Contents

District3Update Legislation SeeYouinthe District CommunityCalendar &Announcements

SupervisorDavidChiuDecember 2013Newsletter
Friend As2013comestoaclose,Iwanttotakeamomenttothankallof youinourneighborhoodsandthroughouttheCitywhohaveclosely workedwithmeonsomanydiverseissues.Afteryearsof negotiationsandadvocacy,thiswastheyearthatweresolvedthe megaCPMChospitalprojects,craftedunanimousCEQAreform, launchedasuccessfulparticipatorybudgetingpilot,andhadthe votersdecidethe8Washingtonproject.ImproudSanFrancisco becamethefirstcityinthecountrytogiveworkerstherightto requestflexibleworkingarrangements,aswepassedourFamily FriendlyWorkplaceOrdinancethatwilleasetheburdenofworking familiesstrugglingtobalancecaretakingresponsibilitieswith demandingjobs. AsIreflectonthestateofourcity,whileourunemployment numbershavethankfullydropped,weallknowthatSanFrancisco, alwaysanexpensivecity,isinthemidstofanaffordabilitycrisis, asevidencedbyskyrocketingevictions,highrentsandour everydaycostofliving.Thisyear,Ichampionedlegislationtogive relieftolongtimeresidentsfacingEllisActevictions,toprotect tenantswhileTICsareconvertedtocondos,tomakeiteasierfor tenantsapplyforhardshipwaiversfromtheRentBoard,andto provideprobonolegalhelptothosefacingevictions.Butourwork

Neighborhood OfficeHours
Seeyouinthe District! Ilookforwardto seeingmanyofyouat my2014officehours atourneighborhood cafesthataddso muchtothecharacter ofDistrict3.Please emailmyaideAmy

Chanat amy.chan@sfgov.orgif youplantocomeby, sinceofficehours occasionallyneedto berescheduled. Friday,January10, 1:302:30p.m. Chinatown SFChinatownLibrary, 1135PowellStreet Saturday,January11, 3p.m.4p.m. NorthBeach CaffeTrieste,601 VallejoStreet Saturday,January18, 11a.m.noon MiddlePolk CrepeHouse,1755 PolkStreet Friday,January24, 1:302:30p.m. Chinatown SFChinatownLibrary, 1135PowellStreet

isnotdone.Inthisnewsletter,youcanreadmoreaboutour ongoingworkontheEllisActandourpushtolegalizetensof thousandofinlawunits.Ourworkwillnotstopuntilthecrisis ends. IwanttotakeamomenttothankmyamazingteamofCityHall staffAmyChan,CatherineRauschuberandJudsonTrue.The SFBayGuardiancreditedourbustlingofficeoftopaidesthat havedonemostoftheheavylegislativeliftingthisyear,andIam immenselyproudoftheirwork. Onapersonalnote,themostimportantthingthathappenedtome in2013wasonSunday,October20th,whenCandaceandImade weddingvowstoeachother.WellbespendingourfirstChristmas togetherthisweek,andIcouldnotbealuckierman. Ihopethatyouandyourlovedonesenjoyajoyfulandrestful holidayseason,andwishallofyoutheverybestfor2014. Yours, DavidChiu

Upcoming2013 Community Calendar

December2425,73 p.m. GLIDEChristmas Meals GLIDE,330EllisSt. Tuesday,December 31 SanFranciscoNew YearsEveFireworks 2014 Embarcaderofrom MissiontoFolsom Wednesday,January1 HappyNewYear! WednesdayJanuary8, 7p.m. LowerPolkNeighbors MonthlyMeeting FirstCongregational Church,1300Polk Street

