Political activist Jon Jacobo, facing rape and abuse charges, released by judge

A San Francisco judge released a former rising political star from custody as he faces rape and domestic violence charges.



Jon Jacobo, a Mission district political organizer, was released Tuesday by Judge Kenneth Wine after <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2024/08/05/jon-jacobo-arrested-san-francisco-charges/">his arrest last week on charges</a> that include rape, oral copulation, sexual battery and domestic violence.



&#8220;Today, Jonathan Jacobo was released from custody by the court over the People’s objection,&#8221; the district attorney said in an emailed statement. &#8220;The court released Jacobo on the &#8216;strictest conditions&#8217; of home detention, with electronic monitoring, as well as requiring that he not consume alcohol and wear a SCRAM alcohol monitor.&nbsp; He was further ordered not to contact any victims or witnesses involved in the case.&#8221; &nbsp;



The allegations date to 2021, when Sasha Perigo, an affordable housing activist, publicly accused Jacobo of raping her. This year, The Standard <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2024/04/16/san-francisco-housing-jon-jacobo-accused-of-sex-crimes-abuse/">published a year-long investigation</a> into Jacobo and his alleged misconduct involving other women. Prosecutors said there was evidence submitted by multiple victims.



Jacobo&#8217;s attorney, Martina Avalos, couldn&#8217;t be reached for comment. 



Jacobo <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2024/08/06/political-organizer-jon-jacobo-pleads-not-guilty-to-rape-abuse-charges/">pleaded not guilty</a>. Avalos argued that he is innocent, not a danger to the public and will &#8220;fight this all the way.&#8221;



Jacobo has worked as an executive at the affordable housing nonprofit TODCO Group and as a City Hall aide for former Supervisor Jane Kim. He also served on the city’s Building Inspection Commission.



This is a developing story and will be updated.

Former rising political star Jon Jacobo pleads not guilty to rape, abuse charges

A San Francisco political organizer charged with rape and domestic violence appeared in court for the first time Tuesday, a day after being arrested.



<a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2024/08/05/jon-jacobo-arrested-san-francisco-charges/">Jon Jacobo</a>, wearing an orange sweatshirt and glasses, appeared at his arraignment in a courtroom packed with journalists and entered a plea of not guilty to all four counts.



His attorney, Martina Avalos, argued for his release, asserting that the case had been tried in the media and pointing to the presence of Jacobo&#8217;s partner, Gabriela López, and child. Judge Kenneth Wine ruled that Jacobo was a public safety risk and set no bail.



&#8220;He is prepared to fight this all the way,&#8221; said Avalos. &#8220;He is innocent, he denies all allegations, and he&#8217;s not a danger to the public.



&#8220;And we&#8217;re in a situation here where he&#8217;s being persecuted for political reasons, we believe,&#8221; Avalos added. &#8220;I&#8217;m sad to say that I think the judge yielded to pressure politically on releasing him.&#8221;



Jacobo, who until April was an executive at the&nbsp;<a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2024/04/16/jon-jacobo-san-francisco-todco-resigns/">affordable housing nonprofit TODCO</a>, was an influential figure in local Democratic circles. In addition to serving as an aide for former Supervisor Jane Kim, Jacobo held high-ranking positions at politically connected nonprofits in the Mission, including Calle 24 and the Latino Task Force, and was a member of the city&#8217;s Building Inspection Commission. He was known as a charismatic organizer and likely future candidate for elected office.



In 2021, an affordable housing activist named Sasha Perigo publicly accused Jacobo of rape, sharing documentation of the allegation on X. In April, The Standard published extensive allegations about Jacobo <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2024/04/16/san-francisco-housing-jon-jacobo-accused-of-sex-crimes-abuse/">from three additional women</a>, including an ex-girlfriend who accused him of rape, domestic violence, threats and stalking.



Jacobo surrendered to police Monday after a warrant was issued late last week. He is charged with one count of rape by force, one count of oral copulation by force, one count of sexual battery by restraint and one count of domestic violence. The criminal charges stem from an incident in 2021, when, prosecutors say, Jacobo raped a woman who had told him she did not consent to sexual activity.



Prosecutors said evidence had been submitted by four women. The district attorney&#8217;s office did not name the alleged victim, but the timing of the incident aligns with Perigo&#8217;s public accusation of rape against Jacobo. The judge identified the victim as Sasha P.



