Supervisors Consider Housing Reparations to Stem African-American DisplacementRandy Shawbyline‚ Aug. 11‚ 2008The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Land Use Committee is expected to approve legislation on August 11 that gives descendants of those displaced by the Redevelopment Agency from the Western Addition and Bayview priority in obtaining affordable housing. Sponsored by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi and backed by Mayor Newsom and a Board majority, the measure is a precedent-setting and powerful strategy to stem the steadily declining number of African-Americans in San Francisco. Although the legislation gives priority to all displacees granted housing certificates by the Agency who were then unable to stay in San Francisco, the overwhelming number were African-American. This legislation comes on the heels of two other positive reforms to the city’s inclusionary housing law, showing that city political leaders remain committed toward addressing our affordable housing crisis. |