Supervisor Dean Preston has declared District 5 and Eviction-Free Zone, and has provided these important messages for renters:

Know your Rights!

• If you are asked to move, don’t do it. You have protections to stay in your home.
• If you are behind in rent, don’t wait – apply for rental assistance at com. Your landlord cannot evict you if you have a pending application for rent relief.
• If you get an eviction notice, you can get a free attorney to help keep you in your home. Contact the Eviction Defense Collaborative 415-659-9184 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Stay in your home!

If you have questions about your housing, tenant counselors and legal assistance groups are available to help:

Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco

415-703-8644 (English, Spanish, Chinese)

415-947-9085 (Russian)

Open Door Legal

415-735-4124

Visit in person at 1113 Fillmore Street

For more, visit sfadc.org/help

For more information visit sfadc.org/rent

Contact Supervisor Dean Preston:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

October was a newsworthy month in the Haight-Ashbury.  We learned that the planned interim use for 730 Stanyan has been abandoned.  A shooting at Haight and Central and another at Haight and Buchanan have raised safety concerns.   MUNI has announced the return of the 6 and 21 bus lines (although only part of the 21’s former route is being restored) and restoration of other bus  lines in February.

These are the most visible news stories from October.  Supervisor Dean Preston will join us for our November meeting, and will provide updates on these and other issues that affect the Haight-Ashbury.

November is also the month that we elect the HANC Board for the next twelve months.

Accompanying articles on this website provide additional details about the Board election and how to join the November meeting.

Join us on November 11 at 7:00 pm for information you won’t hear anywhere else.  Bring your questions and bring a friend.

By Calvin Welch, HANC Board

Haight-Ashbury voters, according to the latest "preliminary" vote count from San Francisco Department of Elections ( Preliminary Report 11) , cast the highest percentage of its vote against recall of any of the 23 "neighborhoods" reported by the Department of Elections: of the 10,177 votes cast in the neighborhood 9,652 (94.85%) were NO on the recall. Just as San Francisco cast the highest percentage of no votes in the state (86.1%) , the Haight-Ashbury cast the highest in San Francisco, showing once again we are the most "San Franciscan" voters in the City.

Read more ...

By Tes Welborn, HANC Board

California, and mainly other western states, have three tools of direct democracy that allow a majority of ordinary citizens to directly make or change law and to recall elected officials. The Recall allows CA voters to remove from office any statewide elected official at any time, and for any reason.

A recall must provide signatures from registered voters equaling at least 12% of the total number of ballots cast in that elected official's last election. The Initiative and the Referendum can be discussed in a future newsletter.

Read more ...

By Jim Rhoads, HANC Board

“Cosi” Lee Fabian (Harrison) Pavalko passed away on July 21, 2021.   An Ashbury Street resident for 40 years, she was vibrant and multifaceted.  She was, among other things, an artist, activist, dog walker (her dog walking service was called “Mary Poopins”), and friend to many. She was instrumental in saving the 6 Parnassus bus route for our neighborhood a few years ago, led a neighborhood senior discussion group, established her own English garden in the front yard next to her home. Cosi’s life was celebrated at the San Francisco Columbarium on Saturday, September 25th. Her niche there is in the

Aphrodite room. Please go to the obituary link below to read more of the story of her fascinating life:

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sfgate/name/cosi-pavalko-obituary?pid=200141477&_ga=2.3738608.116332451.1632849452-1762064631.1632849452

HANC drafted a letter urging SFMTA to restore the #6 and #21 bus lines.  Our letter was supported by Senior Disability Action, SF Gray Panthers SDA Transit Justice, the Chinese Immersion School at DeAvila, Neighbors United, and many individuals. 

The letter was presented at the SFMTA Board meeting on September 21.  In part, the letter states:

"SFMTA Director Jeff Tumlin says that the SFMTA 'cannot afford' to re-open all lines and refuses to say when or if the 6 and 21 will be re-activated.  SFMTA's own figures show that 70% of the riders of these lines are low income people who cannot afford another form of transportation.  Both lines form part of the MUNI 'equity strategy' and are in the top 15 (out of some 95 lines) in providing service to senior and disabled community members.  San Franciscans cannot afford NOT TO re-open the 21 and 6 lines."

The full text of the letter can be downloaded here: https://www.hanc-sf.org/the-voice-and-docs/general-reference/SFMTA---Restore-the-6-and-the-21/ .  We continue to urge the full restoration of these important neighborhood-serving bus lines.

By Christin Evans, HANC Board

At the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council’s September meeting, the first hour centered on the recent appearance of numerous automated vehicles emblazoned with corporate logos.  Representatives of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), and the companies Waymo, Cruise and Zoox were on hand to answer our community’s questions about what impact these new vehicles have.

Read more ...

We reported on Robert Leon’s passing in the April issue of the Voice (https://www.hanc-sf.org/24-home/610-in-memory-of-robert-m-leon ).  Robert’s sister, Elsie provided us with this report:

A heartfelt farewell was held for Robert Leon over the 4^th of July weekend by family and friends.  A memorial was held at Angel Island from the flagship boat of the Oakland A’s.   May Robert rest in peace.

Thank you San Francisco.