August 29, 2007
Step Right Up! Gawk At Public Housing!
Step right up! Step right up! The Gavin Newsom San Francisco carnival is coming to town! SEE .... the horrors that abound in the San Francisco Housing Authority! GAWK..... at the desperate lives of people trying to get by in the sub-standard apartment units provided by the city! GASP..... at the pitiful amounts of money residents try to live on! And then.... open your wallets! Won't you help.... for the children?
We're not even really sure what to make of this article on the front page of today's Chronicle. Apparently Gavin Newsom has now so given up on being able to fix the city's public housing himself that he's now thinking maybe he'll take rich people around and see if they'll donate some money to spruce it up. What is this, Swells meets Chris Daly?
We're all for philanthropy, but honestly, shouldn't the city be run on a budget where we can meet our own responsibilities without having to have rich people bail us out? Either get the tax increases to do your job or make the necessary cuts in your budget, Mayor Newsom -- this is like trustafarians running home to Mommy and Daddy when the cost of coffee goes up 15 cents at Ritual Roasters.
Side note: apparently this all got started when Newsom got upset with his staff for letting a playground donated by the Dave Matthews Band get vandalized twice. Dave Matthews should've donated a public bathroom instead.
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San Francisco, as well as other cities in the US used to rely on federal funds to rehabilitate housing projects. Cities have never fully funded the development or rehabilitation of the projects that they are touring, and they would never be able to afford such works, balanced budget or not. The Bush Administration has cut the programs that were used to refurbish places like North Beach Place and Valencia Gardens. There is currently an effort to raise private funds/foundation grants to build desperately needed housing in San Francisco, something that has never been done before in any US city. This is not a bad thing. Without "rich people's" money, there will be no help for public housing in the near future. If you don't like it, I suggest you vote for a democrat for president, volunteer for Habitat for Humanity (oh sorry, they're full of money donated by the rich), or pray.
This doesn't surprise me at all. Wasn't it Grover Norquist who said, "we [GOP] want to shrink government down until it's small enough to be drowned in the bathtub"?
They're getting exactly what they wanted: shitty schools force parents to go private. Crappy housing forces Newsom to go begging to private parties. (Hey, Dede can cough it up for her cocktail party hangout, er, the De Young, surely she won't mind getting out her bankbook for the poors, even though she did donate to Bush).
Somewhere I hear Mr. Burns saying, "Eeexcellent."
How much more can we take of this guy... well, unfortunately, four more years.
These are all good points about the slashing of money for federal housing, guest[1] -- however, the article also pointed out that the Newsom administration hasn't applied for any federal grants at all in the last six years, saying they don't want to spend the $200,000 it costs to fill out the grant application, even if they could get around $20 million in extra money as a result. (I didn't mention that in my post, which is why I'm putting it here.)
Isn't HUD a federal program? Hasn't that been a big point of contention with the Gavster? There's much more to this than on the surface. It's about trying to (re?)gain control of some of the problems this city faces. One of the other issues with the feds running the program is law enforcement. This has been cited time and time again as one of the reasons crime, especially drug- and gang-related, is so prevalent.
SFist...please do your homework and provide us with some actually facts and background...not just trash and sarcasm.
Does our Mayor know anything about, like, government and stuff?
the mayor has had four years, 28,000 employees, and $22 billion dollars in the city budget to fix the city's public housing.
it's beyond ironic, and really sad, that it takes a re-election campaign to get him to pay attention - and even then it's only in a look-at-this way, not a spend-the-money-to-fix-the-problem way.
typical for this guy.
Donated playground was vandalized? Haha, big surprise! Any money thrown at these people is equivalent to throwing it down the toilet.
You're not sure what to make of the richies touring the projects?
That's disgusting. I'll bet you didn't have that reaction to the richies building art museums and the like. You just don't like having to think about the poor.
It disgusts me that people are so unwilling to deal with our problems as a whole community. Of course the richies should be tapped for money, and of course they should be willing. We all live in this burg. Get off of your fantasy island.
