Ingleside Terraces Homes Association

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Ingleside Terraces Homes Association has taken an active role in issues that impact our neighborhood during its over century of existence. News and issues that are of particular interest to our neighborhood will be posted here. Please visit regularly. Join our discussions on these topics by going to our Ingleside Terraces Forum. Alternatively, you can use email via the Ingleside Terraces GoogleGroups group. Instructions on how to join are here.

As written in the entries below, the state lead by Sen. Scott Weiner has been trying to remake our urban communities by removing single-family neigborhoods through any legislative means possible. Their latest tactic has been to declare the lack of afforable housing as a "State Emergency" which gives them the power to override local community-based zoning. In addition, they have used the Housing Element process to force cities to meet Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) goals that have never been adjusted for the post-pandemic exodus from cities and the state itself. In the case of San Francisco, we have a goal of 82,069 units over the next 8 years which is 400% of what our goal was for the last one. This goal is also not a single number but has inividual goals for 3 sub-categories of "affordable housing". Over 46,000 of our RHNA goal must be below market - 20,867:
Low & Very Low Income,12,014 Low Income, and 13,717 Moderate Income. The combination of the recent state housing laws and the Housing Element is set to have a dramatic negative impact on the character and community of the westside.

For those not yet aware, our entire neighborhood is impacted by the Breed-Engardio Housing bill working its way through the BoS legislative process. It permits without recourse 4-plexes on virtually any lot and 6-plexes (65’ height) on corners. Take a look at SF Planning's Housing Element Legislation Tracker page for more details. The below areas in blue are covered by that legislation.

The saving grace so far is that the cost of such multi-family housing does not pencil out in today’s market. It’s twice as valuable to renovate a single-family home versus even market-rate housing. New construction is at $1000/sq.ft and financiers need a 20% margin to risk building in the City. This is also why SF Planning is not stopping there. Note that Ocean Ave. and Junipero Serra Blvd. are not in blue. This is not because they are not eligible, but because there is higher density planned for all major streets on the westside. Below is their proposed rezoning taken from an interactive map available here.

Many of you have used email via our GoogleGroups’s lists to alert neighbors to a situation or emergency. The problem is that most neighbors have to check their computers to see that alert. We are announcing a new text message service exclusively for IT residents. Once you have opted into this free service and provided your phone number, alerts can then be phoned into our hotline at 415-275-0162 and we will push them via text message to you in a much more timely manner.

This service is not a replacement for using 911, 311, or the non-emergency police line. This is a complimentary way to alert neighbors to a situation such as a flooded intersection, coyote presence, downed trees or power lines, etc. We will also occasionally use this service to let you know about neighborhood meetings and events.

You do need to opt into this service, but it is very easy by clicking ITHA Service Form and filling it in. You’ll see a sign-up form asking for your name and address to confirm you’re a neighbor and your phone number to receive text messages. Be assured that you are only giving that information to us, and no one will use your number for messages not sent by us.

We have also set up a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page and an area for you to ask questions or submit comments and suggestions on our ITHA Forum.

The mission of ITHA’s Fortify Ingleside Terraces (FIT) program is to protect the health and well-being of residents, especially the vulnerable, during times of stress. A big part of our approach is to increase the level of connection among all residents before, during and after a disaster. Over the past few weeks we, and the whole world, have been inspired by the videos of Italians taking to their balconies and joining in song despite being sequestered in their homes. This communal act brings hope and a sense of community to everyone who can hear their music. One of the Miraloma Park volunteers came up with the idea of everyone putting a lamp (not a candle!) in their front window and leaving it on until they go to bed to create a sense of community among our residents, many of whom may feel isolated and alone during this time. This is the Unity Light in the Night campaign, and we hope you’ll join this simple and visible way to let your neighbors know that we are in this together - even as we follow the guidelines to stay home and maintain social distancing.

