Change San Francisco Housing Policy

Through Public Comment

Download the Following Packet by clicking Here

 

 

 

Making Your Voice Heard

 

San Francisco is a bastion of progressive politics and direct democracy. For decades, San Franciscans have organized and fought for social change by engaging in all types of political activism. Right now our city is at a crossroads that requires all of us to speak up again.

 

Currently San Francisco has policies that have not allowed for our city to grow and evolve with the current influx of new community members.  For decades, local officials have only heard from a minority of people in our community that promote a “Not in My BackYard” culture. This has caused our city to create far less housing than is needed.

 

Our city is falling behind and people are being displaced. Now is the time to speak up and make your voice heard in the local community.

 

By giving public comment at hearings, community meetings, and local clubs, you provide a much needed voice to advocate for more housing. This packet will walk you through a simple structure on how to write and give public comment.

 

Your voice will make a critical difference.

 



 

SF Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC)

 

What is the DCCC?

The DCCC is a group of local elected community members and Democratic officials. They work together to create local endorsements for the party and resolutions in support or against current policies.

 

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When and where are the meetings?

Every fourth Wednesday of the month at 7p.m. at the State office building; 455 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102.

 

How to give public comment at the meetings?

Your comments must be relevant to the agenda for that meeting.

To give public comment you must first get a Speaker Card from the Executive Director. She will usually be near the front row or have placed the speaker cards on the table on stage.

On your Speaker Card, follow the prompts and add your Name, Organization and Topic.

 

A Good Structure for Your Public Comment:

1.   Name and Organization

2.   Your Neighborhood, Side of the City or Supervisor District

3.    What makes you a stakeholder or expert

3.   State the Problem with the Legislation

4.   State the Solution

5.   Ask for a vote

 

 

General Tips and Tricks for Brainstorming

 

  1. Write your entire public comment at once, with everything you want to say. Do not time yourself to begin. Then start cutting done your statement, leaving only the most pointed and powerful points.

  2. Write your public comment at three lengths; Two Minutes, One Minute, and Thirty Seconds. The Chair of the DCCC will decide on the length of public comment right before the meeting begins, and can select any of these three choices.

  3. Stick to the script. Often times people get carried away with what other people say, and change their public comment. A public comment that you have spent even five minutes thinking about will be better than coming up with something on the spot.

  4. Avoid personal attacks, questioning people’s motives, and general negativity. You are there to share your personal opinion on legislation and its effects. Feel free to point out flaws in legislation. However, if you attack a person, it often undermines your argument and diminishes your ability to change hearts and minds.

  5. Don’t be afraid to ask someone to practice. Please feel free to reach out to our Board Member Austin Hunter at (talkdesk916) 990-2433 or austin@www.growsanfrancisco.org He will be more than happy to listen to your statement and provide constructive feedback!





 

 

Some Ideas for Your Public Comment

 

  • Everyone wants housing.

  • We all agree we need affordable and low income housing. This is not the solution.

  • The Moratorium will only put more pressure on Mission housing and exacerbate the current crisis.

  • People are moving to this city. Do we make more space or do we put a housing moratorium in place that will only squeeze out more residents?

  • The entire Bay Area has a growing economy & we need more housing to absorb the influx of people coming for those jobs.

  • Nothing in the proposed Moratorium actually protects at-risk communities.

  • This will not protect current Mission residents. Access to affordable housing is not neighborhood or community specific.

    • In fact, this makes Mission residents more vulnerable.

  • We need legislation that supports low income communities. Nothing is stopping you from proposing legislation to help the homeless and those struggling to get by. This is a distraction.

  • Only landlords and property owners will gain from this.

  • This is a proposal to turn off the biggest funding for affordable housing - the construction of market rate housing.

  • The Moratorium will:

    • deny money from affordable housing

    • increase the number of evictions

    • stall every affordable unit currently in the pipeline