&#8220;The survivors in this case have been incredibly brave. My role is to ensure that their voices are heard throughout this process in a way that minimizes re-traumatization of them through this system,&#8221; said Elisha Jussen-Cooke, an attorney representing Jacobo&#8217;s accuser, prior to the hearing. &#8220;We can do better for survivors.&#8221;



Avalos said at the hearing that she plans to file for Jacobo&#8217;s release after the preliminary hearing. He is scheduled to appear in court again Aug. 14.



Asked by a reporter what political motives would be involved in the charges against Jacobo, Avalos demurred. 



&#8220;I mean, I think everybody who&#8217;s in the media has kind of seen it play out; we all know Mr. Jacobo&#8217;s standing in the community,&#8221; she said. &#8220;As to why, I can&#8217;t say. I don&#8217;t know the motivations behind why it has been made so public.&#8221;

San Francisco high-rise window failures preventable, report finds

Broken glass from high-rise windows rained down on Downtown San Francisco during wind storms last March. But rather than buckling under the pressure of powerful gusts, the vast majority of the window failures were likely caused by issues that predated the storm, some of which were known to the buildings’ management, investigators hired by the city have concluded.&nbsp;



The winds, which topped 77 mph during the March storms, exacerbated the existing issues and threw debris from seven Downtown buildings onto the streets, according to an investigator’s report presented at the San Francisco Building Inspection Commission Wednesday.



READ MORE: <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2023/03/14/glass-falling-from-downtown-san-francisco-high-rise/">Glass Falling From Downtown San Francisco High-Rise</a>



One high-rise had a history of glass breakages caused by building-material contamination, while managers at another tower had known about a window hardware issue for three years but failed to fix it, investigators found.



“The report indicates that the glass failures were largely preventable and were primarily caused by existing broken windows that had not been repaired,” a San Francisco Department of Building Inspection spokesperson said in a written statement. “It is critical that building managers identify, secure and fix broken windows immediately so they don’t endanger the public or cause additional property damage, especially before a large storm.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="480" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/555.Cal_.WindowBreak.Window.2-rotated.jpg?w=640" alt="" class="wp-image-139275" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/555.Cal_.WindowBreak.Window.2-rotated.jpg 640w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/555.Cal_.WindowBreak.Window.2-rotated.jpg?resize=300,225 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A window was broken on the 43rd floor of 555 California St. after high winds battered the Bay Area.</figcaption></figure>



In light of the findings, the department plans to inspect all 15-story-or-more buildings constructed since 1998 to identify window issues, the spokesperson said. Down the road, the department may consider asking for a local law change to update its facade-inspection program, Deputy Director of Permit Services Neville Pereira said during a presentation Wednesday.



Meanwhile, the department has issued citations for each of the seven buildings over the broken windows. The department confirmed that fixes were made at 580 California St. and 1390 Market St., according to its public complaint system. The violation cases for 555 California St., 301 Mission St., 350 Mission St. and 1400 Mission St. are still making their way through the city&#8217;s complaint process, with several set to have hearings related to the broken windows in the coming months.



READ MORE: <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2023/04/04/sf-imposes-inspections-on-new-high-rises-after-intense-storms/">SF Orders Inspections of New High-Rise Windows After Storms</a>



In August, the department held a hearing regarding 50 California St., then fined the building and ordered the owner to fix the windows.



All of the buildings’ owners or managers declined to comment or did not reply to requests for comment.



Investigators with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. conducted the investigation presented to the San Francisco Building Inspection Commission Wednesday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-glass-broke">How the Glass Broke</h2>



The first reported incident of tumbling glass in San Francisco’s Downtown during the early spring storms came on March 14, when a large windowpane came dislodged from the 43rd floor of 555 California St., formerly known as the Bank of America Center. The window <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2023/03/16/glass-fell-from-the-sky-in-downtown-san-francisco-officials-say-no-cause-for-alarm/">careened down to the street</a>, prompting the San Francisco Fire Department to order nearby residents to hunker down.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="996" height="1326" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-20-at-3.48.19-PM.png?w=996" alt="" class="wp-image-202860" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-20-at-3.48.19-PM.png 996w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-20-at-3.48.19-PM.png?resize=225,300 225w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-20-at-3.48.19-PM.png?resize=768,1022 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 996px) 100vw, 996px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This photo, provided by 555 California St. building management to investigators, shows that window glass was broken before the March 2023 storms struck San Francisco.</figcaption></figure>



Photos uncovered during the investigation show that the windows were broken as early as Feb. 21, 2023—weeks before the storms buffeted the building. That means the wind dislodged already-weakened windows on March 16 but didn’t break them, Pereira said.&nbsp;



The broken glass from 555 California St. was hurled into its neighbor, 580 California St., during the storm, according to investigators, who say the impact broke six panes at 580 California St.



