Newsom signs major housing bill allowing for dense construction near transit

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/hannah-wiley/">Hannah Wiley</a> and <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/kevin-v-nguyen/">Kevin V. Nguyen</a></span><time datetime="2025-10-10T17:25:55.818Z">Published Oct. 10, 2025 • 10:25am</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed a major housing bill that will pave the way for construction of larger multifamily projects near transit hubs. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left"><a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billAnalysisClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB79" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Senate Bill 79<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a> concludes San Francisco state Sen. Scott Wiener’s seven-year battle to force cities to upzone certain neighborhoods near bus or train lines. The new law, which will go into effect July 1, 2026, also allows transit agencies to build homes on their land.  </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Newsom, who has signed a slew of <a data-post-id="671f17e7-8e99-463a-b432-32e23f82cff6" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/06/30/newsom-new-housing-laws-ceqa/">YIMBY-backed bills</a> during his time in office, said in a <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/10/10/governor-newsom-builds-on-this-years-historic-housing-reforms-signs-legislation-to-accelerate-housing-and-affordability/#:~:text=LOS%20ANGELES%20%E2%80%93%20Building%20on%20the,inventory%20and%20access%20across%20California." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">statement<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a> that “housing near transit means shorter commutes, lower costs and more time with family.”</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“When we invest in housing, we’re investing in people — their chance to build a future, raise a family and be part of a community,” he wrote. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The new rules prioritize housing near stops with the most traffic, including BART and Caltrain lines. Zoning standards around those areas will allow for nine-story buildings next to the stop, seven stories within a quarter-mile and six stories within a half-mile. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">For transit lines with smaller ridership, including Muni, projects can be up to eight stories next to the stop, six stories within a quarter-mile, and five stories within a half-mile. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“SB 79 is a historic step toward tackling the root cause of California’s affordability crisis — our profound shortage of homes and too few people having access to transit,” Wiener said in a statement. “It’s been a long road to tackle these decades-old problems, but thanks to Governor Newsom’s leadership, today marks a new day for affordable housing and public transportation in California.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The law became one of the most controversial bills in the state Legislature this year amid intense opposition from dozens of cities and neighborhood organizations that expressed concerns about rampant development and loss of local zoning control. </p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass asked Newsom to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-10-03/upzoning-story" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">veto the bill<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a>, arguing that while she supported more housing development, SB 79 “<a href="https://x.com/MayorOfLA/status/1958287697623335038" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">risks unintended consequences for L.A<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a>.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">While a more aggressive version of SB 79 made its way out of the state Senate earlier this year, the Assembly <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/10/03/wiener-assembly/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">added  amendments<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a> to limit its scope and ease requirements on smaller cities. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The bill focuses on only eight counties: Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Francisco, Alameda, Sacramento, Santa Clara and San Mateo. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Cities that are on track with their state-mandated housing plans have some flexibility with SB 79. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s Family Zoning Plan, for instance, would <a href="https://x.com/DanielLurie/status/1976716340955431333" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">exempt the affected neighborhoods from further upzoning until 2032<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a> if it is approved by the Board of Supervisors.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">But local critics of SB 79 and Lurie’s upzoning plan, including former Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, raised concerns with how much more development they would collectively force on San Francisco. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Peskin questioned whether “the mayor’s upzoning plan is even necessary anymore” and criticized Lurie’s argument that San Francisco has no choice but to plan for more housing under his proposal, given state requirements. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“It also shows the emptiness of attempts to sell the mayor’s upzoning plan via blackmail — saying if we don’t upzone, the state will,” Peskin said. “My advice to San Franciscans is don’t give in to blackmail, because if you do, the blackmailers will always come back for more.”</p></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The bill was supported by statewide and local urbanist and pro-housing  groups, including the Bay Area Council, California YIMBY and SPUR. Developers and the California Apartment Association also backed SB 79. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“When I started California YIMBY, my goal was to make California affordable for everyone by legalizing more homebuilding — starting with homes near transit,” Brian Hanlon, CEO of California YIMBY, said in a statement. “With his signature on SB 79, Governor Newsom cements his legacy as one of the most transformative pro-housing leaders in California history. Now we begin the work of making sure its provisions are fully and fairly implemented.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Before he signed the bill, Newsom appeared on t<a href="https://www.theringer.com/podcasts/higher-learning-van-lathan-rachel-lindsay/2025/10/10/exploring-the-democratic-narrative-with-governor-gavin-newsom-plus-ryan-grim-explains-the-ceasefire" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">he “Higher Learning” podcast<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a> to explain his position on the state’s housing shortage.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“We [as a state] are moving from a NIMBY mindset to a YIMBY mindset,” he said. </p></div></div>

Nonprofit tied to City Hall scandal eligible again for city funds; exec director to leave

