Mailbox Law Reflects San Francisco’s Unique Commitment to SRO’sRandy Shawbyline‚ Apr. 04‚ 2006The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is expected to approve legislation today that requires owners of residential hotels (SRO’s) to install individual mailboxes for permanent tenants. Passage of this measure represents San Francisco’s latest effort to upgrade a housing stock that other American cities either demolished, converted, or denigrated as “flophouses.” Considering that San Francisco’s political leadership in the 1960’s and 70’s did not think twice before the Redevelopment Agency demolished thousands of SRO units in the South of Market, the turnaround has been remarkable. Once the city figures out a way to finance the rewiring of hotel rooms so that tenants can legally cook, SRO’s will come closer to the living standards of apartments than was dreamed when most of these often beautiful structures were built 70-90 years ago. |