AholidaymomentinCityHall

District3Update
LowerPolkNeighborhoodWinsAward CongratulationstoLowerPolkforwinningtheComeback NeighborhoodoftheYearawardfromtheNeighborhood EmpowermentNetwork(NEN).NENisacoalitionofcityagencies andcommunityorganizationsthatsponsoryearlyawardsto recognizetheworkofSanFranciscoresidentsandorganizations thatareworkingtomakeourlocalcommunitiesbetter.The incredibleeffortsthisyearbyLowerPolkNeighbors,whereIgot mystartinneighborhoodactivism,aswellasotherPolkStreet volunteersincludedArtWalks,FernAlleyevents,farmersmarkets, newtreesonPolk,agreenwallonCedarAlley,thebeginningofa CommunityBenefitsDistricteffort,workwithCPMConthenew hospitalproject,theclosureofaproblemliquorstoreandmuch

Saturday,January11, 9:3012p.m. RussianHillNeighbors NeighborhoodSweep FL!PP,1400GreenSt. Saturday,January11, 1012p.m. FayParkVolunteer WorkDay FayPark,2366 LeavenworthSt. Tuesday,January14, 2:005:00p.m. SFArtsCommission CommunityArts, Education,andGrants CommitteeMeeting SanFranciscoArts Commission 25VanNessAve.Ste. 70 Saturday,January18, 9:45a.m. MiddlePolk NeighborhooodClean Up ItsaGrind,1800Polk Street Monday,January20, 6:30p.m. MiddlePolk Neighborhoood AssociationMonthly Meeting ItsaGrind,1800Polk Street Tuesday,January28, 3:007:00p.m. EarthquakeRetrofit Fair BillGrahamCivic Auditorium,99Grove Street ***Ifwemissedyour eventormeeting, pleasesendfuture eventsbythefirstof eachmonthto judson.true@sfgov.org andwellincludeas manyaswecan. Werealsolookingto revampthenewsletter

more.PleasecomecelebrateatthisyearsNENawardsceremony onFriday,January24atCityHall! ChinatownFoodDriveandHolidayDonations Aswecelebratetheholidayseasonwithourfriendsandfamilies, itsimportanttoremembertogivebacktothosewhoaremostin needinourcommunity.Imsogratefulthatthereareincredible organizationsallacrossthedistrictthatbrightenuptheholidaysfor themanylowincomeseniorsandfamiliesthatwouldotherwisenot havethemeanstocelebrate. Inparticular,IwanttothanktheChineseNewcomersService CenteranditspartnersforhostingtheirannualCommunityFood andToyDriveinPortsmouthSquareinChinatownandHans SchillerPlazaParkinVisitacionValley.Withthehelpof300 volunteersanddonationsfromcommunitysponsors,5,000low incomeresidentswereprovidednonperishablefoodandtoysfor theholidays.Itsthisspiritofgivingthatmakesmesoproudtobe aSanFranciscan!

Legislation
FightingEllisActAbuses AspartofacoalitioneffortofCityandStateelectedofficials workingtocurbtheabuseoftheEllisActandtoprotecttenants fromeviction,lastweekIjoinedwithMayorEdLeeandsomeof mycolleaguestointroducearesolutionoutliningtheissueandour planofaction.AsreportedbytheChronicle,KCBSandKALW, amondotheroutlets,EllisActevictionscontributetothegrowing affordabilitycrisisinSanFrancisco.Longtimeresidentsinmy districtliketheLeeFamilynearChinatownandTheresaFlandrich ofNorthBeacharebeingpushedoutoftheirhomesbecauseof unaffordablemarketraterents.

abitin2014,sosend usanyideasofwhat youdliketoseeinit.