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/gabriel-greschler/">Gabe Greschler</a></span><time datetime="2025-10-09T21:05:52.601Z">Updated Oct. 09, 2025 • 2:05pm</time><time datetime="2025-10-09T15:07:19.399Z">Published Oct. 09, 2025 • 8:07am</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A San Francisco hearing officer on Wednesday ruled that Collective Impact, a Western Addition-based nonprofit that became <u><a data-post-id="a0ef132c-148d-48fb-b790-f342e5327de4" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/08/19/san-francisco-nonprofit-scandal-dream-keeper-initiative-hearing/">embroiled in a major City Hall scandal last year</a></u>, can receive public funding again. City officials had suspended it earlier this year over allegations of financial misconduct.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Hearing officer Andrea McGary issued the decision after holding <u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_DfKInR2mm2z6ko_b1vNly8Hqja7IsVm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">four debarment hearings<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u> in August and September to consider whether the accusations disqualified the group from receiving the funds.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">During the hearings, Collective Impact defended itself against allegations from the city attorney’s office that it helped a former city department head, Sheryl Davis, misuse city funds for personal use. </p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In a statement on Thursday, Collective Impact’s board of directors said they were “deeply gratified” by the decision, “which acknowledges that the accusations against Collective Impact were speculative and unsupported by the evidence.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">They also announced that James Spingola, the organization’s executive director, would be stepping away from his role, citing “intense strain” from the past months that has impacted his health. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Today’s decision brings mixed emotions,” the statement included. “While we are grateful to be vindicated, the process has taken a significant personal toll.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The city attorney’s office said it would appeal the ruling. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“It is absurd anyone would think Collective Impact is a responsible contractor that can be trusted with public money when we have blatant evidence that Collective Impact paid for a City official’s personal endeavors and first-class travel, submitted false claims, and improperly spent taxpayer dollars meant to go to children,” spokesperson Jen Kwart wrote. “Not only was Collective Impact’s past misuse of City funds disqualifying, but its current leadership has taken no actions to ensure that City funds will not be misused again. This was a bizarre hearing process that led to an even more bizarre decision with no reasoning or analysis.”</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In her 25-page ruling, McGary said the city attorney did not meet the burden of proof to show that Collective Impact had acted with intent to support the charge of willful misconduct. The city was seeking to bar the nonprofit from funding until 2030.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Appellant Collective Impact is strongly encouraged to review the terms of its grant contracts, seek the assistance of agency administrators for each grant to come into compliance, and maintain compliance with all terms and conditions required by the City of San Francisco, as well as seek the assistance [of the] Citywide Nonprofit Monitoring and Capacity Building Program,” she wrote.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The ruling is a major victory for the nonprofit, which grew from a modest after-school program to an $8 million-a-year organization providing services such as workforce development and literacy programs in one of San Francisco’s historically Black neighborhoods. The group had previously said it risked ceasing operations if it could not access the funding.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“With this outcome, we can once again focus on what matters most: empowering San Francisco’s low-income youth and families to reach their full potential and to meet the challenges facing their communities head-on,” the board wrote in its statement.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The scandal began in September 2024, when The Standard <u><a data-post-id="e00846f7-dc92-45dc-a8b6-a04c77c7d5d5" href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/09/12/san-francisco-dream-keeper-initiative-sheryl-davis-james-spingola-nonprofit/">reported</a></u> that Davis had signed off on at least $1.5 million in contracts to Spingola’s nonprofit while the two shared a home and car together. The money came from the Dream Keeper Initiative, former Mayor London Breed’s signature program to inject tens of millions of dollars into Black communities. Davis, head of the city’s Human Rights Commission at the time, was charged with overseeing those funds.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Davis <u><a data-post-id="ff50e4a9-062d-4bac-abaa-6d265b213db1" href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/09/13/sheryl-davis-resigns-san-francisco-human-rights-commission/">resigned</a></u> shortly after her ties to Spingola became public and now <u><a data-post-id="17e9ce56-6e1a-4b2c-ab4a-70d02ae1a664" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/08/25/san-francisco-sheryl-davis-dream-keeper-initiative-criminal-investigation/">faces</a></u> a criminal investigation by the district attorney’s office. She has denied any wrongdoing. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In March, the city attorney’s office blocked Collective Impact from receiving public money after investigators <u><a data-post-id="6985b8b3-eb2d-40d9-9822-7f4473714895" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/20/san-francisco-nonprofit-scandal-human-rights-commission-sheryl-davis-collective-impact/">uncovered</a></u> new details alleging the nonprofit had paid for Davis’ son’s UCLA tuition and her podcast booking costs, among other expenses. </p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A smiling man in a black puffer jacket and jeans stands next to a smiling woman in a green coat in an ornately decorated room with arched doorways in the background." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="2334" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_iv8cotaqm114130fomg4261p00/-S3840x3840-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_iv8cotaqm114130fomg4261p00/-S640x640-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_iv8cotaqm114130fomg4261p00/-S750x750-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_iv8cotaqm114130fomg4261p00/-S768x768-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_iv8cotaqm114130fomg4261p00/-S828x828-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_iv8cotaqm114130fomg4261p00/-S1024x1024-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_iv8cotaqm114130fomg4261p00/-S1080x1080-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_iv8cotaqm114130fomg4261p00/-S1200x1200-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_iv8cotaqm114130fomg4261p00/-S1920x1920-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_iv8cotaqm114130fomg4261p00/-S2048x2048-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_iv8cotaqm114130fomg4261p00/-S3840x3840-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 2334 2334'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="2334"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">City investigators accused Spingola’s Collective Impact of helping former city department head Sheryl Davis misuse public money.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Courtesy Photo</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">During this summer’s hearings, attorneys for Collective Impact challenged the city’s charges, calling them “factually flawed” and “legally unsupported.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The group said that its closure would have an “injurious effect” on Western Addition youth and families. Since March, the nonprofit has relied on $2 million in private donations to cover programs previously financed by public funds.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Last month, a joint audit by the city attorney and controller’s offices <u><a data-post-id="7177bd1f-e970-4576-bc1c-db758df2f786" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/09/16/booze-luxury-hotel-retreat-city-department-misspent-4-6-million/">alleged</a></u> that Davis had improperly spent $4.6 million in public money over roughly half a decade. Some charges included $6,829 for a lecturer’s monthlong stay in a luxury hotel and $31,343 in alcohol. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Another audit, reviewing Collective Impact’s solicitation processes and grant compliance, is expected in the coming months. The controller’s City Performance Division is also set to publish an assessment of the Dream Keeper Initiative’s funding and performance metrics.</p></div></div>

