SFNext: Fixing Our City

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Be Angry at Systems, Not People, Says Organizer Vinny Eng Jan 31, 2023

Show notes

He was once a prominent sommelier at San Francisco’s Tartine Manufactory. Now, as the director of policy and advocacy for Safer Together, Vinny Eng’s job is to demand better health equity from our institutions. Even in the face of fear and uncertainty — Eng is a native of Monterey Park and experienced a grueling wait for news from his family as the recent mass shooting there unfolded — he insists we have more in common than what divides us. He has some recipes for getting action from systems that fail to deliver results: Channel the urgency, make a precise diagnosis, and be adaptable. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod

Fixing Our City is part of the San Francisco Chronicle’s SFNext Project

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What San Diego Got Right About Housing Vouchers Jan 24, 2023

Show notes

While the name of the federal Emergency Housing Vouchers rental subsidy program underscores how urgent finding housing is for at-risk groups, only a little more than half of the vouchers are in use in California. San Francisco has used 51% of its vouchers. But San Diego is seen as a standout success, having put more than 100% of its allotment to use on new leases. How did San Diego — the state’s second-biggest city — manage this, and can other cities take a page out of its book? | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod

Fixing Our City is part of the San Francisco Chronicle’s SFNext Project

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SFUSD Is in Trouble. What’s the New Superintendent’s Plan? Jan 17, 2023

Show notes

The San Francisco Unified School District has gone from one crisis to another, frustrating parents. Many were furious schools didn’t return to in-person instruction sooner, while others felt their kids were being pushed back into underprepared schools. Attendance, academic achievement, students’ mental health and overall enrollment were all battered by the pandemic, while longstanding racial inequalities in student achievement worsened. Dr. Matt Wayne, the new superintendent, lays out his plans for the district and mending what he calls broken trust with parents. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod

Fixing Our City is part of the San Francisco Chronicle’s SFNext Project

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Formerly Homeless Nonprofit Director Offers Solutions to the Crisis Jan 10, 2023

Show notes

As the executive director of Hospitality House, which serves primarily adults struggling with homelessness and other socioeconomic challenges, Joe Wilson has a front row seat to the situation unfolding on San Francisco’s streets. While a biennial snapshot of homelessness does show a drop in the number of unsheltered people, many residents feel the problem is not improving. Wilson says an insistence on quick solutions to problems that have vexed society for centuries is part of what’s holding us back. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod

Fixing Our City is part of the San Francisco Chronicle’s SFNext Project

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Best of FOC: How S.F. Keeps Poop Off Streets Jan 03, 2023

Show notes

Opening public toilets to address a public urination and defecation problem may not be revolutionary, but San Francisco’s Pit Stop program adds a crucial element: Attendants who make sure the toilets are used for their intended purpose only, clean up the surrounding area, and connect with visitors seeking relief. While resident reports of poop in the streets citywide have increased steadily over the years, data shows that in the Tenderloin, which has a high concentration of Pit Stops, reports have gone down. Neighbors we spoke with have rave reviews, but they want the toilets open longer. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod

This episode of Fixing Our City first published in August. We're taking a holiday break and will return with a new episode next week.

Fixing Our City is part of the San Francisco Chronicle’s SFNext Project

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Best of FOC: Why a Hole in the Ground Is “The Death in the Mission” Dec 27, 2022

Show notes

A 2015 apartment building fire at Mission and 22nd streets killed one person and displaced 50. Seven years later, there’s an empty lot, gathering trash and growing weeds. In the middle of a housing crisis. Why has nothing been built in the years since? The answers to that question are painfully emblematic of some of the biggest problems facing San Francisco. Host Laura Wenus and producer-reporter Cintia Lopez search for solutions.

This debut episode of Fixing Our City first published in June. We're taking a holiday break and will return with new episodes in the new year. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod

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Institutionalize Innovation? This Former NYC Staffer Has Ideas Dec 20, 2022

Show notes

To the average citizen, government processes can seem rigid and impenetrable. In her work across finance, municipal government, and the arts world, Sara Fenske Bahat has picked up some ideas about incorporating creativity into policy. Her experience as a New York City municipal staffer bridged the Bloomberg and Giuliani administrations, giving her insight into radically different approaches to local governance. Now, she’s interim CEO of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Fenske Bahat says leaders should be willing to experiment and listen to constituents about their needs. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod

Fixing Our City is part of the San Francisco Chronicle’s SFNext Project

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Why Can’t San Francisco Build Housing More Cheaply? Dec 13, 2022

Show notes

Housing is too expensive in San Francisco, and there’s heated disagreement about how to tackle the cost of building it. Construction and labor costs are through the roof. San Francisco has experimented with lowering the cost by having individual apartments constructed in a factory, then assembled on-site. At the SFNext Solutions Conference in October, this turned out to be a hot-button issue. John Doherty of the electrical workers union IBEW Local 6 and Jay Bradshaw of the NorCal Carpenters Union debate the merits of modular housing. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod

Fixing Our City is part of the San Francisco Chronicle’s SFNext Project.

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Pandemic Over? Not for San Francisco Restaurants Dec 06, 2022

Show notes

Bruce Hill, owner of the Italian restaurant Zero Zero, did his best to weather the uncertainty of the coronavirus. He secured PPP loans, applied for federal relief money, downsized his staff, and provided takeout and delivery. Still, he was forced to close. Hill says he isn’t sure what else San Francisco could do to keep ailing restaurants downtown afloat. Laurie Thomas, head of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, has some ideas — and says far from giving up, now is the time for urgent collaborative action. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod

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Shelter Expansion: Proponents Are Hopeful, Critics Doubtful Nov 29, 2022

Show notes

New York City’s shelter mandate, requiring the city to offer a placement to everyone who needs it without forcing anyone to accept it, is often cited as a model. Now San Francisco’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing is developing a plan to offer some kind of shelter — ranging from a safe place to pitch a tent to a more permanent solution — to everyone willing to take it. While temporary shelter alone will not solve homelessness, advocates for shelter expansion see it as a crucial step. But critics worry a major investment in shelter will come at the cost of longer-term interventions. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod

Fixing Our City is part of the San Francisco Chronicle’s SFNext Project

Got a tip, question, comment? Email us at sfnext@sfchronicle.com

The homelessness department's strategic planning town hall will be held on Monday, Dec. 5 at 5 p.m. Details: https://hsh.sfgov.org/events/strategic-planning-town-hall/

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