Indeed, #8, it would be far cheaper to pay them to move away from San Francisco. Why people think "diversity" means including thugs in your society is beyond me.
I think public housing is an idea that has come and gone and is not relevant to San Francisco or the 2000s.
Board up the projects.
maybe we should spend the HUD money to build a tall concrete fences around the housing complex and convert it to a jail in order to keep the inmates contained. this may help the mayor with his crime prevention initiatives.
can we please force these guests to register? it takes all of like 30 seconds. jesus!
anyway, does anyone really believe in public housing anymore? i think that's quite naive to think they work. i've read of one success in the entire world where they didn't result in the usual cesspool of humanity and 'the carter' type encampments of drug dens. singapore!
they decided back in the 70's to take a radical approach to projects and instead of making them apartments for their poor, they subsidized low interest loans for the working folks that they though would appreciate home ownership and take care of these building. guess what, it worked. they look as good today as they did back in the 70's. people take care of shit they own and they eventually appreciated and they sold them.
imagine that.
i'm sure the radicals would object to the idea of discriminating whom could live in a new project by saying you actually have to show some sense of work ethic vs your typical suckling at the government power teet.
Suckafree, your guidance is wise. Replace "radicals" with "communists" and I think you've hit the nail on the head.
Oh god, if y'all get photos, let us know! we really want to see dede sporting her eggplant chanel suit in "sub-standard" housing, or the rich throwing dollar bills up in the air for children to catch. fun!
First, I happen to live in the above mentioned public housing area, and I resent a few comments made on this board. I live in this area, not because I am a thug, a junkie, or a whore, but because I am taking care of a relative who is disabled who cannot afford to live anywhere else right now. AndI also happen to be half British. "These people", as you refer to us, are doing the best they can, and a group should never be judged according to a few "rotten apples".
Second, I am always amazed at the people in this city who claim to love being in a real city, and then turn around and scoff at city life. In New York you will find "richies" living right across the road from prostitutes standing on the corner, and it is a part of everyday life. Here, people clutch their bags as soon as they see a person of colour walk by.
The idea of anyone turning their attention to the poor in this city must make quite a few people feel uneasy. As open-minded as San Franciscans like to say they are, the truth of the matter is this city is filled with racist losers who strolled in from middle America in search of a "better" life, or should I say, more money. These individuals, while contributing in some ways, have also changed the face of this fine city for the worst, and the reason you find so many individuals frowning at SF is because what used to be a fine, open-minded, artistically friendly city is now a city that caters to classless "new money" yuppies. Many people in these poor areas have more class, self-respect, and common sense in their pinkies than these yuppies have in their entire being.
While I have my opinions about the mayor, I fail to see how this article about him wanting to see people of little means want to live a better life is worthy of criticism however he means to achieve it. I know what it is like to be on both sides of the coin so-to-speak, and I have friends and family from all walks of life, and one thing I've learned in my life is that if you sit in constant judgement of someone based on what they do or do not have, you are truly doing yourself a diservice.
To those who don't like the idea of living in a city with poor people, how about moving back to your nice small town where everyone looks like you and everyone is perfect? Sure it must be nice, which is why you are here in the first place.
PS... In total agreement with posts 1, 5, and 9 wholeheartedly.
Guest 16, I resent being called "racist". I'm not racist at all. I'm poor and live in the western addition, yet guess what? I dont have a car, a garage, 5 children eating junkfood, and am not on food stamps. I pay my way, I have friends of many diverse ethnic backgrounds....and I support those who pay their way in life, not continue the chain of entitlement that public housing perpetuates. Which housing "project" are you in anyway? Care to spill the beans?
If you had read my post, you would know where I live. And for the record, I do not have a car, I do not have any children, I do not eat junk food and am a vegetarian, and I do not collect food stamps, nor am I on welfare.
So tell me, which part of your post was not racist? I'm sure you think everyone in the "ghetto" is black, right?
Dear guests arguing -- we are enjoying the input from both of you -- and please feel free to keep your debate going. However, may we suggest that you take 30 seconds of your time to register as commenters? That way everyone can easily tell your two arguments apart from here on out. Aliases are, indeed, permitted. Thank you kindly.