Officials want to halt city funds for ‘drug-tolerant’ housing

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/david-sjostedt/">David Sjostedt</a></span><time datetime="2025-10-07T20:41:38.218Z">Published Oct. 07, 2025 • 1:41pm</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Five San Francisco supervisors are calling for an end to city funding for what they’ve termed “drug-tolerant” housing for homeless people.<br/><br/>The law, proposed by Supervisors Matt Dorsey and Rafael Mandelman and backed by their colleagues Stephen Sherrill, Bilal Mahmood, and Danny Sauter, would halt funding of new housing for homeless people unless drug use inside the facilities is prohibited. <br/><br/>The legislation stands in stark contrast to California’s long-standing “Housing First” policy of providing housing to homeless people without precondition. It comes less than a week after <u><a data-post-id="e68f9acf-6045-486b-8262-495af9f3b740" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/10/02/lurie-newsom-sober-housing-law-san-francisco-veto/">Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed</a></u> Assembly Bill 255, which would have altered the state’s policy to allocate up to 10% of its homelessness budget to sober housing. <br/><br/>In his veto, Newsom argued that AB 255 would have made it harder to fund housing projects but said the state “remains committed to advancing recovery housing.”<br/><br/>The local legislation, introduced Tuesday, is a direct reaction to the veto of AB 255 and an attempt to give the city more control over the matter, Dorsey said. <br/><br/>He said eviction would be on the table for anyone using drugs inside sober housing. But, depending on the client, they could be relocated to another “drug-tolerant” building. Over the past few years, hundreds of people have <u><a data-post-id="3f02c4f5-1003-407c-a71b-d2854dc1a1aa" href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/10/17/san-francisco-homeless-housing-drug-overdose-deaths/">died of overdoses</a></u> in supportive housing while complaints have piled up about rampant drug use inside the buildings. <br/><br/>“If it’s someone’s intent to continue to use drugs, we have plenty of options for you,” Dorsey said in an interview. “We have fewer options for drug-free supportive housing, and that’s what this legislation is hoping to address.”<br/><br/>The city funds more than 17,500 housing units and opened its first sober shelter last month. Following Newsom’s veto of AB255, <u><a data-post-id="e68f9acf-6045-486b-8262-495af9f3b740" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/10/02/lurie-newsom-sober-housing-law-san-francisco-veto/">Mayor Daniel Lurie said</a></u> the governor’s move threatened to bring San Francisco’s progress on this issue to a standstill. <br/><br/>Dorsey’s proposal is already generating its own blowback from progressive advocates for homeless people, who argue that stricter requirements on housing would lead to more evictions and, therefore, more people languishing on the city’s streets. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Laura Guzman, executive director of the National Harm Reduction Coalition, called the legislation “obscene,” saying it threatens the rights of tenants and aligns San Francisco with the Trump administration, which is expected to shift roughly $2 billion from permanent housing to transitional housing, according to <u><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/29/trump-admin-looks-at-deep-cuts-to-homeless-housing-program-00585770" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reporting from Politico.<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u><br/><br/>“It’s not only sad, it’s terrifying, and it’s wrong,” Guzman said. “They’re trying to use the housing funding we fought for 30 years to get and use it for treatment facilities. They need to find other mechanisms to do that.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Joshua Bamberger, a clinical professor and addiction doctor at UCSF, said he supports the creation of sober housing but cautioned against using eviction as a mechanism to coerce people into sobriety. <br/><br/>“What we’re all afraid of is creating these sober living environments, and then someone has a bad day, and instead of saying, ‘Let’s increase the intensity of their services,’ they say, ‘They’re out of here,’” Bamberger said. “When people are evicted, they come under extensive harm. We can’t be a contributor to that kind of harm.” <br/><br/>Sober living is usually effective when voluntary, Bamberger added, and any mandate would need to be paired with supportive services.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In order to pass, the legislation will require the support of six supervisors. <br/><br/>Mahmood, who represents the Tenderloin, where a large share of supportive housing buildings are located, said he’s supporting the bill because he believes it’s what people living in the facilities want. <br/><br/>“I’ve personally doorknocked on [supportive housing] throughout the Tenderloin and the top theme that comes up is they want to live in an environment and community that’s free of drugs,” Mahmood said. “We’re saying that we don’t have enough of this kind of housing stock, and we need more of it.”</p></div></div>

The House of Daniel Lurie: These are the power players in the mayor’s political deck

Pelosi aide Gary McCoy is running for supervisor. But first, he’s airing out his crimes

