Hi all,

Here are *newly updated* instructions and talking points for emailing your Supervisors now, and then making in-person or phoned-in public comment, at this Monday's July 24, 2023 1:30 p.m. Land Use Committee hearing, to oppose Supervisor Myrna Melgar's so called "Family Housing" ordinance, which is attacking environmental and community review, and undermining affordable housing.

*NEW* UPDATE: Though Supervisors Aaron Peskin and Dean Preston have introduced *very* strong amendments (attached) to Melgar's ordinance:

1) We are only just seeing these amendments on Friday, July 21, 2023 - One weekend is simply not enough time for us to make reasoned decisions on whether such major changes are strong enough.

2) Even with these amendments, there are still serious problems left completely unresolved in the ordinance, including:
 

• Melgar's proposed 'neighborhood noticing' amendment is not explicitly spelled out in the text, and depends on Planning Department staff making rules later, *after* the ordinance passes. That is not acceptable. We need to see *exactly* how noticing will work expressly and fully in the text of the ordinance.

 

• Melgar also still *refuses* to add *any* affordable housing mandates to her legislation, which would still build nothing but unnecessary, high priced rentals and luxury condos. We need affordable housing mandates and a ban on gentrifying condo conversions.

 

• Melgar still *refuses* to allow San Franciscans to insist on review hearings when they see a permit in their neighborhood for demolition to build new condos or rental expansions.

 

• Though Peskin and Preston's added 5 year protections against rent controlled apartments being demolished, rebuilt and sold by Wall Street and other corporate speculators, are much better, they're still not strong enough. They still allow single family homes and rental units that are *not* rent controlled, to be demolished, rebuilt, and sold in just ONE YEAR. Wall Street speculators buy, build and resell housing for profit on a *5 year* cycle. We need to keep these corporate players OUT of San Francisco with *10 year* bans on reselling ANY housing property.

*NEW EMAIL ACTION*

Please email comments now to the Land Use Committee and Board of Supervisors!

Copy the following email addresses, and send them the message below:

aaron.peskin@sfgov.org , sunny.angulo@sfgov.org , peskinstaff@sfgov.org , dean.preston@sfgov.org , Kyle.Smeallie@sfgov.org , prestonstaff@sfgov.org , erica.major@sfgov.org , board.of.supervisors@sfgov.org , Myrna.Melgar@sfgov.org , jennifer.fieber@sfgov.org , MelgarStaff@sfgov.org , connie.chan@sfgov.org , Kelly.Groth@sfgov.org , ChanStaff@sfgov.org , rafael.mandelman@sfgov.org , mandelmanstaff@sfgov.org , adam.thongsavat@sfgov.org , hillary.ronen@sfgov.org , ana.herrera@sfgov.org , ronenstaff@sfgov.org , shamann.walton@sfgov.org , Percy.Burch@sfgov.org , waltonstaff@sfgov.org , ahsha.safai@sfgov.org , jeff.buckley@sfgov.org , safaistaff@sfgov.org ,Catherine.Stefani@sfgov.org , Lorenzo.Rosas@sfgov.org , stefanistaff@sfgov.org , joel.engardio@sfgov.org , jonathan.goldberg@sfgov.org , engardiostaff@sfgov.org ,matt.dorsey@sfgov.org , Madison.R.Tam@sfgov.org , dorseystaff@sfgov.org , Bill.Barnes@sfgov.org , lauren.l.chung@sfgov.org , lila.carrillo@sfgov.org

SEND THESE POINTS, WITH A FEW UNIQUE OPENING WORDS OF YOUR OWN:

EMAIL SUBJECT: Public Comment: Land Use item 7, July 24, 2023 - *STILL* OPPOSE Unless Amended - Melgar "Family Housing"

Dear Supervisors,
 

• We need more time to look at the new amendments! Amendments proposed by Supervisors Peskin and Preston look *much* better, but we are only just seeing them. San Franciscans need a few weeks to read these, and respond with any proposed improvements. We cannot be expected to assess and accept such major changes in just a few days.

​

• ​Even with the new amendments, Supervisor Myrna Melgar's so called "Family Housing" Ordinance File #230026, is still not ready. It still has no affordable housing mandates, unacceptably waives far too much environmental and community review of projects, expands gentrifying condo conversions that will eliminate affordable rental housing, drives unnecessary polluting demolitions, and gives corporate real estate speculators free rein to demolish and sell off vast tracts of single family homes and replace them with condos and apartment buildings to be resold in just one year for profit!

 

• Why are we building ANY new market rate housing at all? San Francisco has at least 40,000 vacant housing units, 70,000 new units in the pipeline, and thousands more potential units from empty office space conversions. Instead of building luxury units, we should be transforming vacant housing and office space into affordable places to live. Demolishing housing and building expensive condo and rental expansions would drive a huge increase in greenhouse gas emissions from cement and other building materials, and construction.

 

• Please delay this legislation, and continue to work with neighborhood, environmental, and social justice groups to make the following changes:

1) Clearly spell out all Noticing Requirements in the *text* of this ordinance. San Franciscans do not trust Planning Department staff to come up with noticing rules and procedures later!

2) Add language triggering environmental and community review, including Discretionary Review and Conditional Use hearings, for all demolitions, and projects that would expand the horizontal or vertical dimensions of existing buildings, in order to add one or more new units of housing. 

3) Expand the initial public comment period for new projects from 30 days, back to 60 days.