-- SFist Jer
It is an ELECTION YEAR. Over the next few months we're apt to see GAVVIE pretending to be doing a whole lot of things that he should have been doing over the past 3 1/2 years.
Rest assured, though, that the day after the election, the snail will return into the shell.
Ah, Gavster throwing a hissy fit - wish I could have seen him get even more red and blotchy while really taking the poor living conditions of the public housing denizens to heart. It might have been a convincing display.
But really, he thinks spending 200K in the short term is more important than applying for the bloody grant? What kind of logic is that? Reminds me of Anne Marie Conroy's approach to acquiring those much-needed homeland security funds - do nothing and get zero results. Gav, if you don't know the answer to a question just keep your trap shut. Hasn't Eric Jaye taught you anything?
Thanks for the mod-ing, SFist Jeremy. As much as it pains me to admit, Suckafree is right. Register, folks, it doesn't cost anything or result in loss of bodily fluids.
MORE PR photo op BS from the FRAUD PRINCE gavin - and what logic: $200k app. fee to get $22MM HUD funds? Guess he doesn't know simple math either.
So go ahead & vote for this sad loser, get more of the same.
I've said it here before - tired of filthy pothole-filled Streets? Homeless everywhere (sorry newson machine, spin away with your #s - CNC don't work)? High crime & murder rate?
Drink more kool-aid
The article is poorly researched. I happen to know something about HOPE VI - actually, I know a LOT about HOPE VI as I've used the program before to redevelop public housing in the Bay Area.
The quotes from the HUD official are typical Bush administration-speak - in other words, bald faced lies.
In San Francisco, the City and SF Housing Authority (in partnership with private and nonprofit developers) HAVE successfully applied for HOPE VI funds before. One is the Valencia Gardens project in the Mission - which was recently completed & is much better than the housing it replaced. Another is North Place in North Beach - and for those naysayers of public housing, have you ever shopped at the Trader Joe's in North Beach near Fisherman's Wharf? Because if you have, Trader Joe's is located in the North Place Apartments project - that's right, you have public housing to thank for your Trader Joe's.
So, why hasn't San Francisco received a HOPE VI award since 1997 (or Oakland since 2000)? Because the Bush administration has slashed HOPE VI funding to a trickle. From the $600-$700 million annual apprpriations under Clinton, the program has been cut by Bush to $100 million. And since 2004, not a single Demolition grant has been awarded by HUD out of the HOPE VI program - in other words, HUD has stopped making grants of the kind needed to do true HOPE VI redevelopment projects - that is, tear down the dilapidated project and rebuild as new, mixed-income, mixed-use housing. Instead, all they are funding is lipstick-on-a-pig grants - that is, rehab grants for existing projects.
There is almost no point in applying for the funds these days (and in incurring the substantial costs to do so), because almost no one is getting awards. And of what is available, there are no demolition grants available, as I mentioned.
Yes, as stated by the HUD flack, Oakland has applied and is applying again. What the HUD flack conveniently fails to mention is that Oakland has been trying to get an award for funds for one of its projects and has failed to do win any funds because there is no real HOPE VI money coming out of DC anymore.
So, once again, the SF Chron gets everything wrong in its attempt to report the "news."
What I don't get is why Newsom is even bothering. He knows (unfortunately) he's going to win this election in a walk.
He could pretty much take a crap off the top of Coit Tower and would still be elected, so why all the show of phony concern?
Also, San Francisco is currently on HUD's "troubled" list (or was as of May), meaning that we are ineligible for many grants (including, I believe, HOPE VI).
See:
http://www.sfweekly.com/2007-05-02/news/flip-that-housing-authority/
I contacted Heather Knight about missing this point in her story already...
In response to testimony we received from public housing residents regarding their living conditions, the Board of Supervisors authorized $5 million in General Fund money for repairs and tenant assistance earlier this year. Newsom refused to spend the money and then deappropriated it in his budget submission.