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/joe-fitzgerald-rodriguez/">Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez</a></span><time datetime="2025-10-01T02:08:25.007Z">Published Sep. 30, 2025 • 7:08pm</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Every time Gary McCoy applies for a job, he discloses his extensive criminal record. And with that declaration comes the familiar anxiety over what his prospective employers will find. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Grand larceny. Felony theft. Probation violations. Failure to appear in court. Driving on a suspended license. Drug charges. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">McCoy’s record has shadowed him throughout his life, even as he got clean and found work that propelled him to the top of San Francisco’s political hierarchy.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">It haunted him in 2011, when he applied to become a legislative aide in then-Supervisor Scott Wiener’s office. It resurfaced in 2014, when he joined then-Supervisor London Breed’s team, then three years later, when he became a congressional aide to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Now, McCoy, 47, is disclosing his criminal past as part of his most consequential job application yet: his campaign for District 8 supervisor. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Nearly 15 years after McCoy first ventured into politics, he filed paperwork this week to run for supervisor, with plans to formally launch his campaign at an event on Saturday. </p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="Three individuals stand backstage near a table with wires and an orange drink, with a row of American flags and people seated at tables in the background." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="2294" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5du3vb2l393tbfdihumtfvc131/-S3840x2936-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5du3vb2l393tbfdihumtfvc131/-S640x489-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5du3vb2l393tbfdihumtfvc131/-S750x574-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5du3vb2l393tbfdihumtfvc131/-S768x587-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5du3vb2l393tbfdihumtfvc131/-S828x633-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5du3vb2l393tbfdihumtfvc131/-S1024x783-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5du3vb2l393tbfdihumtfvc131/-S1080x826-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5du3vb2l393tbfdihumtfvc131/-S1200x918-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5du3vb2l393tbfdihumtfvc131/-S1920x1468-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5du3vb2l393tbfdihumtfvc131/-S2048x1566-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_5du3vb2l393tbfdihumtfvc131/-S3840x2936-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 3000 2294'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="3000"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">McCoy has worked as Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi’s California political director for seven years.</figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">He is sharing his partially expunged criminal record exclusively with The Standard to demonstrate transparency and so voters can see how far he’s come. He also wants the 85,000 constituents of D8, which includes the Castro, Noe Valley, and part of the Mission, to see how his experiences make him uniquely qualified to tackle San Francisco’s housing crisis, drug use, homelessness, and crime as their supervisor.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“I wouldn’t be passionate about the things that I’m passionate about today if it weren’t for that,” McCoy said during a recent hours-long interview on the back patio of the Castro Country Club. “And I wouldn’t have the outlook and the perspective on things that I have today.”</p></div><h2 class="heading-block article-body text-left"><b>‘I wanted to die’</b></h2><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">McCoy’s criminal behavior began in 2000 in his hometown of Norfolk, Virginia, and spanned a decade that included a move to San Francisco around 2002. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">It started when McCoy was better known as Sharky, a 20-year-old punk with a gleaming silver mohawk who booked bands at venues across northern Virginia. Between sets of the ska-like brass horns of Buck-O-Nine and the thrashing guitars of the Voodoo Glow Skulls, Sharky would sneak to a bathroom and snort meth off a key.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">What had started as teen drinking evolved into a hard-drug habit that helped him tune out memories of his father’s physical abuse and alcoholism and the fights between his parents, who ultimately divorced. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">McCoy, who is gay, lived with a woman he called his drug “partner,” injecting heroin with her in an apartment adorned with little besides air mattresses and needles. They financed their habit with petty theft, stealing small items from one Walgreens location and returning them at another for cash. They elevated that grift one day with a trip to Walmart, where they were caught trying to steal a computer.<b> </b>McCoy was charged with grand larceny.</p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A young man with dark hair and glasses leans against a tree, wearing a blue collared shirt with his arms crossed, looking at the camera with a slight smile." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="3000" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oqf9886f410rpb705eh807fi7v/-S3840x5571-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oqf9886f410rpb705eh807fi7v/-S640x928-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oqf9886f410rpb705eh807fi7v/-S750x1088-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oqf9886f410rpb705eh807fi7v/-S768x1114-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oqf9886f410rpb705eh807fi7v/-S828x1201-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oqf9886f410rpb705eh807fi7v/-S1024x1485-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oqf9886f410rpb705eh807fi7v/-S1080x1567-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oqf9886f410rpb705eh807fi7v/-S1200x1741-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oqf9886f410rpb705eh807fi7v/-S1920x2785-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oqf9886f410rpb705eh807fi7v/-S2048x2971-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_oqf9886f410rpb705eh807fi7v/-S3840x5571-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 2068 3000'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="2068"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">McCoy at 17, when he had already developed a drinking habit.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Gary McCoy</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">That crime stands out as one of the most serious charges on his rap sheet, which also includes drug offenses and misdemeanors. In 2000, he served roughly nine months in a Chesapeake, Virginia, jail for probation violation in the wake of the grand larceny arrest. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The court drug-tested him at each probation check-in, and he tested positive for heroin each time. Eventually, he stopped going.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In 2002, McCoy sought a fresh start in San Francisco, telling his family he could get sober. He made it barely a month before he was arrested on 16th and Mission for possessing and attempting to distribute heroin.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">McCoy spent a weekend in jail and was bailed out on a $10,000 bond. He quit his job as a promoter for a radio station, started using meth again, lost his home, was sentenced to drug court, and learned that he and his then-boyfriend were HIV positive. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“I wanted to die,” McCoy said, “and I had hoped my next use would be what took me out.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">It was not an overdose but another medical emergency that helped McCoy turn a corner. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A doctor at UCSF’s Ward 86, where many sought treatment during the AIDS crisis, diagnosed him with Kaposi’s sarcoma, a cancer common in AIDS patients that causes painful lesions. They had ravaged the roof of his mouth and esophagus and scarred his lungs.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">McCoy heeded the warning signs and finally went to drug court. He attended harm reduction programs at Stonewall, Ferguson Place, and the Castro Country Club. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In San Francisco, McCoy experienced something he hadn’t in Virginia: empathy. The drug rehab staff he encountered didn’t condemn him, despite his continued meth use, but supported him through his recovery. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">After McCoy completed a drug diversion program in 2009, a letter from the late Public Defender Jeff Adachi declared that his criminal record in San Francisco would be expunged. </p></div><h2 class="heading-block article-body text-left"><b>‘</b>Principles, not personality’</h2><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The D8 supervisor race will be one of the most closely watched, and likely one of the most expensive, in San Francisco next year. Another prominent contender, business owner and event organizer Manny Yekutiel, <u><a data-post-id="e53e1a94-83ec-4783-b737-ab836c19f722" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/09/19/manny-yekutiel-district-8-supervisor-castro/">announced his candidacy last month,</a></u><a data-post-id="e53e1a94-83ec-4783-b737-ab836c19f722" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/09/19/manny-yekutiel-district-8-supervisor-castro/"> </a><u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mannyforsf/reel/DO9I9JMgT3s/">raising $120,000 in his campaign’s first 24 hours.</a></u> </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Despite his opponent’s fundraising lead, McCoy could prove formidable in the race, given his prodigious connections across the city’s moderate and progressive factions. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In a statement, Pelosi called McCoy a “trusted, tested advocate who will bring thoughtful leadership and deep experience to the Board of Supervisors.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">His broad support is reflected in his endorsement list. Among those backing his campaign are Supervisors Matt Dorsey, a moderate, and Connie Chan, from the board’s progressive wing. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Additionally, McCoy has led the city’s two most powerful LGTBQ+ political clubs:  the moderate-aligned Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club and the more progressive Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club. He’s only the second San Franciscan to have helmed both.</p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A man with short gray hair and glasses sits at an outdoor café table, wearing a blue sweater over a white collared shirt." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="3000" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_f27sfpjc1t5mjbjt0scq9lbc7h/-S3840x2880-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_f27sfpjc1t5mjbjt0scq9lbc7h/-S640x480-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_f27sfpjc1t5mjbjt0scq9lbc7h/-S750x563-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_f27sfpjc1t5mjbjt0scq9lbc7h/-S768x576-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_f27sfpjc1t5mjbjt0scq9lbc7h/-S828x621-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_f27sfpjc1t5mjbjt0scq9lbc7h/-S1024x768-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_f27sfpjc1t5mjbjt0scq9lbc7h/-S1080x810-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_f27sfpjc1t5mjbjt0scq9lbc7h/-S1200x900-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_f27sfpjc1t5mjbjt0scq9lbc7h/-S1920x1440-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_f27sfpjc1t5mjbjt0scq9lbc7h/-S2048x1536-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_f27sfpjc1t5mjbjt0scq9lbc7h/-S3840x2880-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 4000 3000'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="4000"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">“I wouldn’t have the outlook and the perspective on things that I have today,” McCoy said of what his past taught him.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Jungho Kim for The Standard</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Chan said she sees McCoy as a bridge-builder.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Along the way, I’ve known Gary McCoy to be someone who is independent and who focuses and prioritizes on the policies, not the politics,” she said. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Dorsey, who is also in recovery from a meth addiction and has endorsed a tougher approach to battling San Francisco’s drug crisis, said McCoy’s experiences would serve him well as a supervisor. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“There are sayings in many recovery programs about progress, not perfection; principles, not personality,” Dorsey said. “If you embrace that and make it part of your life, that is an absolute superpower in politics: the ability to not let things get under your skin.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">As supervisor, McCoy said, he would take that balanced approach to focus on solutions to the city’s crises. He wants San Francisco to build housing across income levels but with an emphasis on affordable options for poorer residents. He favors both abstinence-based drug treatment programs and the harm-reduction options championed by his former employer, <u><a data-post-id="d1c06a4a-74fa-419e-87a7-5cd56102ea89" href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/02/09/fatal-ods-healthright360/">Healthright 360</a></u>. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Handcuffs didn’t get me sober, almost dying several times didn’t get me sober, overdoses didn’t get me sober,” McCoy said. “There should be a balance.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Instead, he said, it is the people he has met in San Francisco, and the work he’s done to make their lives better, that keep his head above water. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“I think people need to know what they’re getting,” McCoy said of the voters whose support he hopes to earn. “They’re getting a person that no longer lives that life, that has learned from that life, that has done a lot.” </p></div></div>

Newsom has big decisions to make on AI, housing, and transit — with big stakes for SF

