KCBS provides a look into new Supervisor Dean Preston’s vision for housing in San Francisco, including city-owned social housing.  Preston wants to build 10,000 units of affordable housing within 10 years, and is also not a follower of the idea that building market-rate housing will help the average San Franciscan afford life here.  Preston also believes that landlords should have a license to operate.  

Ten years after three housing megaprojects - one on Treasure Island, one in Parkmerced, and another by Hunter’s Point  began construction- only 1.3% of the promised housing has been built, despite these three projects representing 35% of the city’s housing pipeline.  

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors, hoping to combat a growing vacant retail storefront crisis, voted to expand a commercial vacancy tax to 12 more neighborhood corridors. Legislators believe this will spur landlords to fill their vacancies, rather than hold out for a more lucrative tenant.

State Senator Scott Wiener, proposed legislation to authorize some forms of treatment more quickly and to cover more comprehensive mental health services.

In a sad annual tradition, San Francisco public officials warned the Chinese community about a likely wave of scams targeting their elders as the Lunar New Year approaches.

SF Planning Commission President Myrna Melgar is stepping down to run for Supervisor of District 7. Described as a “planning nerd,” she supports more density on the Westside, “where appropriate,” especially near transit hubs. Melgar, known for building bridges between moderates and progressive on the commission, plans to carry that theme into her campaign, saying “we often just get mired down in toxicity...we demonize each other and we don’t make progress.”

After newly inaugurated DA Chesa Boudin changed things up with staffing last week, including firing six prosecutors in what critics have dubbed the “Friday Night Massacre”, he has now began filling out key staff positions, including hiring two deputy public defenders to lead units in the DA’s office. DA Boudin is also promoting internally to fill the now empty desks.

A homeless shelter in a high school gym that is open to all families in the SFUSD has been receiving praise after a recent spike in use. As the SFUSD has identified 1,806 students are experiencing homelessness, the Buena Vista Horace Mann Stay Over program hopes to make a difference.

SFCurbed highlights the different strategies to tackle homelessness in California, specifically the idea of “centralized facilities.” This idea varies from compound buildings to a whole new city specifically to house the state’s homeless,  in a move homeless advocates call akin to internment camps.

The Oakland moms who were homeless and took over a house were evicted early Tuesday morning. The eviction had been served last Friday by an Alameda Superior Court Judge, but the mom’s said they planned to stay, regardless. There were six arrests made outside the house for obstructing law enforcement.