John, 

As people and especially for those of us running for or serving in elected office, it’s important to be honest about our mistakes. I’ve lived a life with a lot of twists and turns. I’ve made my share of missteps, and I still have areas to learn and grow.

As many of you know, my move to the Lower Haight became an issue in my 2019 campaign. In 1994, I pooled what little money I had with three of my friends and we bought a 4-unit building at Fillmore and Waller that was in probate, but had tenants. I lived in the building for two decades, rented out rooms, and stayed through a lot of coming and goings. But there were aspects I didn’t think enough about. 

The campaign criticism noted—correctly—that we served move-in eviction notices to existing tenants when we bought the building and prepared to move in. When I explained my perspective during the campaign, I repeated some misconceptions I had about the rental situation of the building (we bought the building without seeing inside and we were told that in a couple of units the rent was in arrears, which was later proven untrue). My misstatements made things worse. Two tenants spoke out about the negative experience of their evictions, something I take very seriously. 

With more time to reflect, I believe it was not only what I said during the campaign but what I did back when we moved in that needs to be addressed. For a long time, I’ve told the story about our building as a lose-lose, because we wanted and needed renters to help pay the mortgage, but were advised to protect our rights as owners. But, upon reflection, we were wrong back then too. If this happened today, I would have done more personal outreach, found a solution so some existing tenants could stay, taken more responsibility.

I’m sorry. I won’t forget, minimize or fail to learn from my mistakes. It will make me more informed, more self aware, and determined as a neighbor, activist, and community leader to fight for what’s right, bring people together, and be there for the community that has been there for me. (I’ve also found and proposed some new ways we can prevent evictions and deal with gaps in apartment and small business rentals.)  

I know what it’s like to be evicted. I can count four times I’ve been evicted as a young struggling artist trying to get my footing in San Francisco. And there were other earlier times that hold deeper scars. I grew up very poor. My mother, a single mom, was always one step ahead or behind an eviction notice. We were forever scrambling to a new place or even sleeping in a van until we could find us a place to stay. I remember coming home from school to see my mom packing us up again. I remember when I was old enough to know what that really meant. There are times even today that I feel a gnawing fear, however irrational now that I’m housing secure, that I will lose my housing and be back in that place of fear and dislocation.

My life experience, mistakes and scars and all, is a big part of why I choose to be in public service, as an activist, City Hall aide and a supervisor, and why I can be effective and empathetic to what people really face. I’m running again now, because there’s so much to do, and because people are struggling in the current crisis. 

As a supporter, I hope you’ll fight this fight with me for a better District 5. If you have thoughts or questions about this or anything else, please email me. I’d love to hear from you.

-Vallie