A critical fund for housing almost died. Now it comes with a major caveat

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/kevin-v-nguyen/">Kevin V. Nguyen</a></span><time datetime="2025-09-12T13:00:00.000Z">Published Sep. 12, 2025 • 6:00am</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">For more than a decade, the city of San Francisco wanted to turn the <u><a href="https://sunnysidehistory.org/2018/01/28/greyhounds-aeroplanes-and-wheelbarrows-the-history-of-the-balboa-reservoir-1894-1944/">historic Balboa Reservoir</a></u> — long used as a parking lot for City College — into a 1,100-unit housing complex. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">It took five years to entitle the project and sell the 17-acre lot to Bridge Housing in 2022. But because of the <u><a data-post-id="8d23b7e2-2a5e-44bc-b7f5-d6d98a00845f" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/08/28/bay-area-apartment-rents-residential-development/">financing crunch of the past several years</a></u>, the developer never broke ground.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Then, state money started flowing in, allowing construction to begin this year. One pot of funding came from California’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, which awarded the developer $45.7 million to help pay for one tower with 159 affordable housing units.</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"><div class="hidden relative left-1/2 right-1/2 -ml-[50vw] -mr-[50vw] w-screen"><p class="text-xxs text-[#ABA29C] py-xs mx-auto">ADVERTISEMENT</p><div class="overflow-hidden w-full mx-auto flex justify-center article-body max-w-[728px] max-h-[90px]"><broadstreet-zone keywords="politics" zone-id="180071" zone-instance-id=":R2cj536:"></broadstreet-zone></div></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The obscure program has a nice name, but contrary to most other public subsidies, it wasn’t funded by taxpayers. Rather, the money was collected from the state’s biggest polluters.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">AHSC is funded through California’s first-in-the-nation cap-and-trade program, which since 2012 has set limits on how much carbon can be emitted into the atmosphere. Future allowances under those “caps” are auctioned off every year to companies. The more a corporation pays, the more it can pollute. Those revenues are collected by the state and routed toward subsidizing public transit, affordable housing development, and renewable energy projects. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Since federal funds for such endeavors are increasingly <u><a data-post-id="8ec326d8-8265-4859-9a44-64159d90727c" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/17/trump-hud-cuts-threaten-san-francisco-affordable-housing/">off the table</a></u>, developers and transit agencies have become more reliant on cap-and-trade, which has generated some $4 billion annually. But until this week, cap-and-trade was facing dire straits: It was set to expire in 2030, and lawmakers had yet to agree on a framework for an extension. </p></div><div class=""></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">With Gov. Gavin Newsom approaching his final year in office, and without any certainty that the auctions would continue, companies started purchasing fewer polluting credits. </p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A last-minute, <u><a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/09/10/governor-newsom-legislative-leaders-announce-major-deal-to-save-money-on-electric-bills-stabilize-gas-market-cut-pollution/">closed-doors deal Wednesday</a></u> between the governor and leaders in the state Assembly and Senate appears to have salvaged cap-and-trade — now renamed “cap-and-invest” — albeit with major changes that would go into effect if the Legislature approves two bills, <u><a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB1207/id/3136896">AB 1207</a></u> and <u><a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB840/id/3191153">SB 840</a></u>, on Saturday. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">SB 840 is the most consequential of the two, since it proposes reforms to which programs get prioritized and how much funds they receive. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The biggest proposed change is a $1 billion carveout for the state’s <u><a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-pulls-plug-4b-california-high-speed">much-maligned</a></u>, <u><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/04/us/high-speed-rail-california.html">oft-delayed</a></u> high-speed rail project and $1 billion for discretionary spending on issues such as wildfire prevention. The governor’s office <u><a href="https://hsr.ca.gov/2025/05/15/building-smarter-faster-high-speed-rail-authority-to-advance-bold-vision-with-private-sector/">insisted on funding guarantees for</a></u> those priorities before revenues can be dispersed to AHSC and other programs.  </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">This could be bad news for San Franciscans, with affordable housing and transit getting the short end of the stick. Previously, those programs received continuous, percentage-based funding that would rise or fall depending on auction revenue. Now, they’re further back in line.</p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A sleek Siemens train nose is displayed outdoors near a large white domed government building, with people taking photos nearby." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="1508" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S3840x2262-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S640x377-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S750x442-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S768x452-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S828x488-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S1024x603-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S1080x636-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S1200x707-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S1920x1131-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S2048x1206-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_9q2a814crl5k1eb5q4p9emei1j/-S3840x2262-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 2560 1508'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="2560"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">A full-scale mock-up of a high-speed train is displayed at the Capitol in Sacramento. | Rich Pedroncelli<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>AP</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Critics of the new approach say the remaining pot of money might be spread too thin by the time it reaches AHSC, hampering its ability to capture additional revenue if auction proceeds do increase.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Still, this deal was better than nothing at all, said Laura Tolkoff, transportation policy director at the Bay Area urbanist nonprofit SPUR. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“SB 840 goes a long way to provide stable funding for affordable housing and transit,” she said. “It is important to move forward with the reauthorization and have stable funding for the infrastructure California needs to maintain its economic strength and become more affordable, accessible, and climate resilient.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">AB 1207, meanwhile, proposes moving the cap-and-trade program away from state targets and tying the carbon caps to the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2023 guidelines. The authors of the bill say that shift would provide more long-term stability to the auction market. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Should the bills pass, it is expected that the cap-and-trade program will be extended to 2045. </p></div><div class=""></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Matt Schwartz, president and CEO of California Housing Partnership, estimates that the AHSC program should get at least $800 million a year under the new deal, an increase from the $545 million it got last year. In a joint study conducted this year with Enterprise Community Partners, CHP estimated that the AHSC program has helped produce more than 20,000 affordable homes in the state. Building housing and improving public transit cuts down on commuting time, thus reducing carbon emissions from cars, the report says.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Since 2014, California’s cap-and-trade program has been linked to a version by the Québec Ministry of Environment. Together, the two form a larger market for multinational companies to bid on. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In the latest <u><a href="https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/cap-and-trade-program/auction-information">quarterly auction</a></u>, held last month, the programs sold $51.8 million in allowances for this year and $6.8 million for advance allowances for 2028.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">San Francisco and Los Angeles counties have received the most AHSC funding since the program launched. Last year, two affordable housing projects totaling more than 170 units, at 160 Freelon St. and 65 Santos St., received more than $70 million. The year before, three projects in the city were awarded a total of $118.6 million. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The extension of cap-and-trade — even with the new carveouts and caveats — will be welcome news for the city’s affordable housing developers.</p></div></div>