Alsolastweek,mylegislationtoprovidehousinghelptotenants whoarefacingimminentevictionfromtheEllisActwaspassedby theBoardofSupervisors.Thelegislationgivestenantswhohave occupiedtheirapartmentsfor10yearsormoreandwhogetan EllisActevictionnoticepriorityinapplyingforourCitysaffordable housingsites. TacklingInLawUnitstoPromoteAffordability Lastmonth,Ijoinedadiversecoalitionoftenants,propertyowners, housingorganizationsandCitydepartmentsinintroducing legislationthatwouldallowexistinginlawunitsthatwerebuilt withoutpermitstoapplyforlegalstatuswiththeCity.Inlawunits aretypicallyunitsaddedontoexistinghousingbyconvertingattics, basementsandgaragesintonewplacestolive.Theestimated 40,000suchunitsserveasavitalsourceofaffordablehousingfor theSanFranciscoslowerincomefamilies,students,seniorsand immigrants.Mylegislationwouldcreateavoluntaryprogramfor homeownerstoapplyforoneadditionalunittobecomelegalized andwaivevariousplanningrestrictionsifitmeetshealthandsafety buildingcoderequirements.Thegoalsaretobringtensof thousandsofhousingunitsintothelegalaffordablehousingstock, toprotecttenantswhohavelivedwithouttenantprotectionsin unitsthatmaynotbesafe,andtohelphomeownersmakealong terminvestmentinaffordablehousing.Thelegislationwillhelp preserveaffordablehousingcurrentlyatriskofeliminationand reactivatevacantunitsthatarekeptoffthehousingmarket becauseofenforcementorfearofenforcementpenalties.Ilook forwardtoworkingwithmycolleaguesontheBoardtomovethis legislationforward. ReducingPlasticWaterBottleWaste OnthelastBoardmeetingoftheyear,Iannouncedafirstinthe nationlegislativeproposaltophaseoutthesaleanddistributionof plasticbottledwateronmunicipalproperty,topromotethehealthy, inexpensive,andenvironmentallyresponsiblealternativeoftap water.Itwouldapplytoevents,permittedvendors,andlesseeson SanFranciscoproperty,aswellasCitydepartments.Asweall know,theenvironmentalimpactofouryearlyconsumptionof billionsofplasticwaterbottlesisenormous.GiventhatSan FranciscanscanaccesscleanandinexpensiveHetchHetchy wateroutofourtaps,weneedtoweanourselvesoffourrecent addictiontoplasticwaterbottles,drivenbymassmarketinginthe lastfewdecades.Alongwithwhatisbeingaskedofothers,my legislationwouldrequireCitygovernmenttotakeactiontoincrease accesstowaterinpublicplaces.Ibelievethisproposalisa commonsenseapproachtobegintacklingtheenormousproblem ofexcessplasticinourwastestreamtensofmillionsofplastic waterbottlesinSanFranciscoalone.Ourproposalgivesadequate timetoexpandalternativestosellingdisposableplasticwater bottleswhiletherearealreadyseveralcosteffectivealternatives toplasticbottledwateravailable,suchalternativeswillonlykeep growing.Irecentlydebatedthebottledwaterindustryaboutmy proposalontheKQEDForumshow.TheBoardofSupervisorswill likelyholditsfirsthearingontheproposalinlateJanuary. FreePublicWiFionMarketStreet Lastweek,IjoinedMayorLeeandournewheadoftheDepartment ofTechnology,MarcTouitou,tocelebratetheopeningofalong overduefreemunicipalWiFinetworkalongthestretchofMarket StreetfromtheFerryBuildingtotheCastro.AnyonewithaWiFi enableddevicecannowconnecttotheinternetforfree.Thisnew

serviceisareminderthatSanFranciscoowns130milesoffiber opticcableandIhaveconsistentlypushedtoexpandthat networkandincreasepublicaccesstoit,includingwithmy proposedlegislationthatwouldencouragesuchexpansionevery timewedigupourcitystreets.ByprovidingfreeWiFidownthe busieststretchofourCitysbusieststreet,wehavetakenan importantsteptowardsmakingSanFranciscoatrulyconnected city.

PAIDFORBYSUPERVISORDAVIDCHIU Phone:(415)5547450Fax:(415)5547454chiustaff@sfgov.org SupervisorDavidChiu 1Dr.CarltonB.GoodlettPl Room244 SanFranciscoCA94102UnitedStates