🐌 Slower Safer Streets | What Next for Affordable Homes?

It’s Friday, December 6. We’ve got two stories for you, plus a live report about accountability for two very different nonprofits. 

First up: Affordable housing. SF needs a lot more, but the November election dashed hopes for a big funding infusion. Where can SF turn to bring down residents’ biggest expense? Adam Brinklow reports.

Next: Street safety. Deaths from crashes continue at high levels and make headlines. But on SF’s Slow Streets, a small part of the city grid, injury collisions are down 45 percent. With an expanded bike network coming, will planners learn slow lessons? Kristi Coale reports.

Still on: Our Where In SF contest and year-end fundraising campaign. We hope you’ll take part in both! Have fun, do good, and one more thing:

We’re now on Bluesky. Follow us.

– Lisa Plachy, Senior editor

NEW FROM THE FRISC

SPONSOR

WHERE IN SF?

Test your knowledge of our city’s landmarks with this year’s Where In SF contest. To play along, simply reply to this email and tell us:

1) What it is. 2) Why it matters. (And tell us if you have a personal connection!)

This is Photo #7 of 10, but you still have time to join. See all photos and contest rules here.

LIVE FROM SF

To supplement our work, we bring you live reports of public meetings via X (formerly Twitter). This week:

* On Thursday we checked in on the Government Oversight and Accountability Committee. Supervisors are still fuming over the SF SAFE scandal – the police-adjacent nonprofit whose director was charged with misuse of more than $700,000 in public dollars. The supes gave the SFPD an earful.

They also debated whether the SF Zoo, where critics say safety is at risk, needs a broad audit, all in the midst of negotiations to host pandas. If that’s not enough fur flying, the meeting got all shook up by a quake and tsunami warning. 

For those not on X, here’s a web version of this thread.

CITY LINKS

Big job: Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie will inherit a deficit of $876M.
→ More from The Frisc: The Muni crisis also on Lurie’s hands

Rehab wrongs: Five people died while enrolled in the city’s largest residential treatment program for addiction and mental illness, adding to calls for more SF nonprofit accountability.
→ More from The Frisc: Nonprofit problems

Sunsetting a supe: Residents have launched a campaign to recall Sup. Engardio over his support for Prop K, the successful measure to close the Great Highway.

Vexed vacancy: A room in a hotel that houses the homeless has sat empty and in disrepair for two years; repair teams blame a noisome neighbor.

Street moves: A new proposal before the supes could prevent major layoffs at Urban Alchemy.
→ More from The Frisc: UA benefits from no-bid contracts

Sidewalk sale: The ban on street vending in the Mission sees little enforcement, while permitted vendors see few profits, Mission Local found.

Reverse gear: Three years and $15M later, the city will close its only ‘safe parking site’ for people living in RVs.

No wiggle room: SF rescinded its approval of $700/month sleeping pods for violating its inclusionary affordable housing program.
→ More from The Frisc: Downtown dollars not in office conversions 

Eats shoots and leaves: With supes about to demand a broad audit, SF Zoo officials said a new panda plan will cost $8M instead of $20M. But have you seen the price of bamboo lately? 

Musical inspiration this week: Reporter Ayla Burnett is on Melanie Charles’s side. Editor Lisa Plachy is fighting stress by Stayin’ Alive. Reporter Kristi Coale is enjoying a massive attack of Tracey Thorn. Editor Alex Lash is bathing in an audio tsunami. And reporter Adam Brinklow is putting the bomp in the bomp shooby dooby bomp.