State gives crucial OK to SF’s plan to juice home building

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/joe-fitzgerald-rodriguez/">Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez</a> and <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/gabriel-greschler/">Gabe Greschler</a></span><time datetime="2025-09-11T18:20:30.235Z">Published Sep. 11, 2025 • 11:20am</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">California’s housing department has given a much-needed rubber stamp to Mayor Daniel Lurie’s <a data-post-id="d603a89a-ec31-4fc6-96a6-4a3a6af378d7" href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/04/04/daniel-lurie-yimby-housing-rezoning-west-side/">plan to increase housing construction</a> in San Francisco. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">It’s wind under Lurie’s sails as his proposed “family zoning plan” hurtles toward a key vote Thursday afternoon before the San Francisco Planning Commission.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The upzoning effort is expected to pass, due in no small part to the political makeup of the commission, which is majority-held by members appointed by the mayor’s office. The commission's approval is needed to advance the plan to the Board of Supervisors. </p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"><div class="hidden relative left-1/2 right-1/2 -ml-[50vw] -mr-[50vw] w-screen"><p class="text-xxs text-[#ABA29C] py-xs mx-auto">ADVERTISEMENT</p><div class="overflow-hidden w-full mx-auto flex justify-center article-body max-w-[728px] max-h-[90px]"><broadstreet-zone keywords="politics" zone-id="180071" zone-instance-id=":R2cj536:"></broadstreet-zone></div></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Without the blessing of the state, which requires all cities to meet certain targets for building new housing, San Francisco risks losing local control of the approvals process for housing production. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The nod by the California Department of Housing and Community Development is a blow to some San Francisco progressives and housing preservationists who have asked for a slew of amendments to protect tenants and small businesses from displacement. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The state’s approval is preliminary — and tenuous if substantial changes are made to the zoning plan. Progressives are threatening a lawsuit should Lurie's plan not include substantial protections for tenants. But a housing expert said the letter from the state may offer significant legal protections for the city. </p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="San Francisco skyscrapers." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="1999" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jqckmele997r38ppnt9evdun6k/-S3840x2559-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jqckmele997r38ppnt9evdun6k/-S640x426-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jqckmele997r38ppnt9evdun6k/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jqckmele997r38ppnt9evdun6k/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jqckmele997r38ppnt9evdun6k/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jqckmele997r38ppnt9evdun6k/-S1024x682-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jqckmele997r38ppnt9evdun6k/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jqckmele997r38ppnt9evdun6k/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jqckmele997r38ppnt9evdun6k/-S1920x1279-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jqckmele997r38ppnt9evdun6k/-S2048x1365-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_jqckmele997r38ppnt9evdun6k/-S3840x2559-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 3000 1999'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="3000"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">The city must submit a final housing plan to the state by 2026. <span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Justin Katigbak/The Standard</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The California housing department found Lurie’s plan to be in “substantial compliance” with the state’s housing element law, a senior program manager wrote in a Sept. 9 letter to the San Francisco Planning Department. </p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“While preliminary, the notice from the state affirms that this rezoning package will deliver the housing we need to avoid losing local control,” Planning Director Sarah Dennis-Phillips said in a statement. “It’s important that we maintain state approval for the final adopted (new zoning plan) so San Francisco can stay on track to deliver the homes future generations need to afford to live here.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">By contrast, a coalition of more than 50 local groups called <a data-post-id="0fac4ba6-99c8-47c7-b4c7-7003d29f4e8e" href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/06/07/san-francisco-zoning-housing-element-united-neighborhoods/">Neighborhoods United SF</a> alleged this week that the zoning effort runs afoul of the city’s general plan. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“This plan would reshape San Francisco for generations without clear predictability on what gets built or where,” said Lori Brooke, cofounder of the coalition. “San Franciscans deserve full transparency about the land‑use decisions that will shape every neighborhood.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The preliminary state approval is a relief for the Planning Department and the mayor’s office. The new zoning maps, pending approval by the Board of Supervisors, must be in place by January. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The Lurie administration has taken its lumps for the plan, which would see the construction of taller housing on the west side, in the Sunset and Richmond districts, and north in the Marina district. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Those areas contain mostly single-family homes — and many residents like it that way. Lurie secured backing for his plan from the San Francisco Firefighters Union Local 798 and San Francisco Police Officers Association. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Lurie announced Thursday that he would accept proposed amendments from progressive Supervisor Myrna Melgar, and introduce some of his own, including early notifications for businesses when new housing project applications are filed, grants to assist businesses displaced by new construction, and height allowance bonuses for developers if they offer improvements that help businesses move in. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Cynthia Huie, president of the San Francisco Small Business Commission, praised the plan. </p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A man in a dark suit, white shirt, and red tie is speaking at a wooden podium with a microphone, with an American flag and flowers nearby." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="5504" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_g5khj1jfi57uj7erfegdjp8e5j/-S3840x2560-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_g5khj1jfi57uj7erfegdjp8e5j/-S640x427-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_g5khj1jfi57uj7erfegdjp8e5j/-S750x500-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_g5khj1jfi57uj7erfegdjp8e5j/-S768x512-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_g5khj1jfi57uj7erfegdjp8e5j/-S828x552-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_g5khj1jfi57uj7erfegdjp8e5j/-S1024x683-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_g5khj1jfi57uj7erfegdjp8e5j/-S1080x720-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_g5khj1jfi57uj7erfegdjp8e5j/-S1200x800-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_g5khj1jfi57uj7erfegdjp8e5j/-S1920x1280-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_g5khj1jfi57uj7erfegdjp8e5j/-S2048x1365-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_g5khj1jfi57uj7erfegdjp8e5j/-S3840x2560-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 8256 5504'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="8256"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">Mayor Daniel Lurie has proposed a “family zoning plan” that just received key support from the state.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“The family zoning plan is a thoughtful step to boost foot traffic, increase worker housing, and strengthen community connections — essentials for helping our businesses thrive and preserving the unique character of our city,” Huie said. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">At a neighborhood gathering Wednesday night, more than 80 residents packed into the Richmond Recreation Center on 18th Avenue. Their concerns were many. Will small businesses face displacement under the zoning plan? Will taller buildings create wind tunnels? Will towering high-rises erode neighborhood character? Will new housing be spacious enough for families? </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Are we going to rely on market-rate developers to build what we need in terms of affordable housing?” asked Christin Evans, owner of The Booksmith on Haight Street, and a leader of the progressive group Small Business Forward. “They’re not even building now, because they’re waiting for market rates to decrease so they can make more profits.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">At the meeting, Supervisor Connie Chan, who represents the Richmond, told constituents they have to strike a balance between tempering “extreme upzoning” and running afoul of the state. If San Francisco doesn’t come together over a plan, “we will be in violation,” she said, “which is really a threat coming from the state saying, ‘If you don’t build it, we’ll build it for you.’ And all hell breaks loose.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Still, Chan said, “can we make that plan better? I most definitely think we can.” Chan submitted a letter to the Planning Commission Sept. 9 asking that it make numerous changes to the rezoning plan. She proposed boosting affordable family housing, tenant protections, historic preservation, prevailing wage and labor standards, and small business support, among other tweaks. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Chris Elmendorf, a UC Davis law professor and housing expert, said Chan’s edits could come into conflict with the state. In its letter of support to the city, the state housing department said its preliminary stamp of approval could be yanked if revisions include “potential constraints on development,” among other adjustments. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Basically, everything [Chan is] asking for is in conflict with that letter,” said Elmendorf. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">He said the state’s letter provides some protection to the city against legal challenges that may try to stop the zoning plan from moving forward. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“It is always possible that a third party will bring a lawsuit,” said Elmendorf. “If a city is sued, it is very much to that city’s advantage to be able to point to a letter that the city has done all that it needs to do.”</p></div></div>