Become a FIT Team Volunteer

During this time, it’s critical that we all pull together as a community. To enable this, we are activating a Fortify Ingleside Terraces (FIT) team of volunteers of provide our neighborhood with the organizational infrastructure and resources to empower everyone during times of stress. If you can assist for any amount of time, day or evening, our homebound seniors or those not able to fend for themselves, please take a moment and fill out our FIT Team volunteer form by clicking here.

Register to get the Latest Updates

San Fransciso has set up a special SMS Text serivce for you to get immediate updates sent to your phone.
Text COVID19SF to 888-777 to get text alerts for official updates.

Read the Latest San Francisco Health Order

The City has just updated their Shelter-In-Place Health Order with significant new restrictions that limit activities outside of households. Please read the full order located at https://www.sfdph.org/dph/alerts/coronavirus-healthorders.asp.

San Francisco COVID-19 Services

Download latest Services Guide Updates here.

Below are some additional City resources:

• Wellness Checks – Contacting the non-emergency services at 415-555-0123 allows you to register to receive a wellness check twice a day via phone call. You will be asked a few questions to ensure you are still healthy and not in need of services. Language and hearing-impaired service is available.
• Meals On Wheels – If you over 60 and either homebound or unable to shop and prepare meals for yourself, San Francisco offers their Home-Delivered Meals program. You can contact them at 415-355-6700 or the main line at 415-920-1111. Further information is also available at www.mowsf.org.
• Meal Delivery For Seniors - Great Plates SF - (415) 355-6700 ? Temporary food program that serves older adults who are at heightened risk due to COVID-19.
  • To Enroll: (415) 355-6700 ? 60-64 and in high-risk categories (i.e., people who have received a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, have been exposed to COVID-19, or who have underlying health conditions).
    • Living alone or with one other adult who also meets these criteria.
    • Income eligibility: Earning less than $74,940 for a single-person household or $101,460 for two-person households.
  • Helpline available seven days a week, from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Support is provided in multiple languages.
  • Seniors who currently receive state or federal food assistance such as CalFresh or home-delivered meals should contact the DAS helpline
  • Additional information about Great Plates Delivered SF:http://www.sfhsa.org/GreatPlates
• EBT/CalFresh online
  • Sign-up: To use your SNAP EBT card,t www.Amazon.com/SNAP/Register. If not existing Amazon customer: Need to create an account and add your SNAP EBT card plus zip code. Can also add an EBT card during checkout. Will not need to enter a credit card. If order is over $35 delivery is Free. If under $35 there is a delivery charge. SNAP EBT funds can only be used for SNAP-eligible food items. Look for the “SNAP EBT eligible” label near the product name.
  • Frequently Asked Questions: http://GetCalFresh.org or Call 1-877-847-3663 (FOOD) Find an office at CalFreshFood.org.
• Free Meals for Children – SFUSD will provide free meals to all children 18 and younger during school closure. You can find pick-up sites, hours, and details athttps://www.sfusd.edu/services/health-wellness/nutrition-school-meals.
• Emergency Child Care – SF Parks and Rec will provide free child care to the children of health care workers and low-income families. You can find sites, times, and details at www.sf.gov.
• Open City Services – You can find out which City services are open at https://sf.gov/information/city-services-whats-open.
• Coronavirus Testing – You can find out how to get tested for coronavirus at https://sf.gov/find-out-how-get-tested-coronavirus. First step: Call your doctor or 311 if none.
• Info or Sign up for CalFresh (food stamps) and Medical- (415) 557-6555 https://www.getcalfresh.org/
• District 7 Food Pantry- We are hoping to add a few others soon!
  • Stonestown YMCA – Wednesdays, 12-4pm; Address: 333 Eucalyptus Dr. (bus #28- 19th Ave,Stop @ 19th Ave. & Eucalyptus Dr)
  • The Father’s House – Thursdays, 5-6pm; Address: 269 Herbst Rd (Close to Pomeroy Rec- likely too far of a walk from the #29)
  • Holy Trinity - Saturdays, 11:30am-12:30pm; Address: 999 Brotherhood Way (close to Park Merced and along the #29)
  • First United Presbyterian Day: Saturdays, 10:45am-12pm; Address: 1740 Sloat Blvd (Close Sloat and 36th, Bus #29)
• Essential Trip Support-SFMTA discount taxi program   
  • Essential Trip Card -- a discount program to help seniors and people with disabilities make essential trips using taxis during this crisis.
  • What's the discount? Registered customers will pay only 20% of the cost of a regular cab ride! (Customers can either pay $6 to receive a $30 value taxi debit card or $12 to receive a $60 value debit card. This will cover 2-3 round trips per month.)
  • What trips can you take? The program subsidizes taxi rides for essential trips like going to the grocery store, pharmacy or a necessary medical visit.   
  • Who is eligible? Seniors 65+ and people with disabilities.
  • To apply: Call 311 and mention the Essential Trip Card. (Language assistance is available.) Staff is available M-F 9:00 am - 4:45 pm. You can pay using credit card, check or going to the SFMTA office
  • For all the details: visit: SFMTA.com/ETC or Call 311. 
• Seniors Staying Active and Connected
  • Community Living Campaign has switched its in-person classes to online meetings and is hosting virtual hangouts, singalongs, and low-impact exercise classes over Zoom. - They have Music Mondays, Tech Tuesdays, Wellness Wednesdays, Thinking Thursdays, and Fun Fridays that includes yoga, meditation, and cooking classes and guest speakers such as nurses, - To get connected, email Community Living Campaign at info@sfcommunityliving.org or call 415-821-1003
  • Friendship line - Institute on Aging’s 24-hour toll-free Friendship Line geared toward 60+ and adults living with disabilities. Both a crisis intervention hotline and a warmline for non-emergency emotional support calls. Trained volunteers specialize in offering a caring ear and having a friendly conversation with older adults experiencing depression and loneliness. 800-971-0016
• Be Vigilant: There are no City programs where staff go door-to-door without appointments.

