KQED Food.
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Local live music presented by Noise Pop’s Homegrown Stage.
For more information, go here.
•• The 4th Annual Portola Neighborhood Garage Sale
October 26 from 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Greenway (San Bruno)
•• OCTOBER SF SAFE MEDICINE DISPOSAL PROGRAM
SF Safe Medicine Disposal Program
San Francisco’s Safe Medicine Disposal Program will be holding four medicine collection events for residents to dispose of their unwanted medicines in a safe and environmentally-sound manner at no cost. The collection events are offered by medicine collection program operator Inmar Intelligence (Inmar), in partnership with the San Francisco Police Department, the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, and the San Francisco Environment Department (SFE).
Event dates and locations:
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Monday, October 14th from 9 am to 1 pm (Palega Park Recreation Center, 500 Felton Street, San Francisco)
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Wednesday, October 16th from 1 pm to 5 pm (Mission Dolores Park basketball courts, Church Street and 18th Street, San Francisco)
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Monday, October 28th from 9 am to 1 pm (Crane Cove Park, 18th Street and Illinois Street, San Francisco)
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Wednesday, October 30th from 1 pm to 5 pm (Crocker Amazon Park Clubhouse parking lot, 799 Moscow Street, San Francisco)
•• DISTRICT 9 TOWN HALL WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY DAVID CHIU
October 30
6:30 - 7:30 PM at the Laborers International Union Hall (3271 18th St)
The City Attorney is hosting a town hall in every district to introduce constituents to their role and the work of the office. Supervisor Ronen, and SFPD captains for the district will be there to address any public questions that fall into each respective purview.
•• MAYOR'S OFFICE ON HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (MOHCD) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
RFPs Due November 1
MOHCD has released their FY25-30 five-year community development Request for Proposals (RFP). This RFP is guided by MOHCD’s five-year strategic plan, and identifies affordable housing and community development needs and prioritizes strategies to address those needs. Funding is available under four program categories:
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Housing services
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Community services and community building
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HIV supportive housing
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Cultural Districts
Information on the RFP here.
•• ALEMANY FARMERS' MARKET 🥦 🍒 🍓🥬
Every Saturday, 100 Alemany Blvd. from 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Every Saturday, 100 Alemany transforms into a bustling farmers market with fresh produce and local foods! Join us next Saturday to shop for fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods. The City is committed to keeping the market accessible to our San Francisco community! |
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