Homelessness
San Francisco has opened 28 shelter-in-place hotels for people experiencing homelessness including the ornate and historic Hotel Whitcomb, pictured, on Market Street. Altogether, there are more than 2,000 rooms available to shelter in place.

Even as Funding Expands, Hotels May Resist Taking in More Homeless Residents

01.28.2021
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San Francisco is willing to open more hotel rooms to the homeless but may face roadblocks from hotel owners and service providers who would be needed to staff the sites.

On Monday, the city’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing sent a letter to community organizations outlining a rough plan to address an influx of funds expected from the Biden administration, which said it will fully reimburse local governments the cost of temporarily housing COVID-vulnerable homeless people in hotels. » Read more

Media
The Jan. 26 issue of the Wind Newspaper.

Undeterred by Layoff, Journalist Launches Bilingual Newspaper

01.28.2021
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San Francisco news media, like publications around the nation, have laid off or furloughed journalists during the coronavirus pandemic. Nonetheless, several new publications have launched in the last year. Portia Li had been covering San Francisco’s Chinese community for the World Journal, a large Chinese-language newspaper, since 1986. » Read more

Arts & Culture
Still image from “Playing for Keeps.”

Documentary on Importance of Play Features SF Skater, Dancer

01.26.2021
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With the help of a doctor who studies play and the stories of people who work high-stress jobs, the new documentary “Playing for Keeps” posits that humans benefit greatly from playing, and suffer when we are deprived of play. Isabella Miller, who prior to the coronavirus pandemic would regularly go swing dancing, and David Miles Jr., » Read more

Coronavirus
California has lifted its emergency lockdown order, and San Francisco will get official word on its new tier assignment Tuesday. City leaders expect San Francisco to be placed in the purple tier, which will once again allow outdoor dining. In October, Cheese Plus installed canvas dividers between tables along its Pacific Avenue sidewalk in the city’s Russian Hill neighborhood.

Lockdown Ends — Outdoor Dining, Other Restrictions to Be Lifted

01.25.2021
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San Francisco Mayor London Breed said Monday that the state’s decision to lift an emergency lockdown order to contain the COVID-19 surge is “good news’’ and a “cause for celebration” even as she cautioned residents that “we have to just use common sense and continue to just accept that we are going to be living with this for some time.” » Read more

Coronavirus

SF Opens Mass Vaccination Site After Confusing Rollout

01.22.2021
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San Francisco health officials have set an ambitious goal of vaccinating all 900,000 people who live and work in the city by the end of June, and took a step toward that goal Friday by opening a mass vaccination center at City College of San Francisco. » Read more

Homelessness
As part of a program to move beyond emergency housing of homeless people in hotels, San Francisco purchased the Hotel Diva, above left, which has 130 rooms for permanent supportive housing.

Will SF Use New Federal Aid to Finally Solve Homelessness?

01.22.2021
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A move by President Joe Biden Thursday is being hailed by advocates as an opportunity for San Francisco to place all its homeless residents in hotels for the next eight months.

One day after Biden was inaugurated, his administration announced that the federal government will fully reimburse local governments for the cost of housing people who are homeless and vulnerable to COVID-19 in settings where they have space and separation from others, such as hotel rooms. » Read more

Economy & Business
Outdoor seating areas for Castro restaurants are cordoned off due to an indefinite health order prohibiting onsite dining

With Lockdown Extended Indefinitely, SF Develops New Business Supports

01.22.2021
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As local mainstays — cafes, bars and restaurants — launch fundraisers to ask neighbors to help them survive indefinitely extended shelter-in-place orders, governments at all levels are offering up various forms of aid. In San Francisco, many of those supportive programs for businesses and workers come through the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. » Read more

Homelessness
A man sits on the sidewalk with has hands restrained behind him while police officers look on.Four police officers responded to a call in March 2020 about a homeless man in the Castro.

New Emergency Homelessness Response Plan Calls for Elimination of Healthy Streets Operation Center

01.20.2021
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In an attempt to limit police involvement with emergency calls about homelessness, a city group is proposing eliminating a multimillion-dollar program launched in 2018.

The group, composed of representatives of about two dozen city agencies and nonprofits, released a 74-page paper Tuesday outlining its plan, called the Compassionate Alternative Response Team. » Read more

Open Government
5446958381_9e90f58cab_o-e1416954725536.jpg

State Senator Who Made Police Disciplinary Records Public Pushes Transparency Expansion

01.20.2021
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Disciplinary records of police officers found to have used deadly force, inflicted serious injuries, sexually assaulted someone or lied on the job had been kept secret in California until 2019, when SB 1421 went into effect. State Sen. Nancy Skinner, who represents Berkeley, wrote that legislation to open up law enforcement disciplinary records. » Read more