Housing Rights Committee, San Francisco

"Renter's
Relief"
fails
at the
ballot

A ballot measure that would have amended the San Francisco rent ordinance to give tenants some "renter's relief" failed to gain the necessary votes to pass at June 8 mid-year ballot.

The measure would have allowed tenants who have lost their jobs, suffered a 20% decrease in wages or who did not receive a cost of living increase in their government benefits (such as Social Security) to apply for a hardship from the Rent Board to postpone their annual allowable rent increase.

The measure had the support of the six progressive supervisors (including David Campos, David Chiu, Chris Daly, Eric Mar, Ross Mirkarimi and John Avalos) as well as the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, the SF Democratic Party, the SF Labor Council,the SF Political Committee, Housing Rights Committee, Tenants Union, SOMCAN, Senior Action Network, and the Affordable Housing Alliance.

Turnout for the mid-year election was extremely low in San Francisco.

Sit/lie rejected
by supervisors

law would make it
illegal to sit on sidewalk

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors rejected the city's proposed sit/lie law, which would have made it illegal (as unbelievable as that may sound) for people to sit or lie on sidewalks during certain times of the day.

The vote was 8-3, with only Carmen Chu, Sean Elsbernd and Michela Alioto-Pier supporting it.

The law, which is a revival of a similar measure that was used against hippies and gay men in the 70s and which was found to be unconstitutional in 1979, is now apparently heading for the June ballot. Proponents promised to put it to a public vote no matter what the supervisors did with the legislation that is before them.

That legislation was submitted to the Board by Mayor Gavin Newsom and introduced by Alioto Pier.

The SF Democratic County Central Committee has come out against sit/lie and the Police Commission voted not to endorse it. Even police officers in the Haight/Ashbury, the neighborhood where the idea for sit/lie first surfaced, have said that it will not be effective in doing anything.

“When the mayor’s own hand-picked commission appointees and the Police Chief’s own officers on the Haight say they oppose this law, it has become evident that the Sit-Lie ordinance is counter to San Francisco values,” said Nate Miller a life-long SF resident and organizer for the Stand Against Sit Lie campaign.

“It sounds like it’s something pretty antithetical to the spirit of San Francisco,” 52-year-old public artist Colette Crutcher, told a San Francisco Chronicle reporter in front of the Bernal Heights Library. “I don’t think there is any need for such a law. I think all it will do is encourage the police to stop people they don’t like.”

Activists opposed to the law have been organizing "Sidewalks are for people" events on the last Saturday of every month. So far, two such events have been held, with hundreds of people taking part throughout the city by staging events on the sidewalks, such as sign making parties (see picture above), bake sales, performances and a barbecue in front of the mayor's house in the Upper Haight.

Check out the "Stand Against Sit Lie" webpage and facebook page: http://www.standagainstsitlie.org and on facebook.


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	"Renter's Relief" fails at the ballot A ballot measure that would have amended the San Francisco rent ordinance to give tenants some "renter's relief" failed to gain the necessary votes to pass at June 8 mid-year ballot. The measure would have allowed tenants who have lost their jobs, suffered a 20% decrease in wages or who did not receive a cost of living increase in their government benefits (such as Social Security) to apply for a hardship from the Rent Board to postpone their annual allowable rent increase. The measure had the support of the six progressive supervisors (including David Campos, David Chiu, Chris Daly, Eric Mar, Ross Mirkarimi and John Avalos) as well as the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, the SF Democratic Party, the SF Labor Council,the SF Political Committee, Housing Rights Committee, Tenants Union, SOMCAN, Senior Action Network, and the Affordable Housing Alliance. Turnout for the mid-year election was extremely low in San Francisco. Sit/lie rejected by supervisors law would make it illegal to sit on sidewalk The San Francisco Board of Supervisors rejected the city's proposed sit/lie law, which would have made it illegal (as unbelievable as that may sound) for people to sit or lie on sidewalks during certain times of the day. The vote was 8-3, with only Carmen Chu, Sean Elsbernd and Michela Alioto-Pier supporting it. The law, which is a revival of a similar measure that was used against hippies and gay men in the 70s and which was found to be unconstitutional in 1979, is now apparently heading for the June ballot. Proponents promised to put it to a public vote no matter what the supervisors did with the legislation that is before them. That legislation was submitted to the Board by Mayor Gavin Newsom and introduced by Alioto Pier. The SF Democratic County Central Committee has come out against sit/lie and the Police Commission voted not to endorse it. Even police officers in the Haight/Ashbury, the neighborhood where the idea for sit/lie first surfaced, have said that it will not be effective in doing anything. “When the mayor’s own hand-picked commission appointees and the Police Chief’s own officers on the Haight say they oppose this law, it has become evident that the Sit-Lie ordinance is counter to San Francisco values,” said Nate Miller a life-long SF resident and organizer for the Stand Against Sit Lie campaign. “It sounds like it’s something pretty antithetical to the spirit of San Francisco,” 52-year-old public artist Colette Crutcher, told a San Francisco Chronicle reporter in front of the Bernal Heights Library. “I don’t think there is any need for such a law. I think all it will do is encourage the police to stop people they don’t like.” Activists opposed to the law have been organizing "Sidewalks are for people" events on the last Saturday of every month. So far, two such events have been held, with hundreds of people taking part throughout the city by staging events on the sidewalks, such as sign making parties (see picture above), bake sales, performances and a barbecue in front of the mayor's house in the Upper Haight. Check out the "Stand Against Sit Lie" webpage and facebook page: http://www.standagainstsitlie.org and on facebook.