City Government

SF to Rehab Unused Public Housing for Homeless Families

Published

10 years ago

June 5, 2014

District 5 Supervisor London Breed and Mayor Ed Lee this week announced a plan to provide $2.5 million to renovate more than 160 currently unused public housing units, and prioritize homeless families for those units.

Supervisor Breed drafted an appropriation in April to fund these repairs. She worked closely with Mayor Lee to include the project is the Mayor’s 2014-2016 budget, introduced Monday.

< p>The city will provide $2 million bolstered by $450,000 of federal funding.

“I want to thank Mayor Lee for working with me to ensure that public housing is a priority in San Francisco and that homeless families are able to find homes where they can enjoy a measure of safety and comfort,” said Supervisor Breed.

“The repair and rehabilitation of these 160 unused public housing units is critical in our efforts to serve homeless families in San Francisco,” said Mayor Lee.

There are over 40 public housing developments in San Francisco, and after decades of funding shortages for public housing, hundreds of units are currently unfit for San Franciscans to live in.

The Housing Authority estimates these units can be brought back into service for an average cost of $15,000 per unit. And the work can be completed quickly.

This compares very favorably to the hundreds of thousands of dollar and years required to build new affordable housing units.

“We are thrilled to partner with the City to rehabilitate and ready 160 units for homeless families and individuals with the greatest need for housing,” said San Francisco Housing Authority Commission President Joaquín Torres.

The City’s 2013 Homeless Survey found that over 675 people in families, including hundreds of children, are homeless in San Francisco.

Citing the survey, Supervisor Breed said: “We know these families; many of them are on the existing wait-list for the San Francisco Housing Authority. By rehabilitating public housing units, we can ensure they have a place to live in San Francisco.”

“We are in the midst of one of the most severe housing crises we have seen in decades,” said Supervisor Breed. “This funding will leverage unused units to quickly and affordably make a lasting impact for hundreds of families in need.”

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Related Topics:homeless families London Breed Mayor Ed Lee public housing San Francisco

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Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

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City Government

San Pablo Appoints New Economic Development and Housing Manager

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo. Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Kieron Slaughter. Photo courtesy of the City of San Pablo

The Richmond Standard

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo.

Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Before that he was an associate planner in the City of Richmond’s Planning and Building Services Department from 2007-2015.

San Pablo City Manager Matt Rodriguez lauded Slaughter’s extensive experience in economic development, housing and planning, saying he will add a “valuable perspective to the City Manager’s Office.”

Slaughter, a Berkeley resident, will start in his new role on Nov. 12, with a base annual salary of $164,928, according to the City of San Pablo.

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City Government

Aaron Osorio Rises Up Ranks to Become Richmond’s Fire Chief

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10. “I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.” Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Richmond Fire Department Chief Aaron Osorio. Courtesy photo

By Mike Kinney

The Richmond Standard

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10.

“I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.”

Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Osorio is a San Francisco native who rose up the ranks in the Richmond Fire Department over the last 21 years before being elevated to chief.

He joined the department in 2002 and has served in multiple roles including firefighters, engineer, captain, battalion chief, training director and deputy fire chief. He said he truly loves working in this community.

While it isn’t common for a fire department to hire a chief that came up through its ranks, Osorio was credited by the city for serving Richmond well during uncommon times.

The city lauded him for developing internal policies and vaccination clinics during the initial COVID response, for supporting activation of the emergency operations center in response to a potential mudslide disaster in Seacliff last year, helping to draft mutual aid agreements and working to increase fire response capabilities for industrial incidents.

He’s also led departmental hiring and recruitment since 2018.

Osorio said it is an honor to be hired as chief and has big plans for the department moving forward. He said he wants to continue hiring and promoting for vacant positions, and also completing a strategic plan guiding the direction of the organization.

He also aims to replace and renovate a number of fire department facilities placed on the Capital Improvement Plan and create new ways to recruit that will enhance the diversity of the department.

Osorio said his experience within, and love for, the city of Richmond puts him in a good position to lead the department. He says he knows what is needed and also the challenges that are unique to the city.

“I look forward to utilizing that institutional knowledge to move the fire department forward in a positive direction and enhance the services we provide to the community,” the chief said.

Osorio holds a bachelor of science degree in Fire Administration and is also a California State Fire Marshal-certified chief officer, company officer, and state instructor.

He also holds numerous certifications in fire, rescue, hazardous material, and incident command.

The chief has been married to his wife, Maria, for 26 years and they have two sons, Roman and Mateo.