READ MORE: <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2023/03/22/salesforce-millennium-tower-windows-fail-in-high-winds/">Salesforce East, Millennium Tower Windows Fail in High Winds</a>



A similar situation unfolded at 301 Mission St., also known as Millennium Tower. There, a window hardware issue had led to glass breakage in February 2020. But building management didn’t fix the issue, which was related to the stay arms that hold the windows in place, prior to the March 2023 storm, according to the report. When the March windstorm hit, a stay arm failed on the 49th floor, which caused the window to blow out, Pereira said.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1988" height="1352" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-20-at-3.49.13-PM-1.png?w=1988" alt="" class="wp-image-202862" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-20-at-3.49.13-PM-1.png 1988w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-20-at-3.49.13-PM-1.png?resize=300,204 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-20-at-3.49.13-PM-1.png?resize=768,522 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-20-at-3.49.13-PM-1.png?resize=1536,1045 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1988px) 100vw, 1988px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An arrow points out a damaged stay arm still attached to a window jamb after the glass broke on the 49th floor of 301 Mission St.</figcaption></figure>



Millennium Tower’s neighbor suffered at the expense of the deficiency. Debris from that broken Millennium Tower window likely smashed into at least some of the 17 panes of glass that broke at 350 Mission St., located across the street and known as Salesforce East.



The breakage at 50 California St. also likely occurred before the storm. While investigators were less sure of the cause, they concluded that heat stress brought on by insulation pressing up against the glass likely weakened the glass.



The building at 1400 Mission St. has had a history of glass breakages, Pereira said. Its facade glazing was contaminated with nickel sulfate, which can cause the pane to break. In fact, there had been previous spontaneous window breaks at the building due to the contamination dating back to 2015, the report stated. Investigators concluded that the building’s window that crashed down broke before the March storms.



As the number of falling glass incidents piled up throughout March 2023, local officials <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2023/03/23/falling-glass-from-downtown-sf-skyscrapers-could-prompt-changes-to-building-codes/">became increasingly alarmed</a>. By the end of the month, Mayor London Breed <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2023/04/04/sf-imposes-inspections-on-new-high-rises-after-intense-storms/">signed an emergency declaration</a>, spurring the investigation into the broken windows.

San Francisco officials push for denser housing in outer neighborhoods

Mayor London Breed’s office announced new legislation Monday aimed at building more housing in San Francisco’s outer neighborhoods. It’s the latest in a series of bills that make up her “Housing for All” initiative <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/sf-mayor-london-breed-state-of-the-city-speech-2023/">first unveiled in February</a>.&nbsp;



The legislation, which is set to be introduced at the Board of Supervisors in the coming weeks, would remove existing limits on the number of housing units per lot in certain mixed-use commercial districts without affecting current height and bulk limits. Instead, it will apply “form-based” zoning similar to what’s currently in place in southeastern neighborhoods such as the Mission and Dogpatch.&nbsp;



If passed, the legislation has the potential to add more density to corridors that range from Cow Hollow and Upper Polk to the Haight and Inner Sunset neighborhoods.&nbsp;



Breed calls the new bill “a key step” in the effort to remove what she calls “arbitrary restrictions” that are preventing the effective development of needed housing, especially in the outer neighborhoods.&nbsp;



&#8220;Creating the opportunities for more housing in all of our neighborhoods means more homes for workers, families, and seniors,” added Breed in a statement.



“We need to incentivize the development of housing where it makes the most sense, such as along commercial corridors near transit on the west side,” said co-sponsor Supervisor Myrna Melgar. “While preserving existing neighborhood character, this legislation will make space for seniors to downsize into new housing and offer opportunities for new residents, including families and workers.”



