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Less than 24 hours after Proposition I\u2014the measure calling for a temporary moratorium on luxury housing in San Francisco\u2019s rapidly economically and ethnically changing Mission District\u2014was voted down, community activists celebrated the measures that did pass, and vowed to move forward in their fight for affordable housing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would be lying if I didn\u2019t acknowledge some disappointment,\u201d said Proposition I supporter Christina Olague from the steps of City Hall on Nov. 4. Olague is the former president of the city\u2019s planning commission and a former supervisor. \u201cBut what I know from personal experience, is that there is much to learn from losing. We will not hide in the shadows of this moment, but we will continue to build a citywide movement that we have witnessed emerging over the past few months.\u201d<\/p>\n
Proposition I garnered 55,543 votes (42.65 percent) citywide. That tally was one that supporters viewed with optimism, given the vast amounts of funding given to the \u201cNo on Prop I\u201d campaign from large developers and real estate firms.<\/p>\n
Gabriel Medina, policy manager of the Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA), was confident that the only reason Proposition I was defeated was due to money, calculating that developers spent $24 per vote to defeat the measure, while supporters spent less that $3 per vote.<\/p>\n
But despite voters turning down Proposition I, supporters of the measure say they\u2019ll continue to resist luxury development until the city\u2019s affordable housing needs are met, and will likewise continue with their neighborhood stabilization and affordable housing strategies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Mission has not been as united as it is now,\u201d said Scott Weaver, a former tenants\u2019 rights attorney and author of Proposition I. \u201cAnd we\u2019re moving that momentum forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
That unity within has spread from the Mission to surrounding neighborhoods, all of which are facing similar issues to those that are plaguing the Mission.<\/p>\n
Prominent figures who voiced support for the Mission community included: Bayview pastor Yul Dorn; Richmond<\/p>\n
District Program Director at the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco Joseph Smooke; Excelsior resident and City College trustee Brigitte Davila; Soma activist John Elberling; and Tenderloin native and Plaza 16 member Chirag Bhakta.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs good as we are individually, I understand that we\u2019re better together,\u201d said Dorn. \u201cI am more ready to fight than I was yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n
The \u201cYes on I\u201d campaign faced an uphill well before the November election. More than 400 recruited individuals, volunteers and donors rallied to gather over 15,000 signatures in 19 days so that the measure could make it on to the ballot.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe working poor and the middle class who live in our community have the right to remain in our community,\u201d said Santiago \u201cSam\u201d Ruiz, executive director of Mission Neighborhood Centers. \u201cThe dormant giant became alive, and we have taken the first steps.\u201d<\/p>\n
Proposition F\u2014the measure that attempted to regulate short-term housing platforms such as Airbnb, which have taken rental units off the housing market\u2014also failed. Airbnb reportedly spent more than $8 million to defeat Proposition F.<\/p>\n
Other results<\/strong><\/p>\n In a move that will almost certainly shift the balance of power of San Francisco\u2019s Board of Supervisors, former board president Aaron Peskin beat out current supervisor Julie Christensen for the District 3 seat. Peskin won by more than 1,000 votes.<\/p>\n \u201cProgressives have taken back the board of supervisors,\u201d District 9 Supervisor David Campos said. \u201cSupervisor Peskin\u2019s victory in the District 3 race means that now we can collectively pass legislation reflecting our community values.\u201d<\/p>\n Others rejoiced in the victories of other measures favoring affordable housing.<\/p>\n \u201cYesterday\u2019s election, we won. We won because three years ago we said we needed funding for the Mission to build affordable housing; Prop A won,\u201d said Roberto Hernandez, of Our Mission No Eviction.<\/p>\n Proposition A, the affordable housing measure, which passed with 73.49 percent of the votes, is a bond worth $310 million\u2014$50 million of which will be allocated to the Mission District.<\/p>\n Proposition D, the Mission Rock development, likewise received overwhelming support with 73.37 percent of the votes. Of Mission Rock\u2019s approximate 1,500 homes, 40 percent will be below-market-rate.<\/p>\n \u201cThat [40 percent], we will demand be the new standard for all development in San Francisco,\u201d Hernandez said. Proposition J, which establishes a preservation fund for legacy businesses who are at risk of displacement, also passed with 56.71 percent of the votes.<\/p>\n Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi lost his reelection bid to Vicki Hennessy, with Hennessy winning 61 percent of the vote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" November 3, election day saw Mayor Lee re-elected and the defeat of Props I and F, but Props A, D and J all passed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":28319,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3929],"tags":[6711,5769,6877,6471,3625,3637,3628,3630,3631,5247,6875],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-28313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en","tag-2015-elections","tag-aaron-peskin","tag-amy-farah-weiss","tag-francisco-herrera-en","tag-proposition-a","tag-proposition-d-en","tag-proposition-f","tag-proposition-i","tag-proposition-j","tag-ross-mirkarimi-en","tag-stuart-schuffman","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nProposition K, which voters approved by 73.28 percent, will provide surplus property to include the building of affordable housing for certain low-income households.<\/p>\n