you're watching san francisco rising. today's special guest is monique gray. >> hi. i'm chris mannis and you're watching san francisco rising. the our guest today is marquise gray. he runs out of the office of the mayor in the city and county of san francisco. and he's with us today to talk about the recent progress of the sunnidale hope sf housing project. welcome to the show. >> good morning. thank you for having me today. >> let's start by talking about the existing residents of sunnydale and their history.

>> so sunnydale was built in the 1940s for a workers. it's the largest public housing community west of the mississippi. it's about 50 acres. pretty huge. about 760 single story units one to four bedrooms. >> i understand it's an ambitious rethinking of the residences. can you briefly describe the scope of the program and hope sf's involvement? >> yeah. the work of hope sf is this idea of more than housing. that acknowledging that our public housing community, the levels of violence and poverty that are in these communities are not by accident. you know, it's our opportunity to address a system issue, you know, that people need more than housing. they need health services.

resources. economic investment opportunities, jobs and things of that nature. and so hope sf strives to work with our city systems to better serve our public housing communities. >> so recently, mayor breed and speaker pelosi toured the site to both put focus on a national housing initiative and also to highlight the completion of the first new building. how many units does it contain and when will people start moving in? >> yeah. it was an amazing event. honored to have the secretary here with us as well in our community. it's 167 units. it's about 75% going back to the original families that currently live on site. so the replacement. so i did forget to mention i want to say real quick, the beauty of hope sf is housing development, new development without displacements or anti-displacement initiatives. so, for example, the building is 167 units.

75% of those units going to families that have lived there in the community for generationings and the other 25% are tax credit units adding to the affordable housing stock here in san francisco and those units are up and running now. they're leasing them as we speak. people are picking their units each week until they're filled up. >> so was this particular building put on a new plot of land or did people have to move out so it could be constructed? >> that's a good question. our first building was vacant which you may have saw across the street from this building and then this plot of land is the way we kind of do it, we do it in phases. once one goes in, we're able to move families into the new unit and where they previously were occupying, able to demolish old buildings to build the new. so this area had some older units that were demolished. >> it's impressive that construction has been able to continue during the covid-19 pandemic.

can you talk about some of the challenges that needed to be overcome and how the community has managed during the crisis? >> that's a great question. you know, in san francisco, if i understand it correctly, i could be wrong, i believe housing was an essential service. the mayor made a strong commitment early on in the pandemic that we would continue to build housing as housing has been a critical issue in our city. so the housing part hasn't impacted us too much. 67 units have been going on its current time line. the bigger challenge for us was showing the families in our communities, low income families had the resources we need to survive the pandemic. many of our families didn't have the luxury of working from home, working in the zone and things of that nature. making sure they had access to covid testing and things of

that nature. so i want to give a big shout out to our resident leaders, our service providers across all four sites. for those that don't know, hope sf is four sites. sunnydale is one of the four sites. and so across those four sites, the most critical thing was making sure folks in these neighborhoods which have historically have been disconnected from resources have the things that they need to remain healthy, to, you know, survive the pandemic as we all had to survive the pandemic and we did pretty well. we were able to bring back scenes and covid testing on site. food distribution was happening all throughout the week. wellness services and things of that nature were all happening on site thanks to our resident leaders and our service providers across the sites. >> so, finally, when could we expect the next set of residents to be ready?

despite -- i guess we just said covid doesn't have an impact on the schedule. when will the next residences be ready? >> yeah. things are rolling. we have block a3 and block b3 to the building we were referring to earlier. and things are on pace. things are going really well. so we're looking at starting construction spring of 2022 and that will be 170 units and the goal is to have that lease up around 2024. >> well, thank you so much. i really appreciate you coming on the show, mr. gray. thank you for giving us the time today. >> thank you, chris, and i really appreciate your time as well. >> and that's it with this episode. you've been watching san francisco rising for sfgov tv i'm chris manners. thanks so much for watching.

>> hi, you are watching san francisco rising. focused on reimagines our city. our guest is debbie rafael director of san francisco department of environment to talk about climate action plan. welcome. >> thank you. it is a pleasure to be here. >> thank you, too. i have seen the climate action plan. it is a very detailed document that might be a little incontinue dating to digest is there a simple way to summit up? >> you are right. this is a science-based document. we are very, very proud of the rigor. over 150 implementable actions to achieve net zero emissions by