He prefers his pet project, HOPE SF, which apparently is to be the recipient of the swells' donations. HOPE SF will not address any emergency needs in Housing Authority developments, and it's possible, if not likely, that many current residents won't ever benefit from it.
This is not "Swells meets Chris Daly" but thanks for the mention.
Apologies for posting once again as a guest, but the only way to register is to confirm registration via email, and I cannot check personal email from work.
I am in complete agreement that the mayor is clearly doing a lot of work for the benefit of re-election, but with regard to the housing project mentioned in this article, the one in which I live, he has a habit of making regular visits. Politics has a lot to do with most of the issues we face in some of the more challenged areas of the city, and to be honest, it's a little appauling how little is done in this city to take care of residents who have worked their whole lives putting into "the system" and how little people care until they themselves need support.
i'm the guest who wrote #7. maybe i'll register someday. it's good to have goals.
anyway, #23, #25, and chris daly in #26 have it exactly right.
the mayor won't spend city money on this particular city problem, he won't even spend city money to get federal money for this particular problem, he won't even spend city money to get the city housing authority out of trouble so we can get the federal money for this particular problem.
instead, we get photo ops and billionaire drive-bys, during an election year. that's all.
hey chris,
are we to believe that city hall blocks you from getting to the webmail portal for yahoo mail, gmail or hotmail but lets you surf blogs all day?
;)
Great job gavin jumping on your housing director to save your ass. Problem is your housing director is probably tired of all your double speak and the fact that while he and his people are working with the precious little you have provided you were in your office sexually harrassing your secretary and getting buzzed. Keep it up gavin pretty soon you'll be sitting all alone in city hall with only those two idiots ginsberg and ballard to entertain you, everyone else will be long gone. Great management skills I'd love to be one of your employees than I could nominate you for the boss from hell.
Newsom has to understand that he can't have any more money until he proves that he can manage what's already been built. We're frankly tired of cleaning up the local HOPE VI project every year or two, only to watch it turn back into a crackhouse again and again. Once might have been a fluke, but fool me twice.
I think it is admirable that Mayor Newsom is trying to shine some light on the housing projects. Whomever thinks he is doing it for his re-election is in denial that the election is already over ... the only folks competing for Mayor are entertainers looking for cheap promotion for their craft.
here here rincon. every since gavin got elected he had no opponent other than terming out of office, kind of like the guvonator. they both enjoy so much popularity with working people with common sense that they are pretty much untouchable which i'm sure just chaffs the hides of the communists in this town, on both fronts.
hud should be dissolved.
Suckafree 13 is right. PAH LEE AZZ will you chronic guests register with a persona name so othera can recognize you when you are posting. JEEZAZ. what's the friggin problem?
A few possible reasons people may not want to register:
1) there are no real benefits for registering to the casual commenter - you have to either get some sort of thrill out of seeing your name on the page, or hope that people are going to click through to your profile (unlikely) and check out the link to your blog (even more unlikely)
2) sfist/gothamist has no privacy policy or terms of use (or if they do, it's damn hard to find) - sfist also has a track record of outing personal information about commenters (of course they can still do that if you're a guest, but it makes it easier to cover your trail at least somewhat)
3) it's fun watching people whine about the guest commenters, particularly since there is that handy "hide guest comments" link above. If it only takes 30 seconds to register, how long does it take to click a link?
BTW who can explain to me why there are so many expensive looking cars/SUVs in the public housing parking lots?
Examples Diamond Heights and Valencia housing...???!!!
[35] click the "hide" link and miss 60% of what gets posted since it's from "guest"? That makes sense.
Thank you for your comment, RinconHillSF. Gavin's competitors in the fall election are a joke.
All of these people whining here in their comments about Gavin Newsom are ridiculous. He's been a fine mayor, and has done as much as he can do, especially with a Board of Supervisors dominated by people so far left of center, it's not even funny.
These so-called progressives are irrational, irresponsible and will hopefully, in the 2008 election, be replaced by pragmatists.
Mariconsoy RE: Post 36...
Clearly it is because the blacks are milking the system and clearly do not know how to spend their money wisely... right?
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