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Dear Neighbor,

Heading down Divisadero has everything one could want: delicious food, exciting bars, but one major eyesore – that empty car wash at 400 Divisadero. 

And this empty car wash is proof of San Francisco’s housing death spiral.

What do I mean? 

For nearly a decade, building housing at 400 Divisadeo had been delayed time and time again, stalling nearly 200 units of housing that could serve our neighbors.      

When I ran for office, I heard from many of you that you wanted progress on the site. So I rolled up my sleeves to diagnose the problem, spoke to builders, and did a deep dive to identify roadblocks.
 

Here's what I Found: 

Every 3 years, San Francisco building code standards change, meaning that every 3 years, active or stalled housing developments that have already submitted project proposals have to redo and resubmit their plans for a construction permit. Every single revision adds more time and more costs to the project.  

In the case of the car wash, these changes in building code would mean nearly $4,000,000 in additional costs to update the project application.

This is San Francisco’s housing death spiral — the more a project is delayed, the higher the costs to re-apply. The higher the costs, the more it’s delayed. Over and over and over.

I’m working to change the law so projects can be built under the rules they applied with, cutting millions in costs and finally turning sites like this into housing we desperately need for our families, teachers, and neighbors.
 

Join us this week for a Family Zoning Plan Information Session with my office and the SF Planning Department!

WHEN: Thursday, September 18th
TIME: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
WHERE: Park Branch Library - Ground Floor
1833 Page Street

Meet with me and Planning Department staff to learn more about the City’s proposal to expand housing availability and affordability in San Francisco. This is also an opportunity to provide feedback before the legislation comes before the Board of Supervisors. I hope to see you there!

 

 
This week, Fell got a makeover! Our neighborhood got a little brighter thanks to some teamwork and persistence.The property at 1213 Fell had been hit with graffiti that made quite the statement.

After a quick heads-up from a vigilant neighbor, we elevated the issue with DPW, who were quick to jump into action to restore the site. Sometimes the smallest notes of civic pride (and a well-timed email) make a big difference.

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Need help? Don’t hesitate to reach out at [email protected]. We’re here to serve!

Let’s work together to make District 5 a better place for all.