D5 Newsletter - September 23, 2024
Friends and neighbors,
We started off the month walking the picket line with striking Local 2 hotel workers on Labor Day, and it has been a month of standing with workers at every opportunity since. This week, I was proud to stand with SEIU 1021’s Superior Court workers who are demanding adequate staffing, training, and a fair contract. These workers are the backbone of our justice system, ensuring that court proceedings move without delays—because justice delayed is justice denied. I am also proud to co-sponsor the Worker Justice Fund, which would prioritize paying workers who have won wage theft rulings but haven't received payment due to bankrupt employers or those who have fled. San Francisco has a serious issue with wage theft, particularly impacting immigrant and low-wage workers, and I’m proud to support bold efforts to protect our most vulnerable workers. Meanwhile, we met with UPTE workers who are negotiating for a fair contract with the University of California, and co-sponsored a resolution urging UC to negotiate in good faith and come to a fair contract without delay.
September is also a time for fresh starts, and I’m happy to share that the $10 million in critical elevator repairs that we won in the budget will be made at 14 City-subsidized SRO buildings. This essential work will support over 1,000 residents in Permanent Supportive Housing, many of whom are seniors or people with disabilities living in older SRO buildings in the Tenderloin and other neighborhoods.
Our office fought hard for these funds during the June 2022 budget negotiations, but the Administration’s delays stalled the release of applications until this February. Now, after continued pressure from my office, these contracts will be finalized after a review by the Homelessness Oversight Commission within the next two months. This is a huge step forward in ensuring the safety and well-being of supportive housing residents who rely on these elevators to come and go from their homes.
In more good news, the 2024 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count shows a 21% drop in unsheltered homelessness in District 5 . That’s 250 fewer people forced to live on the streets, down from 1,225 to 975 since the last count in 2022. This progress is due to our collective efforts, including pushing legislation to fill vacant supportive housing units. Thanks to programs like Street to Home, over 300 units were filled by December 2023. Additionally, Prop. C and Prop. I have helped us expand services and prevent displacement. This shows again that real solutions lie in housing and care—not short-term punitive measures that punch down on the poor. There’s still much more work to be done, particularly for homeless families, but I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together so far, and we will continue doing everything possible to make sure nobody has to live on the streets.
Stay in touch with the District 5 office by emailing us at PrestonStaff@sfgov.org, calling (415) 554-7630, or replying to this email. Check out the rest of this newsletter for more information on upcoming community events, neighborhood celebrations, and district resources.
In community,
Dean Preston, District 5 Supervisor