The bill follows up on earlier legislative elements of <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/housing-development/get-comfortable-with-being-uncomfortable-breed-lays-out-housing-plan-she-knows-will-spark-controversy/">Breed’s “Housing for All” plan</a>. First announced in her annual State of the City address in February, Breed outlined changes in housing policy that would help the city fulfill <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/housing-development/sf-housing-plan-passes-but-faces-tight-timeline-and-tough-road-to-implementation/">an aggressive new Housing Element</a> mandated by the state.&nbsp;



Other bills in the plan include “adaptive reuse” <a href="https://sfgov.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6123944&amp;GUID=86F0968C-D3BB-47EA-A390-EA811AE606BB&amp;Options=ID%7CText%7C&amp;Search=adaptive+reuse">legislation</a> aimed at <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/business/new-law-could-kickstart-downtown-office-to-housing-conversions-but-its-only-half-the-battle/">easing the conversion of Downtown offices to housing</a>, co-sponsored by Board President Aaron Peskin. <a href="https://sfgov.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6177110&amp;GUID=544811FE-7DDD-40F4-B568-39113C54F8FF&amp;Options=Advanced&amp;Search=">Another bill</a>, co-sponsored by District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio, would streamline the review of certain higher-density housing projects.&nbsp;



A number of housing advocates have signed on to support the new legislation, including Corey Smith, executive director of the Housing Action Coalition.&nbsp;



“This means more, and more affordable, housing options for individuals and families of every age and phase of life—students, young workers and families, empty nesters, seniors, and more,” Smith said in a statement.&nbsp;



Each of Breed’s housing bills needs to pass muster at the Board of Supervisors to become law.



Breed and Peskin’s office-to-housing conversion bill has already been reviewed by both the Planning and Building Inspection commissions and will go before the supervisors’ Land Use and Transportation Committee in the coming weeks. The Breed and Engardio bill to streamline certain projects has yet to be heard by the Planning Commission.&nbsp;



Once formally introduced, Breed and Melgar’s zoning legislation will be reviewed by the Planning Commission before being sent to the Land Use and Transportation Committee and eventually the full board.&nbsp;

Legal settlements, downtown stimulus top supervisors’ agenda this week

Recovery is the major theme of Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, as members look to settle accounts over costs from Covid and the drug overdose crisis, while welcoming plans to revive San Francisco’s commercial corridors.&nbsp;



As always, wonks can survey the whole kit and caboodle in <a href="https://sfbos.org/event/2023/bag040423_agenda">this week’s agenda</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pandemic-drug-epidemic-damages">Pandemic, Drug Epidemic Damages</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1667" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_Aug_10_Opioid_Presser-7-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-67381" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_Aug_10_Opioid_Presser-7-2500x1667.jpg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_Aug_10_Opioid_Presser-7-300x200.jpg 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_Aug_10_Opioid_Presser-7-768x512.jpg 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_Aug_10_Opioid_Presser-7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_Aug_10_Opioid_Presser-7-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_Aug_10_Opioid_Presser-7-650x433.jpg 650w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_Aug_10_Opioid_Presser-7-370x247.jpg 370w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_Aug_10_Opioid_Presser-7-800x533.jpg 800w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_Aug_10_Opioid_Presser-7-450x300.jpg 450w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_Aug_10_Opioid_Presser-7-20x13.jpg 20w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_Aug_10_Opioid_Presser-7-185x123.jpg 185w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_Aug_10_Opioid_Presser-7-740x493.jpg 740w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_Aug_10_Opioid_Presser-7-400x267.jpg 400w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_Aug_10_Opioid_Presser-7-1600x1067.jpg 1600w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_Aug_10_Opioid_Presser-7-225x150.jpg 225w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_Aug_10_Opioid_Presser-7-900x600.jpg 900w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_Aug_10_Opioid_Presser-7-72x48.jpg 72w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu at a press meeting about San Francisco’s victory against Walgreens regarding the company’s responsibility in the opioid epidemic in San Francisco Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022. | Benjamin Fanjoy for The Standard</figcaption></figure>



For San Francisco, 2023 is looking like the year that bills come due—from the pandemic, the epidemic of opioid abuse and the <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/business/new-law-could-kickstart-downtown-office-to-housing-conversions-but-its-only-half-the-battle/">hollowing-out of Downtown.</a>



Three settlement items on Tuesday’s agenda help tell the story of the past few years.&nbsp;



The Board is set to approve a $3.4 million payout to the owners of Hotel Vertigo on Sutter Street, one of a number of hotels the city leased as shelter for people living on the street during the pandemic.