2040. i think i can summarize everything in the plan in four words. zero 80-100 roots. that is all you need to know and think about when you think about your own climate action plan. let me explain a little bit more. zero. zero waste. landfill incineration. zero toxics. cutting down what you buy altogether. that is really how we are going to reduce emissions upstream from all of the manufacturing and mining that happens because of the decisions we make about what we buy. zero. everything in your blue and green bins. as little as you can in your black bins. 80% of trips in sustainable low carbon mode. public transit, bike, walk, carpool. think about the ways you can

move around the city, achieve mobility without having to get into your own personal vehicle. 100. 100% renewable energy. that means, first of all, reduce the energy you use. energy efficiency. when you use it whatever source of energy it is, it needs to be all electric. carbon free. that means getting off diesel and gasoline. natural gas heats our homes. it is used in cooking and cooling in buildings. 100% of that energy we use needs to be electric and needs to be supplied by renewable electricity. very easy in san francisco. you can buy 100% renewable clean power s.f., pg&e has 100%

renewable. zero, 80, 100. that is how we do bad in the world. we need to pull out the carbon in the air. we do that with roots. using your green bin. every banana pill, dirty pizza box, eggshell put in the green bin. it becomes compost that is spread over agricultural lands radically changing soil chemistries, improving health of soil,ability to retain water and pulling carbon out of the air to store underground. 180 pages of carbon action zero, 80, 100, roots. >> individual responsibilities really are important. we have a big part to play. how is this dealing with

corporations and big businesses? producers of co2 and methane? are we putting pressure on the manufacturers, producers and distributors? >> that is a fair question. as individuals we have an important role to play. it only goes so far. san francisco has been a global environmental leader for decades. the policies how we hold others to act has driven action at state and federal level. there are two ways that san francisco applies this pressure, as you call it, on others. first our authority to pass laws. second is to exercise our power as purchasers. let me give you examples. how do we pass laws? mandated city-wide composting, banned natural gas in that construction, all new buildings in san francisco will be all

electric, and will be operating on 100% renewable electricity. that is the law. required installation of easy charging in parking lots, large commercial buildings right now convert to 100% renewable energy and electricity. we ban materials that can't become posted or repsych-- composted or resickled. we banned styrofoam takeout containers years ago. more recently be banned p fox a forever chemical in the packaging making it impossible for it to ever breakdown. that second bucket is really interesting and very powerful and very quick. that is our power as purchasers to move the market. send signals to the market place. the kinds of computers the city buys. use the highest standard of

environmental performance to drive manufacturers like apple and microsoft to make changes to the way they build the electronics. we have carpet standards to get rid of chemicals and plastics like pvc and rubber chemicals driving the marketplace. those are very effective tools. you are absolutely right. it is an and not an or. >> what challenges do we face as we pursue our goals. you mentioned one. >> the overarching challenge we need to bring everyone along. i mean that in the broadest sense of that word. this will cost money to change natural gas water heaters, get off gasoline in cars. that is a cost. how are we going to raise

revenue so we don't cause undue burden on those who can afford it least? those are most impacted by the impacts of climate change and pandemics as well. how are we going to raise the revenues we are going to need to help everyone who needs it. secondly the changes will require significant political will. how will we build more housing. there is a section in housing in the climate action plan. as the mayor says housing policy is climate policy. we need to get out of cars and support transit and biking and walking. some is resources. some is political will. finally, some of the changes we need don't exist yet. we need new technology, we need research to new ways of doing

things. our ski can't be responsible for that. how do we align with the people with the big bucks, state, federal government for research and technologies are developed to help us meteorchallenges. >> san francisco is known as the forefront of environmental movement. what are you most encouraged about for san francisco and climate efforts? >> end on the positive. it is easy when it comes to city and county of san francisco. i call it the eco system. there is a tremendous power in the willingness of the san francisco ecosystem to work together to take action. that ecosystem are the residents first and foremost. elected officials and mayor, businesses and frankly also our city staff. that ecosystem gives me great hope. in fact, it is working quite well. the numbers show it.

san francisco has reduced its emissions of carbon from 1990. that was the baseline to 2019 by 31%. that is a phenomenal number and the envy of cities around the world. 31% reduction in carbon at the same time that our population has grown by 22% and economy g.d.p. by 200%. those numbers send a very important message. that message is that it is possible and san francisco is proof of this. it is a rising city and environmentally conscious one. we can reduce emissions and still have a thriving city. that gives me tremendous hope and democracy is important for people who share your values. thank you. >> thank you so much.

i really appreciate you coming on the show. thank you for your time you have given us today. >> thank you, chris. it is an honor. >> we will be back with another episode shortly. you are watching san francisco rising. for sfgovtv thanks for watching.

you're watching san francisco rising with chris manors. today's special guest is dr. steven zutnick. >> hello. the show is focused on restarting, rebuilding, and reimagining our city. the director of the therapy center of san francisco and he's a professor in counseling psychology at usf. he's here today to talk to us about resocializing, and returning to the office. welcome to the show.