4) COMPLETELY Ban Wall Street Speculators! Stronger Language must be added which truly penalizes and prevents large corporate real estate and investment firms from quickly buying, building, and selling ANY housing as a speculative asset for profit including single family homes and apartments that are not rent controlled. Because Wall Street profiteers like BlackRock and Vanguard 'flip' housing property in 5 year time windows, property owners and managers must be required to wait *10 years* before reselling housing. 

5) Add language mandating truly affordable housing, requiring that 100% of new housing is for families making less than $80,000 per year, and individuals making less than $50,000 per year.

6) NO Condo Conversions! Remove all language that expands condo conversions. Condos will gentrify the city and drive out affordable rental housing. If we are going to build more housing, it should be 100% truly affordable rental units.

Please vote NO on the Melgar "Family Housing" ordinance unless these changes are made!

Thank you,

[Your Name]
[Your Organization if any]
[Your Zip Code]
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**INSTRUCTIONS FOR IN PERSON OR PHONE COMMENTS THIS MONDAY JULY 24, 2023 1:30 p.m.**

See **Talking Points** further below.

To view these instructions and the Land Use Committee agenda online, click this PDF link:
https://sfbos.org/event/2023/lut072423_agenda

WHAT:  Land Use & Transportation Committee, Rm 250 - SF City Hall - Polk @ McAllister
              Agenda Item 7 - Melgar "Family Housing" Ordinance  File #230026

WHEN: This Monday, July 24, 2023 - Committee Begins at 1:30 p.m.

*IMPORTANT* Item 7 is preceded by other lengthy items and will likely be heard between

2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

HOW TO COMMENT: 

NOTE: If there are a lot of us, we might only be given 1 minute to speak.

See **Talking Points** further below.

Commenting in person at City Hall Room 250 (the main Board of Supervisors Chamber) is best.
But, if you can't attend in person, and need to call in to make your comments, follow these instructions:

  Call: 1-415-655-0001
  then enter the Meeting ID: 2660 150 0436 # #
  then, when Item 7 is announced, press *3 to raise your hand to speak

•  You'll hear the confirmation "you have raised your hand"

  When you are up to speak you will hear your phone line open and the clerk will indicate you are next

To view these instructions and the Land Use Committee agenda online, click this PDF link:
https://sfbos.org/event/2023/lut072423_agenda

NOTE: If you live close to City Hall, or will call in by phone to make your comment, you can watch the Land Use Hearing online and follow how close the committee is to item 7, at the video link: https://sfgovtv.org/ch1live

NOTE: also, the online video lags *behind* the live hearing. Once you have called in by phone, mute the video.

**TALKING POINTS**

• Start by saying your name (and your organization or neighborhood)

• Then say you still oppose Supervisor Melgar's "Family Housing" ordinance, unless it is amended.

• Then, state two or three of the talking points below that are most important to you,

• Then, add a comment saying how this ordinance will negatively impact your own neighborhood.

Good afternoon Supervisors,
 

• We need more time to look at the new amendments! Supervisor Peskin and Preston's amendments look *much* better, but we are only just seeing them. We need a few weeks to read these and respond with any proposed improvements. We cannot be expected to assess and accept such major changes in just a few days.

 

• Even with the new amendments, Supervisor Melgar's so called "Family Housing" ordinance is still not good enough. It still has no affordable housing mandates, unacceptably waives far too much environmental and community review of projects, expands gentrifying condo conversions that will eliminate affordable rental housing, drives unnecessary polluting demolitions, and gives corporate real estate speculators free rein to demolish and sell off vast tracts of single family homes and replace them with condos and apartment buildings to be resold in just one year for profit!

 

• Why are we building ANY new market rate housing at all? San Francisco has at least 40,000 vacant housing units, 70,000 new units in the pipeline, and thousands more potential units from empty office space conversions. Instead of building luxury units, we should be transforming vacant housing and office space into affordable places to live. Demolishing housing and building expensive condo and rental expansions would drive a huge increase in greenhouse gas emissions from cement and other building materials, and construction

 

• Please delay this legislation, and continue to work with neighborhood, environmental, and social justice groups to make the following changes:

1) Clearly spell out all Noticing Requirements in the *text* of this ordinance. San Franciscans do not trust Planning Department staff to come up with noticing rules and procedures later!

2) Restore language allowing environmental and community review, including Discretionary Review and Conditional Use hearings, for all demolitions, and projects that would expand existing buildings, to build one or more new units of housing.

3) Expand the initial public comment period for new projects from 30 days, back to 60 days.

4) COMPLETELY Ban Wall Street Speculators! Stronger Language must be added which truly penalizes and prevents large corporate investors from quickly buying, building, and selling ANY housing as a speculative asset for profit, including single family homes and apartments that are not rent controlled. Because Wall Street profiteers like BlackRock and Vanguard 'flip' housing property in 5 year time windows, property owners and managers must be required to wait *10 years* before reselling housing.

5) Add language mandating truly affordable housing, requiring that 100% of new housing is for families making less than $80,000 per year, and individuals making less than $50,000 per year.

6) NO Condo Conversions! Remove all language that expands condo conversions. Condos will gentrify the city and drive out affordable rental housing. If we are going to build more housing, it should be 100% truly affordable rental units.

Please vote NO on the Melgar "Family Housing" ordinance unless these changes are made!

Thank you.

(end of talking points)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

See you on Monday!
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Eric Brooks, Campaign Coordinator
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