Our Fortify Ingleside Terraces Hotline

One of the services our FIT Team volunteers will be providing is timely response to a neighborhood hotline we have set up. This should not be considered as an alternative to 911 or other City emergency services, but a resource for less urgent assistance. We are planning on offering assistance with grocery shopping, prescription pick-up, wellness calls, etc. The number is 415-275-0162, and you will be asked to identify yourself before being connected. Be advised that you may have to leave a message for a return call.

What You Can Do Today

• Join the Ingleside Terraces FIT Team.
• Join the Unity Light in the Night campaign.
• Text COVID19SF to 888-777
• Write down/Add to you contacts the City and ITHA service numbers
• Download and print a complete info flyer here.
• Read the Updated Health Order as of March 31st to May 3rd here.

The new year has brought us fresh attempts in our State House at removing local control over residential zoning and single family neighborhoods. Two bills in particular are so concerting that betides the letters we have written, I am asking you to join in our opposition. Senate Bill 50 authored by our own Senator Scott Weiner is his attempt at a redux of SB827 that we successfully opposed last year. This year he has changed tactics. Instead of a frontal assault at overriding local zoning, this bill gives developers state-based rights to construct multi-unit dwellings up to 55’. Additionally, In the case of 1/4 mi of a transit corridor such as Ocean which includes Ingleside Terraces, the height can extend to 85’ with the State Density Bonus passed in 2015 and updated for this year. Height isn’t the only dimension that is extended. Floor Area Ratio has been increased to 3.25 which means rear yards and setbacks are not off limits. The net result is the state is providing developers a “build-by-right” capability virtually anywhere in the City and eliminates any concept of a protected single family neighborhood.

This assault continues with Assembly Member Phil Ting’s AB 68. This bill prohibits City from restricting any accessary dwelling units (ADUs) that can be built anywhere on your lot with only a 4’ setback that is at least 800 sq. ft. and is 16’ in height. What this means is that a typical San Francisco lot with previously unbuildable backyards can now add 2 ADUs if so inclined and the City nor neighbors are powerless to prevent this. This is on top of the inside ADU or in-law unit the City already allows. Neither of these bills concern themselves with the impact on utilities, transportation, parking, emergency services, etc. They naively assume that these fixed and limited resources will simply be there.