Hotel Vertigo <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/public-health/homelessness/supervisors-extend-shelter-in-place-hotels/">was one of a number of hotels to file claims</a> with the city for “significant damage to real and personal property” while leased for the Shelter-in-Place Hotel program, which ran from April 2020 through 2022. The board already approved a payout of $2.9 million to owners of the Tilden Hotel last February and <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/san-francisco-set-to-pay-out-millions-in-damage-claims-to-owners-of-shelter-in-place-hotels/">$5.3 million to owners of the Hotel Union Square last December</a>, for similar claims.&nbsp;



Meanwhile, the board is also expected to approve two other settlements in an ongoing series of lawsuits over negligence by companies that contributed to the opioid abuse epidemic. This time, though, it’s the city that gets paid.&nbsp;



Walmart has agreed to pay San Francisco up to $6.8 million over the next six years, and CVS Pharmacy has committed to as much as $12 million over the next 10 years.



City Attorney David Chiu won <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/san-francisco-wins-landmark-opioid-trial-against-walgreens/">a watershed lawsuit against Walgreens</a> last August over the company’s failure to ensure that opioid prescriptions were legitimate. He also brought cases against drug makers Allergan and Teva, which yielded $54 million in payouts.&nbsp;



San Francisco’s complex opioid litigation, which seeks restitution that could help pay for programs to abate the drug abuse crisis, is just one front in a massive effort from state and local governments across the country.&nbsp;



One program that proceeds won’t be able to fund, according to Chiu’s office, is <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/public-health/san-francisco-cant-use-opioid-settlement-funds-for-drug-sites-attorney-says/">safe consumption sites</a>. Expect some members of the board to reiterate their frustration over that finding during the vote.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-casting-off-the-phoenix-first-steps-to-a-new-downtown">Casting Off the Phoenix: First Steps to a New Downtown</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1667" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BOSRoundup03072023-016-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-138936" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BOSRoundup03072023-016-2500x1667.jpg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BOSRoundup03072023-016-300x200.jpg 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BOSRoundup03072023-016-768x512.jpg 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BOSRoundup03072023-016-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BOSRoundup03072023-016-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BOSRoundup03072023-016-650x433.jpg 650w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BOSRoundup03072023-016-370x247.jpg 370w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BOSRoundup03072023-016-800x533.jpg 800w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BOSRoundup03072023-016-450x300.jpg 450w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BOSRoundup03072023-016-20x13.jpg 20w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BOSRoundup03072023-016-185x123.jpg 185w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BOSRoundup03072023-016-740x493.jpg 740w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BOSRoundup03072023-016-400x267.jpg 400w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BOSRoundup03072023-016-1600x1067.jpg 1600w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BOSRoundup03072023-016-225x150.jpg 225w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BOSRoundup03072023-016-900x600.jpg 900w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BOSRoundup03072023-016-72x48.jpg 72w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mayor London Breed (left) and Board Supervisor Aaron Peskin (right) chat before the Board of Supervisors meeting in the Supervisors Chambers in City Hall in San Francisco, Calif., on March 7, 2023. Mayor Breed addressed the Board of Supervisors to approve more money to cover the overtime payroll for SFPD. | Justin Katigbak for The Standard</figcaption></figure>



Mayor London Breed and Board President Aaron Peskin announced <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/business/new-law-could-kickstart-downtown-office-to-housing-conversions-but-its-only-half-the-battle/">new legislation</a> last week that will expedite permit processes for Downtown and Union Square, as well as clarify processes for converting empty office buildings into housing.&nbsp;



That bill will likely be formally introduced during roll call on Tuesday, and then be referred for review by the Planning and Building Inspection Commissions before final approval by the board.&nbsp;



The bill is just one of a number of legislative measures aimed at rebuilding Downtown. A <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/business/downtown-san-francisco-is-dead-heres-the-plan-to-save-it/">business tax incentive package</a>, which Breed announced during her State of the City address, was formally placed on the docket March 14.&nbsp;



The package, co-sponsored by District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio, would freeze taxes for certain businesses through 2024, and offer a tax credit to new businesses opening in the city through 2027.&nbsp;



Whether it’s from new businesses or litigation, City Hall is ramping up its quest for new revenue. Given that the city faces <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/city-hall/san-franciscos-deficit-swells-to-780m-in-latest-sign-of-budget-distress/">a growing deficit now projected to approach $300 million</a> for the next fiscal year, it couldn’t come at a better time.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-resolved-we-like-these-bills">Resolved: We Like These Bills</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1...