Voters promised domestic violence survivors free lawyers. SF didn’t follow through

Legendary Congressman John Burton, who championed the poor, dies at 92

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/the-standard-staff/">The Standard Staff</a></span><time datetime="2025-09-07T20:47:16.164Z">Published Sep. 07, 2025 • 1:47pm</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">John Lowell Burton, the powerful Democratic politician who championed worker rights, environmental protection, and a host of progressive causes — and who used profanity almost as a form of punctuation — died Sunday at the age of 92.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Burton served a combined 18 years in the California Assembly and eight more in the California State Senate. He was a U.S. Congressman representing parts of the East Bay and, later, portions of the San Joaquin Valley for eight years and was Chairman of the California Democratic Party in two terms totaling nearly a decade. Among his many accomplishments was reshaping and expanding the foster care system in California.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“There was no greater champion for the poor, the bullied, the disabled, and forgotten Californians than John Burton,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “He was a towering figure — a legendary force whose decades of service shaped our state and our politics for the better.”</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"><div class="hidden relative left-1/2 right-1/2 -ml-[50vw] -mr-[50vw] w-screen"><p class="text-xxs text-[#ABA29C] py-xs mx-auto">ADVERTISEMENT</p><div class="w-full mx-auto flex justify-center article-body max-w-[728px] max-h-[90px]"><broadstreet-zone keywords="politics" zone-id="180071" zone-instance-id=":R2cj536:"></broadstreet-zone></div></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">It could be argued that Burton’s political legacy began in 1951, while standing in line for Reserve Officers' Training Corps at San Francisco State University. Students were grouped in alphabetical order and beside Burton was another future Democratic political titan who would become one of his closest friends: Willie Brown, the longtime California speaker and former mayor of San Francisco. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The two teamed up to create a political juggernaut in California over the last half of the 20th century.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“That's a good accusation against two college friends, law school friends, first elected friends, and two people who really love doing what we did,” Brown told The Standard in a phone interview Sunday. “We both became leaders of various houses which we served: I in the assembly, and he in the Senate. And San Francisco has never had that kind of an operation, frankly.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Brown added, “This may be the very first time we've been separated.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“He and Willie Brown, for so many years, were almost a tag team working together,” said Larry Gerston, professor emeritus of political science at San Jose State University. “The period of the 70s, 80s, and 90s was pretty important for the reemergence of the Democratic Party in California, absolutely.”</p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi issued a statement calling Burton “a towering progressive warrior, who for half a century never pulled a punch in his dogged fight for a fairer future for our children.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“All who knew John knew that behind his profanity-laden language was a profound progressive vision for how to make real the promise of America,” Pelosi added.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Born in 1932 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and raised in San Francisco, Burton earned a BA in social science in 1954 from SFSU and a Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco School of Law. His brother, Phillip, entered politics first, becoming a prominent member of Congress who advocated for AIDS research. It was Phillip who urged John to join him in politics, which he did in 1974. He was re-elected to the four succeeding Congresses, until leaving the House in 1983. After a five-year break from elected office, during which he sought treatment for cocaine and alcohol abuse, he returned to the California State Assembly in 1988 and served until 1996.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In California, Burton's legislative efforts focused on occupational safety, workers compensation, state worker retirement benefits, and student scholarships. He was also a staunch opponent of asset forfeiture laws, which allow law enforcement to seize the property of citizens suspected of illegal drug activity. He co-authored the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986, which imposed economic sanctions on South Africa in response to its apartheid policies of racial segregation.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Burton’s profanity could be an attraction in itself. As the chair of the California Democratic Party, he often drew a large crowd at party conventions where he was inevitably a featured speaker. Generally, a sign language interpreter would be assigned to stand nearby to translate. Alicia Wang, then-vice chair of the party,  recalled that during these speeches, “I’d be sitting on the stage and after a while I’d notice that everyone was looking at the signer. They’d all developed a sudden interest in ASL (American Sign Language), because they were looking to see how you sign the f word. Sometimes the signer would just blush and stop signing.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Burton’s <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/i-yell-because-i-care-9798765156612/">memoir</a>, “I Yell Because I Care,” was just published on Sept. 4. His coauthor Andy Furillo told the Standard it was the honor of his lifetime to work with Burton, who he described as being more than a politician, but also a “man about town in San Francisco during the golden era between the Beats and the hippies.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left"> “John had great passion and compassion for working people, for poor people, for people who live in the SROs south of Market,” Furillo said. “They were his constituency. His entire political career was with them in mind.” </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">In a statement put out by Burton’s family, his grandson Juan remembered a phrase Burton had learned from his own father, and which he repeated “so many times, we’d roll our eyes and repeat it along with him: ‘Never pass a blind man without putting a penny in his cup.’”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">When he stepped down from state politics for good in 2017, Burton told <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11465091/democratic-heavyweight-john-burton-exiting-the-political-stage">reporters</a>: “You know, fighting for people and being able to win or improve their lives — for me makes all the bullshit worth it.”</p></div></div>

Asian Art Museum

Office of the City Administrator

Adult Probation Department

Airport

Arts Commission

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Board of Appeals

Office of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

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Department of Children, Youth and Their Families

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Planning Department

Civil Service Commission

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Department of Building Inspection

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Office of Economic and Workforce Development

Environment Department

Ethics Commission

Fine Arts Museums

Fire Department

Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing

Human Rights Commission

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Human Services Agency

Health Service System

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Public Library

Municipal Transportation Agency

Office of the Mayor

Public Defender's Office

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Port

Public Utilities Commission

Recreation and Park Department

Department of Elections

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Rent Board

Sheriff's Department Office of Inspector General

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Department of Technology

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War Memorial

Department on the Status of Women

General City Responsibilities

General Administration & Finance

Culture & Recreation

Community Health

Human Welfare & Neighborhood Development

Public Works, Transportation & Commerce

Public Protection

SF Civil Grand Jury

The Abatement Appeals Board provides a final review process for City permitting decisions. It ensures fair and efficient adjudication of permit-related disputes before an impartial panel. The board holds authority to make binding decisions on appeals concerning notices of abatement.

