Talk about misinformation. The discredited Bay Area Housing Finance Authority yesterday admitted that they'd misrepresented in ballot language the annual cost to taxpayers of the mammoth bond by (hold on) more than $240 million (you read that right) per year. A press release from the opposition group explains how the fiasco went down, and what other false claims are being investigated.
Read MorePolling finds insufficient support for new park taxes, and city officials say citizens are increasingly fed up with constant increases to local cost of living. The Merc's report surveys the situation, and is excerpted below.
Read MoreIt sure looks like California is splitting into two groups. One, cities and counties taking heed of Gov. Newsom's call to ameliorate the unsafe conditions in homeless encampments, as enabled by the recent SCOTUS decision. And two, those who remain stuck in the pre-Grants Pass world. Fresno Bee continues its superior reporting and suggests that Fresno County has opted for #1.
Read MoreWhy did BAHFA have to pay pollsters up to $260/hour to explore the viability of RM4? If only to discover that it has--surprise--a very narrow path to victory? If voters approve RM4, BAHFA promises strict oversight of the $20 billion housing bond. Yet early signs are not encouraging, as even efforts to promote the measure have begun to burn a hole in the agency’s pocket. Documents obtained by Opp Now give a peek into BAHFA’s disconcerting spending habits. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreIt was like Christmas in late July when San Mateo County Supervisor Noelia Corzo invited constituents to an imaginary RM4 unwrapping session over Zoom: how should San Mateo spend its portion of the regional housing bond? For a meeting billed as “informational,” its announcement was inauspicious. The Opp Now team discovers that the email magically doubled the number of units RM4 would build. It also left out a troubling disparity—San Mateo could pay the region more than it gets back. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreThe exceptional Heather Knight reports for the New York Times that as SF starts to roll out a more vigorous strategy for sweeping inhumane homeless encampments, they're finding complications: unhoused who refuse offers of shelter (up to 2/3ds, says Breed) and drug crimes.
Read MoreSouthern California pols are split over the impact of the recent SCOTUS decision allowing cities to enforce no-camping laws. LA Mayor Bass is worried LA's less aggressive approach to clearing encampments will result in neighboring cities sending their homeless to the City of Angels. Long Beach Mayor and Orange County Supes say Grants Pass adds a needed tool to their homeless plan. The LA Daily News reports.
Read MoreBehind the scenes, Sacto appears to be following SF's example and getting more aggressive about alleviating the suffering at homeless encampments. The Sacramento Bee's exceptional "Reality Check" series explores.
Read MoreSF's Mayor London Breed has started offering SF homeless people a free bus ride outta town. Other big-city CA mayors worry that such aggressive actions may simply "shoo" the homeless to nearby cities with slower and more calibrated approaches than SF. Breed notes that SF's homelessness population is increasingly swelled by visitors from other cities. SF Chronicle reports.
Read MoreThe negative press on the $20 Billion Housing Tax in Regional Measure 4 (RM4) on this fall's ballot is valid, says Gregg Dieguez of 20billionreasons.com, but that press often overlooks an underlying, fatal flaw in the affordable housing market. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreA statement from the mayor’s office said the city’s “street response will consist of offers of support on a daily basis, targeted encampment resolutions, and coordinated efforts to prevent re-encampments and new areas from being encamped.” The exceptional SF Standard reports.
Read MoreTom Wolf (twitter/x@twolf) is one of the Bay Area's most articulate observers of the homelessness crisis--as well as being a recovery advocate and director of West Coast Initiatives for the Foundation For Drug Policy Solutions. He is formerly homeless and in recovery. He says the recent SCOTUS decision as well as Newsom's homelessness directive daylight the flaws in our historic approach to homelessness. From the excellent TheVoiceSF website.
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