TODCO exec resumes climb to power after rape accusation

The first time Sasha Perigo met Jon Jacobo, she couldn’t help but feel impressed.&nbsp;



As a young journalist who supported his stances on social justice in addition to his work as a director of an affordable housing nonprofit, Perigo had heard of Jacobo and knew he was a rising star in San Francisco’s political scene.



But what started as a friendship after Perigo interviewed Jacobo’s boss at the <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/sf-housing-nonprofit-todco-politics-tenants-infestations-drug-overdose/">Tenants and Owners Development Corporation (TODCO)</a> soon turned into a nightmare that she said would traumatize her body, psyche and bank account. An invitation to come over to Jacobo’s house one night in April 2021 led to a terrifying incident, Perigo said, in which she repeatedly tried to resist Jacobo’s sexual advances before eventually being raped.



“I cannot emphasize how much this was not a misunderstanding,” Perigo said. “He looked me in my eyes when I said ‘no’ and took off my pants. It was so clearly intentional. He was not drunk. There was no mistaking. I was not laughing. I was not being playful about it. Like, there was just no way.”



Months would go by before Perigo publicly came forward in a letter posted to Twitter and an interview with the <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Jon-Jacobo-rising-San-Francisco-political-star-16371828.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">San Francisco Chronicle</a>.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">(TW: sexual assault) I&#39;m heartbroken to share that the man who raped me in April is <a href="https://twitter.com/Jon_Jacobo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jon_Jacobo</a>. Prior to my rape, I considered Jon a great friend and a great person, which is why it&#39;s so important for me to come forward. Please RT and share widely!<a href="https://t.co/rKatrJkCuk">https://t.co/rKatrJkCuk</a>&mdash; Sasha Perigo (@sashaperigo) <a href="https://twitter.com/sashaperigo/status/1423674978948435973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2021</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Jacobo denied the allegations, saying his “memory of these events is different.” In a text message to The Standard last week, he referred back to his statement.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://twitter.com/Jon_Jacobo/status/1423828115109793798?s=20
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While the fallout was swift, it was hardly severe.&nbsp;



Police launched an investigation for potential charges, but no case moved forward. Perigo declined to work with law enforcement because of her deep distrust of police. Jacobo resigned from his seat on the Building Inspection Commission, and his political allies at City Hall distanced themselves from him.



In the 19 months since the rape allegations surfaced, Jacobo has mostly operated in the background as the TODCO’s director of community development, working to renovate three of the organization’s buildings. But in interviews with his boss, TODCO President John Elberling, and nonprofit and political officials, it’s clear that Jacobo’s career is far from canceled. Rather, it appears the alleged rapist’s career trajectory is once again on the ascent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-transition-to-power">Transition to Power</h2>



Serving in a top role at TODCO puts Jacobo in a uniquely powerful position.



Few nonprofits in the city have more political clout than TODCO, an affordable housing nonprofit that makes no attempt to build more housing on its own. Instead, the organization has leveraged its eight properties in the South of Market area to benefit from city and federal subsidies on top of a refinancing scheme that has created a piggy bank worth millions.



