MESSAGE FROM CATHERINE

Dear John,

There is so much reason for optimism as we move into summer! More than 80 percent of eligible San Franciscans have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, businesses are continuing to reopen, and summer programs are finally getting children back to in-person learning environments. As we celebrate our successes, our work continues. I will continue to push for public safety for all, badly needed small business support, and real solutions to our epidemics of gun violence and addiction. Please reach out to me at [email protected] or 415-554-7752 with any questions about what I'm working on or how I can help you.

Warm Regards,
Catherine

COVID-19 RESOURCES AND UPDATES

Getting Vaccinated

Vaccines are now available for everyone 12 years of age and older! If you or your family members haven't gotten vaccinated yet, now's the time. Visit the City’s vaccine website for the latest information on where and how to get your vaccine. If you're having trouble accessing a vaccine in San Francisco, call 628-652-2700 for assistance from the City’s Vaccine Call Center.

Reopening

Although we were already part of the least restrictive yellow tier of the State's color-tiered reopening system, San Francisco is now open for business! Click here for more information on the latest guidelines.

Rent Help

Eligible renters can apply to San Francisco’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program to receive up to six months of rental assistance, including back and future rent. For more information on the program and additional community resources, click here and here. 

Support for Businesses and Workers

Visit the Office of Economic and Workforce Development’s website for resources for business owners, employees, nonprofits, and others impacted by the pandemic. This website includes local, state, and federal resources and is updated regularly as new resources become available. Please contact my office if you have any difficulty navigating this website or accessing the materials that are available to you.

POLICY AND LEGISLATION

Getting Ghost Guns Off Our Streets

For too long, the unregulated sale of ghost gun kits—which allow individuals to create unserialized, untraceable guns at home—has wreaked havoc on our communities. Unlike all other gun sales in California, when people purchase ghost gun kits, they don't have to go through background checks, nor are they subject to waiting periods. There are no sales records or age restrictions at the time of sale. This massive loophole has allowed ghost guns to become the weapon of choice among those who are otherwise prohibited from obtaining firearms. In San Francisco, ghost gun seizures have increased 2,700 percent from 2016 to 2020. San Francisco's Chief of Police has reported that shootings are up substantially in the City, and ghost guns are found on the scene with increasing frequency. That's why I introduced California's first complete ghost gun ban. We all deserve to live in communities free from gun violence, and I will not let up until that is a reality.

I'm also thrilled to share that Oakland, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego, Berkeley, and San Mateo County are all now trying to replicate this legislation in their jurisdictions! 

Supporting Holocaust Education

The Board of Supervisors unanimously passed my resolution supporting Senate Bill 693, the Never Again Education Act, which will promote education of the Holocaust and other genocides in California schools. As anti-Semitic incidents spike across the nation, it's extremely important that we never forget the horrors of the past. Click here for more information on this important proposal.

Fighting Addiction and Overdose

The drug overdose crisis in San Francisco is truly a humanitarian crisis that needs a different approach. Doubling down on current practices is not going to generate different results. At a recent hearing, I co-sponsored on "Treatment on Demand" (a voter-mandated program to provide mental health and substance abuse services for all who need it), the Department of Public Health shockingly said in their report that they were meeting the need for mental health and addiction services. No one, myself included,  walking around this City believes that to be true. For more information on how I'm pushing for additional resources for treatment and addiction care, check out this San Francisco Chronicle article.

Women and Families First Initiative

For over a year, women have shouldered the worst of the pandemic's impacts on jobs and childcare, so it's more important than ever to focus on their success. Last month, I joined Mayor London Breed, Supervisor Myrna Melgar, and community leaders to announce targeted investments in workforce development and childcare that will help hundreds of families in San Francisco recover and thrive.

Repealing the Spousal Rape Exception

I was shocked and disappointed that a bill to eliminate California's spousal rape exception, which treats sexual assault committed by a spouse less seriously than that committed by anyone else, had stalled in Sacramento. A wedding ring does not make a rape any less horrific or traumatizing, and there's absolutely no justification for this distinction. After the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed my resolution getting San Francisco on record supporting the repeal of the exception and demanding the legislature move it forward, I was pleased to see the Legislature move closer to repeal. It will now be heard in the Senate Public Safety Committee on July 13.

IN THE COMMUNITY

Pride Month

June is Pride Month, when we recognize the contributions of our LGBTQ+ neighbors, their hard-fought wins, and the obstacles to progress that still remain. Although we didn't have the parade, San Franciscans found many ways to celebrate! Pride is an ongoing march toward true equality—living with dignity and without fear of discrimination—for all. Happy Pride!

Honoring Sacrifice on Memorial Day

Each year on Memorial Day, I visit the San Francisco National Cemetery in the Presidio to pay my respects to those who have so bravely fought for our country and made the ultimate sacrifice. May we be forever grateful and instill that same gratitude in the generations to come.

Cleaning Our Merchant Corridors

I joined Public Works on a beautiful May morning for a deep cleaning of Fillmore Street! Through CleanCorridorsSF, the City is steam cleaning sidewalks, painting over graffiti, and working with small businesses to keep our merchant corridors clean and vibrant. Contact my office if you'd like us to bring CleanCorridorsSF to your favorite merchant corridor.

Donating Books with TogetherSF

Thank you to TogetherSF for joining forces with our City agencies to provide 500,000 free books for San Francisco Unified School District students this summer! I had a great time packing books with volunteer launch at the Palace of Fine Arts. As we recover from the pandemic, we must make sure that our kids have every opportunity to succeed, and I'm so excited for this program to continue.

Celebrating Small Businesses

May was Small Business Month, and I celebrated by taking the Small Business 30-Day Challenge, shopping locally as much as possible for the month of May! San Francisco has some of the best small businesses anywhere—like Perry's on Union and Jane on Fillmore, to name just two of my many favorites. It's been great to see our merchant corridors bustling again, and I'm deeply committed to cutting red tape and making it easier to open and operate small businesses as we continue to recover.

Crissy Field's 20th Anniversary

This spring, I was thrilled to join Speaker Nancy Pelosi and community leaders to celebrate Crissy Field's 20th anniversary. In the two decades since the restoration of Crissy Field, the National Parks Service and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy have partnered with our community to drastically revitalize the space and advance our shared goal of making parks available to all San Franciscans. Happy Anniversary, Crissy Field!

Support for Seniors

Did you know that there's a nonprofit in the neighborhood that offers to support to seniors living at home? Next Village SF can help with grocery shopping, transportation, technology, and other tasks that one might normally ask a relative for help with. They also host hundreds of social, cultural, and educational events each year to keep us all connected and engaged! Check out their website or give them a call at 415-888-2868 for more information.

Help Stretch Our Water Supply

As California experiences the driest year on record, we must continue to do what we can to make the most of our water supplies. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is asking those who are able to be more efficient with their outdoor water use. SFPUC offers free water evaluations, rebates and incentives, and more to help conserve! Visit their website, send them an email, or call 415-551-4730 with any questions.

Office of Supervisor Catherine Stefani
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 273, San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: (415) 554-7752 Fax: (415) 554-7843