Author Archives: BCNA Board

OFFICIAL BCNA NEWS

By Bob Harrer

The City is moving to develop an affordable housing project of 114 units on an existing parking lot at Broadway and Front streets.

The Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) is managing the project, which would be for low-income households.

Community organizations have urged the Port and MOHCD to instead build affordable housing for moderate-income households.

To date, the MOHCD has steadfastly refused to consider any other option than housing for low-income households at this site.  Indeed, they plan to include a requirement that at least 20% of the units will be set aside for “formerly homeless” families and other special situations.

MOHCD has said it will cost the City $12.5 million dollars more to build moderate-income housing due to the lack of federal subsidies.

Community organizations have brought up any number of ideas to look for other sources of funding. Continue Reading→

This is another article on the remarkable 2013-2014 San Francisco Civil Grand Jury.

Three of the Grand Jury’s six timely reports were chosen to highlight herein because of their special relevance to the Barbary Coast neighborhood. Affordable Housing and Sea Level Rise were discussed earlier. Now, the subject is the historic Port of San Francisco.

The Grand Jury’s findings and recommendations about the Port received considerable attention when the Port report was published last summer.   Continue Reading→

BCNA NEWS

It is mid-year in the Civil Grand Jury process of “government oversight,” a requirement of State law.  It would be gratifying if the 2014-2015 San Francisco Civil Grand Jury, now seated, chose topics for investigation as relevant and timely as did the 2013-2014 Civil Grand Jury.

The exceptional Grand Jury, which made its reports in the summer, selected Affordable Housing, Sea Level Rise, and the Port of San Francisco, among others, including Ethics. (BCNA is not touching the latter.)

Herewith Part 2 of rising waters, tackling the Jury members’ “Rising Sea Levels…At Our Doorstep.” Continue Reading→