Just as we did last year this misguided effort can be stopped, but it is going to need our legislatures hearing from you.

I use the term “misguided” because many who support this density effort consider housing a commodity. As such it doesn’t matter where it is located or what its density is as housing is interchangeable - four walls and a roof. People do not move to or desire to live in cities and states - they choose communities and neighborhoods. Density is a major factor in that decision and significantly impacts the quality of life, character or desirability of a neighborhood. If you value our community, please act today and write or phone our legislators. Contact information is also included on the website; however, for those who don’t procrastinate Senator Weiner’s number is 916-651-2011 and Assembly Member Ting’s is 916-319-2019.

I have included the following reference links and example letters from which you can investigate further and provide your own feedback.

SB 50 Bill Online

WTPCC Letter to State Legislators

Presentation to SF Planning on SB50 Impact

Stop-SB50 Map and Website

Welcome to Wienerville by George Wooding

SF Board of Supervisors GAO Committee Hearing - SB50 Opposition

State Senate Housing Committee Contacts

State Assembly Housing and and Community Committee Contacts

IMPORTANT: There will also be a public hearing at the Land Use Committee Meeting on Monday, March 24 at 1:30pm in City Hall. This will be the only public hearing on this legislation! Attend if you can.

Many of you may have read David Chiu's article Fighting to Preserve Affordable Housing in SF in the SF Examiner. As is typical with proposed "beneficial" legislation, it is rationalized by anecdotal cases, promises what it cannot deliver, and is silent on the full consequences of its passage. Your ITHA Board, at its January meeting this past week, voted to take a formal position opposing this legislation as not only does it subvert our CC&R's but will permanently remove single-family homes from not only our neighborhood but the entire city.

What is not revealed in David's article is that once an in-law unit is legalized the entire home goes under rent control permanently as a multi-unit residence no longer protected by the Ellis Act. Additionally, the unit can never be removed to convert the home back to single family. This is an attempt to perform a legislative end-around the failures of previous re-zoning attempts to remove single-family homes.

To be clear, this is not addressing the renting of rooms in a home - but actual secondary units that include a kitchen. As you might imagine there are legitimate safety concerns as a percentage of these were not done to code. Does the City know or put forth this percentage? No, they don't but, instead throw out a 40,000 number based on un-named surveys and assume all were not done to code. The idea that now "legalizing" these units will grow affordable housing is entirely unsubstantiated. According to real estate agents I have talked to, having such a residence without Ellis Act protection and under rent control, significantly reduces the value of a home by 20% or more. Not only is there no financial incentive to do this but, the legalization will cost money thus making the units less affordable or the homeowner will totally eat the cost. Of course any legalization would also be deemed a property improvement by the City, thus triggering a property tax re-evaluation upwards. Quite frankly, we don't see homeowners lining up to legalize.

Now, to be fair, even if we were to accept this 40,000 number, it includes illegal or should I say un-documented units that exist in multi-unit buildings as well, such as flats, duplexes, etc. As these are already zoned multi-unit and under rent control, they are in an entirely different classification. Neither I, nor your Board has an issue with providing them with a path to legalization.

The result of this ITHA Board resolution, is a letter putting forth arguments and rationale as to why this legislation should not be brought forward for single-family homes. You may read this letter here. In addition the West of Twin Peaks Central Council which is made up of 20 neighborhood associations in western San Francisco has also taken a position opposing this legislation which can be read here.

Finally, as with any group of this size and diversity, there will be those who are in support of this legislation despite its neighborhood impact. I respect that; however, your ITHA Board is obligated under its bylaws to oppose legislation that will subvert our CC&Rs. Thanks in advance for your understanding.

If you are likewise concerned, we ask that you make you opinion known by send a letter or email today to our Board of Supervisors, the Land Use and Economic Development Committee and the mayor. Feel free to use any of the arguments in the linked documents above and read the actual legislation at the links below.

Full Text of Ordinance

Legislative Digest of Ordinance

Mark Scardina

President, ITHA