>>. >> thanks, chris. good to be back. >> as we re-open, people are having different reactions. some are embracing the recent shifts while others are having a hard time readjusting. >> yes. i think it's an excellent question. my basic bias on this i think to give you a general overview is we ought to be following cdc suggestions and requirements, what they say, because that's where a lot of the things come. should i wear a mask. should i not wear a mask. my answer is, yes, absolutely. i think we should wear a mask. i think we should social distance. it not only makes an impact on covid, it makes an impact on other diseases as well. as you and i were chatting, the deaths from flu usually average

30,000 a year. we've had 2,500 deaths from the flu so far this year, but at the very least, you need to be vaccinated. >> going back to the office is also an issue. there are some people are thrilled returning to work, others are nervous about it and there's a group of people who've been working onsite all along. let's start with those who are worried about returning to the office. what can be done to relieve their concerns? >> i think identifying a cohort of colleagues, fellow workers who you can just talk to and share experiences with. you know, when you look at the advantages of groups, the major one is when we sit and talk to other people, we suddenly discover, oh, this isn't just me, i'm not some strange guy here. so everybody else i'm talking to is worried about the same thing. i think that will raise awareness among people.

to say, oh, i don't know, what are we going to do? do we have fresh air in here? can we open some windows? does the boss care if i wear a mask? >> how about those who've been going to work all along. possibly the most traumatized. how would you talk to them about managing the possible stress and resentment they may have been feeling. >> the most at-risk population is the essential worker who because they are also one of the lowest paid populations, have taken the biggest hits and the most risks. they're still at high risk. so they're dealing with a lot. they're dealing with depression, anxiety, insomnia quite a bit. and you've got a lot of ptsd by

the way one last point on the health care workers. that's the tip of the iceberg. these are also the people who often have the least access to therapy. so we've got all these people out of there who've been in the trenches the entire time, never had a break, suffering a lot of trauma, and there are no services available for them. >> lastly, let's talk about management. with varying attitudes towards the lifting of restrictions, there may be some struggles in the work place. how would you advise management to ease the transition? >> management can encourage vaccination or require it. they can keep masks, physical distance, hand washing, all of these things. and hopefully management will be responsive. i think, you know, given the title that the series, this is all new. we're all just moving in to a whole new phase. we haven't begun to see the

research that's going to come out of what we've just been through. we've been through a terrible pandemic. there's been a huge toll and i don't think we've seen the tip of the iceberg on the impact. >> do you have any final thoughts to share? >> yeah. i think this pandemic has highlighted a lot of things. for me, certainly, is mental health professional and a behavioral scientist. it's clear to me, we need to educate people about science. this is not unknowable to people. the basic of science is constant questioning. when you ask a question in research, you get one answer and about five new questions. things evolve continuously. so, yeah, when the cdc first came out a year and a half ago, they said, no, we don't need masks and then they said oh, we

do and then everybody went crazy. oh, look how bad the sciencetists are. that's exactly what science does. we thought we didn't need it. then we discovered it was air born. i think we're seeing we have huge holes in the health care system and conversely, i think we're finding with the vaccination, what it means for everyone to have access to health care without worrying about how am i going to pay for it. so i think this is really forcing us to look at everything. it's been a very difficult time. it's going to continue to be a difficult time for people, but i think that's also getting us to look at some really critical issues in health care. >> well, thank you so much for coming on the show dr. zlotnick. well, thanks again. we'll be back with another episode of san francisco rising

shortly. for sfgov tv i'm chris manors. thanks for watching. we are celebrating the glorious grand opening of the chinese rec center. ♪ 1951, 60 years ago, our first kids began to play in the chinese wrecks center -- rec center. >> i was 10 years old at the time. i spent just about my whole life here. >> i came here to learn dancing. by we came -- >> we had a good time. made a lot of friends here. crisises part of the 2008 clean

neighborhood park fund, and this is so important to our families. for many people who live in chinatown, this is their backyard. this is where many people come to congregate, and we are so happy to be able to deliver this project on time and under budget. >> a reason we all agreed to name this memorex center is because it is part of the history of i hear -- to name this rec center, is because it is part of the history of san francisco. >> they took off from logan airport, and the call of duty was to alert american airlines that her plane was hijacked, and she stayed on the phone prior to the crash into the no. 9 world

trade center. >> i would like to claim today the center and the naming of it. [applause] >> kmer i actually challenged me to a little bit of a ping pong -- the mayor actually challenge me to a little bit of a ping- pong, so i accept your challenge. ♪ >> it is an amazing spot. it is a state of the art center. >> is beautiful. rights i would like to come here and join them

sustainability mission, even though the bikes are very minimal energy use. it still matters where the energy comes from and also part of the mission in sustainability is how we run everything, run our business. so having the lights come on with clean energy is important to us as well. we heard about cleanpowersf and learned they had commercial rates and signed up for that. it was super easy to sign up. our bookkeeper signed up online, it was like 15 minutes. nothing has changed, except now we have cleaner energy. it's an easy way to align your environmental proclivities and goals around climate change and it's so easy that it's hard to not want to do it, and it doesn't really add anything to the bill.

>> welcome to our city's newest park, the park at 5m. welcome to our city's newest hub of creativity, commerce, and community. welcome, everyone, to 5m. [applause] >> this is an exciting day that has been more than a decade in the making, but it's just the start of great things to come for the people who live, work, and spend time here at 5m. when we broke ground, we were surrounded by four acres of mostly parking lots. today, brookfield properties is proud to announce the completion of its development commitment. the first is the par