San Francisco COVID-19 Health & Recovery Plan
As COVID-19 changes our city and threatens communities, we need leadership that has a plan to protect our most vulnerable and recover with neighborhoods at the table. I hope you’ll read through our priorities to ensure a more resilient, equitable San Francisco emerges from the pandemic and that we make investments with our community at the core. This is an ongoing effort, and we always welcome your feedback. Don’t hesitate to reach out with your ideas or feedback.
- Danny
danny@dannyd3.com
Health
The health and wellbeing of San Franciscans must be our top priority. Our economy cannot be whole or our neighborhoods vibrant again unless we do more to protect those most at-risk from this terrible pandemic.
Expand Test Site Access
We need a testing site available within a short walk of every resident in San Francisco. Currently, only one clinic is open to those in District 3 without insurance, and it operates just an hour each day. As Supervisor, I will expand access with a focus on equity and communities of color, our most impacted residents.
Protect our Homeless Neighbors
We need to protect the most vulnerable on our streets by moving them into better forms of shelter, be it hotel rooms or safe sleeping sites. These sites must be monitored for the recovery and safety of the clients. Alongside this work, we need to bolster our existing homeless response by expanding our Homeless Outreach Team and adding critical services like Public Toilets and Hand Washing Stations.
Pursue New Space for Shelters & Services
San Francisco must be creative in pursuing opportunities to secure new uses of hotels, vacant department stores, and abandoned parking lots for both short-term uses like testing sites and long-term solutions like affordable housing. Between federal dollars and California’s $600 million dollar RoomKey program, we can acquire property and buildings at attractive rates to serve the community.
Expand Food Access
As I’ve volunteered at District 3 Food Banks, I’ve learned that our pantries are serving as many as 10 times more families than before. I’ll fight for money in our budget to make sure our families have expanded access to food during this pandemic, and work with nonprofit partners to grow grocery delivery options so that no one is left behind.
HOW DANNY HAS LED BY ACTION
Volunteering at Food Banks
We’re spending time volunteering at community food banks, from Chinatown YMCA to Cameron House, to help nourish our neighbors.
Find a food bank near you to volunteer.
Seniors & Open Spaces
Create New Programs to Fight Senior Isolation
District 3 has the highest concentration of older adults in all of San Francisco, and we must honor their commitments to San Francisco by supporting them and make it possible for them to age in place. New needs have arisen in this pandemic, and I’ll make sure my office is a partner in responding with expanded food access, new programs to fight senior isolation, and health ordinances that prioritize safety in our community.
Introduce Senior & SRO Hours in City Parks
Our neighborhood parks are crowded these days as we all seek more open space. These conditions can be intimidating and even dangerous for many of our residents. Just as our grocery stores have started “Golden Hours,” for seniors to shop safely, we too need to prioritize open space access at certain times for seniors, those with compromised health, and those living in SROs (Single Room Occupancy) settings.
Open Slow Streets Across District 3
It is unacceptable that it took almost 100 days for the densest set of neighborhoods in our city to get their first Slow Street. We need more open space right now for essential travel and for relief for our families and children. I’ll provide this by creating a network of Slow Streets available within a 5-minute walk of every District 3 resident.
Protecting Tenants & Homeowners
Extend Eviction & Mortgage Forbearance Moratoriums
We must extend both the eviction and mortgage forbearance moratorium until the pandemic is over. I will strengthen protections while closing loopholes that leave tenants, small property owners, and homeowners vulnerable.
Protect Against Debt, Non Payments, and Credit
I’ll work to ensure that nonpayment of rent during the pandemic is not used in the future as grounds for eviction, that late payment fees are limited, that security deposits cannot be used as payments, and that COVID rental debt is not factored into credit or housing evaluations in the future.
Expand Housing Services and Access
A crushing wave of homelessness and displacement awaits if we do not expand access to tenant services. Some housing clinics have seen a 50% increase in clients yet are facing budget cuts. I’ll fight to expand access to tenant clinics and bolster funding for legal services with a priority on making sure this reaches communities of color that are most at risk to displacement.
HOW DANNY HAS LED BY ACTION
Starting a Program to Support Restaurants
We started a free delivery service for restaurants in North Beach that has since grown across San Francisco. So far, we’ve generated $50K+ in revenue for 20+ restaurants. Each week, Danny joins volunteers to make deliveries.
Small Businesses & Workers
Create A Team of Small Business Advisors
I’ll work to create a team of Small Business Advisors at OEWD so that every small business in San Francisco has a dedicated point of contact to support them. That’s a big difference from the current system which leaves too many of our businesses, particularly immigrant-owned ones, without an advocate at City Hall.
Extend Commercial Eviction Moratorium
We need to keep our neighborhood businesses in place. This means protecting them from evictions today and rent gouging tomorrow. I will work to extend the moratorium and make sure future payments can be made with flexibility.
Protect Workers and Expand Emergency Leave
We’ve seen how everyday workers - grocery store clerks, nurses, transit operators - have risen to serve our city in this pandemic. It’s time we do better to serve them, too. This means passing strong health ordinances to protect our workplaces, continuing childcare for essential workers, and expanding paid emergency leave so that family and safety come first.
Families & Schools
Close The Digital Divide
We cannot allow our existing disparities in our schools to be deepened in the age of distance learning. We need short term progress like computer lending programs and hotspots access, while we strive for long-term solutions like widely available municipal broadband.
Support our Teachers with Better Pay
Nothing is more important than supporting our teachers in this difficult time. This means more time to allow them to prepare digital lesson plans and increased pay, achieved through Mayor Breed’s November Ballot measure to deliver 2018’s Prop G’s promise.
Offer Creative Uses of Space & Schedules
The world has changed, and our approach to learning should adjust to our new surroundings. We should offer outdoor space for certain school programs and offer flexible schedules for learning that work for parents and children. We can be firm in the goal of exceptional education, but we must be creative in how we get there.
Fund Support and Social Programs
We need to find ways to replicate the social and emotional learning elements of school to our new setting. I’ll work with community partners to fund and promote new programs including family and parent networks and tutoring and mentorship services.
Infrastructure and Budget
Recover Through Investment
The way forward is through investment. We can leverage our city’s sterling bond rating and fight for federal dollars to fund programs that put our city to work immediately and build up infrastructure that serves our community. Now is the time to invest in new transit infrastructure, affordable housing, school renovations, and community works programs.
Lead By Example
Right now, Departments are being asked to make 10-15% program cuts. I believe elected officials need to lead by example and show solidarity with these departments that are being impacted. That’s why I pledge to voluntarily reduce my own salary as Supervisor by at least 15% and put that money back towards serving San Francisco in other ways.
Join our fight for a recovery that puts neighborhoods first.
We need your help to share our plans with voters across District 3.