A recent <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/sf-housing-nonprofit-todco-politics-tenants-infestations-drug-overdose/">investigation by The Standard</a> found that TODCO has dramatically increased spending on lobbying, political campaigns, salaries for executives and grants to other political groups over the last decade. Meanwhile, the organization steadily decreased the share of revenue it spends on its low-income, elderly, disabled and formerly homeless tenants, some of whom complained of rampant rodent infestations and drug overdoses in its buildings due to a lack of resident services.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1667" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEATURED_TodcoPartThree03072023-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-137984" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEATURED_TodcoPartThree03072023-2500x1667.jpg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEATURED_TodcoPartThree03072023-300x200.jpg 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEATURED_TodcoPartThree03072023-768x512.jpg 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEATURED_TodcoPartThree03072023-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEATURED_TodcoPartThree03072023-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEATURED_TodcoPartThree03072023-650x433.jpg 650w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEATURED_TodcoPartThree03072023-370x247.jpg 370w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEATURED_TodcoPartThree03072023-800x533.jpg 800w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEATURED_TodcoPartThree03072023-450x300.jpg 450w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEATURED_TodcoPartThree03072023-20x13.jpg 20w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEATURED_TodcoPartThree03072023-185x123.jpg 185w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEATURED_TodcoPartThree03072023-740x493.jpg 740w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEATURED_TodcoPartThree03072023-400x267.jpg 400w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEATURED_TodcoPartThree03072023-1600x1067.jpg 1600w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEATURED_TodcoPartThree03072023-225x150.jpg 225w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEATURED_TodcoPartThree03072023-900x600.jpg 900w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEATURED_TodcoPartThree03072023-72x48.jpg 72w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Sasha Perigo, a tenants rights activist, sits at her home in San Francisco on March 10, 2023. In 2021, Perigo accused Jon Jacobo, a director for affordable housing nonprofit TODCO, of sexually assaulting her. | Shelby Knowles for The Standard</figcaption></figure>



In a <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/san-francisco-housing-todco-amazon-tax-prop-k-guaranteed-income/">two-hour interview last August</a>, Elberling told The Standard that he was starting to near retirement. The TODCO boss said newly installed CEO Anna Yee, who declined interview requests, would play a major role in future operations, and the organization was also grooming Jacobo to help oversee financial operations.



“He’s transitioning. We need someone to pick up our housing development work, the renovations and [refinancing],” Elberling said. “He’s now going through development courses on how to be a nonprofit affordable housing developer. And we’re also going to bring on an outside consultant to work with him.”



Before the rape allegations, Elberling previously saw Jacobo as a promising candidate to run for the Board of Supervisors. TODCO had once counted former Supervisor Jane Kim amongst its allies on the board, and Jacobo worked in her office near the end of her final term. 



Kim, who has been prominently featured in TODCO&#8217;s political mailers, was forced to apologize after <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/S-F-s-Jane-Kim-apologizes-for-bringing-man-16543560.php">bringing Jacobo to a political event</a> just weeks after the rape allegations became public. She declined comment for this story.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1406" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TODCO-Mailer-2-2500x1406.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-135879" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TODCO-Mailer-2-2500x1406.jpeg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TODCO-Mailer-2-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TODCO-Mailer-2-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TODCO-Mailer-2-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TODCO-Mailer-2-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TODCO-Mailer-2-650x366.jpeg 650w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TODCO-Mailer-2-370x208.jpeg 370w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TODCO-Mailer-2-800x450.jpeg 800w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TODCO-Mailer-2-450x253.jpeg 450w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TODCO-Mailer-2-20x11.jpeg 20w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TODCO-Mailer-2-185x104.jpeg 185w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TODCO-Mailer-2-740x416.jpeg 740w...

San Francisco looks to hike penalties for illegal construction

Illegal construction in San Francisco might be about to get a whole lot more expensive.



Proposed by Supervisor Hillary Ronen, new legislation would hike the fine for violating city planning or building codes to $1,000 per day from the previous $250 per day penalty. The new ordinance also clarifies that each individual unit in violation will be counted separately.



Illegally added or demolished units would incur an additional fine of up to $250,000, or up to $500,000 for historic buildings. Except for cases when the changes would add sizable affordable units, any illegal demolition would also put a five-year hold on the owner’s ability to apply for new permits.&nbsp;



The legislation was inspired by a property owner on San Bruno Avenue in the Portola neighborhood who overbuilt by more than a dozen units, offsetting the cost of the fines with profits from the extra rentals.



The Department of Building Inspection would have final discretion over the fines and violations.&nbsp;



“We really wanted to go after those actors,” said Santiago Lerma, Ronen’s legislative aide, at a Wednesday hearing.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The increased penalties were approved by the <a href="https://sf.gov/public-body/building-inspection-commission">Building Inspection Commission</a> on Wednesday and will eventually go before the full Board of Supervisors for approval.



Sarah “Fred” Sherburn-Zimmer, executive director of the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco, said stiffer penalties would go a long way toward deterring <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/housing-development/2022-housing-san-francisco-2023-bigger/">property developers</a> from lying on their applications.



“We are sick of seeing developers just get away with anything,” Sherburn-Zimmer said. “There’s no real consequences.”

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