Abatement Appeals Board

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 1

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 2

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 3

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 4

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 5

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 6

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 7

The Access Appeals Commission provides final reviews for a wide range of City permitting decisions. It ensures an efficient, fair, and expeditious permit issuance process through an impartial panel. The commission holds authority to make binding decisions on appeals related to City permits.

Access Appeals Commission

Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 1

Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 2

Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 3

Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 4

Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 5

The Adult Day Health Care Planning Council advises on the development and improvement of adult day health care services. It provides expertise in healthcare planning, policy recommendations, and program evaluation. Key responsibilities include assessing community needs and advising on service delivery enhancements.

Adult Day Health Care Planning Council

Adult Probation Department supervises individuals on probation and facilitates their reintegration into the community. It provides reentry and rehabilitative services, including victim restitution and financial assistance for crime victims. The department values public safety, offender rehabilitation, and community partnerships.

Cristel Tullock

The Advisory Committee of Street Artists and Crafts Examiners evaluates arts and crafts applicants and monitors program compliance. It conducts studio visits and public screenings to ensure adherence to established criteria. Members also revise program criteria and undertake additional tasks as needed.

Advisory Committee of Street Artists and Crafts Examiners

The Advisory Council on Human Rights advises on anti-discrimination laws and racial equity initiatives. It provides expertise on reparations and public policy impacts on Black communities. It guides efforts to establish partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities in San Francisco.

Advisory Council on Human Rights

San Francisco Airport manages air traffic operations and ensures safe aircraft movement. It provides parking facilities and maintains airport infrastructure to accommodate travelers and staff. The department oversees ground transportation and coordinates with airlines for efficient passenger services.

Mike Nakornkhet

The Airport Commission oversees policy and strategic planning for San Francisco International Airport. It makes key decisions on airport development projects and financial management. It ensures compliance with regulations and collaborates on initiatives like terminal naming.

Airport Commission

Airport Commission Commissioner 1

Malcolm Yeung

Jose F. Almanza

Mark Buell

Susan Leal

Airport Director

Animal Care and Control Department manages animal sheltering, adoption, and emergency response services. It enforces animal-related laws and regulations, ensuring the humane treatment and safety of animals. The department also provides public education on responsible pet ownership and animal welfare.

Animal Care and Control Department

Virginia Donohue

Animal Care and Control Department, Director

The San Francisco Arts Commission oversees the integration of arts into city life and ensures public access to cultural experiences. It makes decisions on public art programs and allocates grants to support local artists and performances. The commission actively shapes policies affecting the arts ecosystem in San Francisco.

Arts Commission Commissioner 1

Arts Commission Commissioner 2

Arts Commission Commissioner 3

Arts Commission Commissioner 4

Debra Walker

Suzanne Ferras

Jessica Rothschild

Seth Brenzel

JD Beltran

Marcus Shelby

J Riccardo Benavides

Nabiel Musleh

Charles (Chuck) Collins

Lydia So

Arts Commission Commissioner 15

San Francisco Arts Commission invests in a vibrant arts community and shapes cultural policy. It enlivens the urban environment through public art programs and supports diverse artistic expressions. The commission facilitates meetings and discussions to engage the community in cultural development.

Ralph Remington

Arts Commission, Director of Cultural Affairs

The Asian Art Commission determines policy and administers the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. It oversees museum operations and collaborates with the Asian Art Museum Foundation on fundraising efforts. Commissioners ensure the museum's strategic direction and financial sustainability.

Asian Art Commission

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 1

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 2

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 3

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 4

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 5

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 6

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 7

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 8

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 9

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 10

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 11

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 12

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 13

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 14

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 15

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 16

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 17

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 18

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 19

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 20

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 21

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 22

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 23

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 24

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 25

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 26

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 27

Asian Art Museum showcases Asian art and culture through exhibitions and educational programs. It offers diverse collections and hosts special events to engage the community. The museum fosters cultural appreciation and understanding by providing access to its extensive art collections.

Dr. Soyoung Lee

Asian Art Museum, Director

The Assessment Appeals Board #1 hears property tax assessment appeals in San Francisco. It evaluates evidence presented by taxpayers and the Assessor to determine property values. The Board has the authority to make final decisions on assessments regardless of property type or value.

Assessment Appeals Board #1

Assessment Appeals Board #1 Commissioner 1

Assessment Appeals Board #1 Commissioner 2

Richard Lee

Stephen Wasserman

Adena Gilbert

Paul Bellar

Quirina Mitchell

Hilary Winslow

The Assessment Appeals Board #2 adjudicates property tax assessment appeals for San Francisco taxpayers. It evaluates evidence presented by taxpayers and the Assessor to determine accurate property values. The Board exercises authority to render final decisions on residential properties and specific real estate assessments.

Assessment Appeals Board #2

Assessment Appeals Board #2 Commissioner 1

Assessment Appeals Board #2 Commissioner 2

Assessment Appeals Board #2 Commissioner 3

Claire Ervin Lee

Louisa Mendoza

Joyce Lewis

Nicholas Goldman

Michelle Domingo

The Assessment Appeals Board #3 provides a platform for San Francisco taxpayers to contest property tax assessments. It conducts hearings where evidence from both taxpayers and the Assessor is evaluated. The Board makes binding decisions on property assessments based on presented evidence.

Assessment Appeals Board #3

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 1

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 2

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 3

Marc Dickow

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 5

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 6

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 7

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 8

Assesses property, applies exemptions, collects transfer taxes, and records official documents.

Assessor-Recorder

Joaquín Torres

The Ballot Simplification Committee ensures voter materials are clear and understandable. It reviews and revises ballot language to accurately reflect propositions and measures. The committee advises on simplifying complex legal and technical terms for voter comprehension.

Ballot Simplification Committee

The Bayview Hunters Point Citizens Advisory Committee provides policy advice on planning and land use matters in Zone 2 of Bayview Hunter's Point. It offers expertise in land use policies, zoning issues, and urban development. The committee advises the Board of Supervisors, City Boards, and commissions on relevant projects and initiatives.

Bayview Hunters Point Citizens Advisory Committee

The Behavioral Health Commission advises on mental health policy implementation and quality service delivery. It reviews and advocates for effective mental health services, ensuring policies meet community needs. It educates stakeholders to integrate mental health considerations into broader health strategies.

Behavioral Health Commission