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NOPNANews
nopna.org A Publication of the North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association
Spring 2023
UNDERSTANDING
by Ryan Booth
IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD
Homelessness is a complex and pressing
issue that affects many cities across the United States,
including San Francisco. NOPNA has met with many
officials and hosted several neighborhood meetings to
discuss homelessness in our community.
The Department of Homelessness and Supportive
Housing (HSH) is the central resource for public assistance
in San Francisco. It promotes well-being and self-sufficiency
among individuals, families, and communities. The Street
Crisis Response Team is affiliated with HSH and responds
to people in crisis without involving the police.
At recent NOPNA meetings, HSH representatives shared
key data about San Francisco’s homeless population.
For instance, there are currently 7,700 people experiencing
homelessness on any given night in San Francisco, with
4,000 of them unsheltered. More housing is needed to
meet the total need. On average, only 30 extra beds are
available per night in shelters, but the total number can vary.
Also, while the city saw a 3.5% decrease in homelessness
from 2019 to 2022, our neighborhood saw a 92% increase
from 363 to 697. The city decrease seems directly tied
to increased city spending on homelessness. The lack
of sufficient housing and shelter means sweeps force
unhoused people to relocate from one neighborhood
to another.
(continued on page 3)
HOMELESSNESS 2 | NOPNANews
FROM THE BOARD
WE’RE BACK!
North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association
(NOPNA) came alive last year! We brought back all
our regular events. We celebrated summertime with
a Summer Block Party (which brought awesome local
bands to the neighborhood), got spooky with a four-block neighborhood
Halloween trick or treat party (with a special performance by the University
of San Francisco Dons band and cheerleaders), and made San Francisco’s
Phoenix Day a tradition (in partnership with Christine at NOPA Corner
Market)! We rounded off the year with a thank you celebration for our hard-
working volunteers and sponsors at Club Waziema. Without them, literally
none of these events would’ve been possible.
Martin Almaraz
NOPNA President
However, 2022 was not all parties and music. From October through
December the people of NOPA, Alamo Square, and Lower Haight banded
together to help over 50 people and businesses displaced by three fires
in the neighborhood.
All this to say, we’re eager to continue to come together. NOPNA continues
to gain experience and new members with the goal of keeping the good stuff
going and possibly bringing some new events to the neighborhood.
Community Events
Our main focus at NOPNA is building community and bringing people
together. We’re committed to continuing to host all our best events this
year — this includes providing support for Art Walks and Sunday Streets
in our neighborhood.
Volunteering
We need YOU to help us keep things going and ensure our events run smoothly
and safely throughout the year. We also want to encourage you to attend
our bi-monthly neighborhood meetings where you can learn more about
volunteering opportunities. If you don’t want to wait, email board@nopna.org.
Community Health
NOPA is a wonderful neighborhood, a gem in the heart of the city. We’re a
community that cares about the people around us, and in 2022 it really showed.
NOPNA will continue to support those in need in the coming year. Several
grassroots movements have started within our borders to fight for San
Francisco and provide needed services, including permanent supportive
housing to those unhoused in our community. We’ll continue to promote
and support RefuseRefuse, a volunteer-led group for trash pickup along our
corridors, and work with the city, supervisors, and businesses to reduce the
impact of graffiti on our community.
We look forward to coming together throughout the year and working with you.
NOPNA News is published by the
North of Panhandle Neighborhood
Association for the residents, businesses,
and friends of our neighborhood, which is
bounded by Masonic Avenue and Turk, and
Divisadero and Fell Streets.
PUBLISHER
NOPNA Board of Directors
MANAGING EDITOR
Chrissy Loader
COPY EDITORS
Jason Cauthen,
Nathan Lovejoy
LAYOUT AND GRAPHIC DESIGN
Brenda Drake Lesch
BUSINESS OUTREACH / ADVERTISING
Caitlin Stanton
DISTRIBUTION
Will Valentine
PRINTING
Image Printing, San Francisco
NOPNA’s Mission: The purpose
of this association shall be to
establish neighborhood unity,
maintain multi-ethnic and multi-
cultural diversity, foster a sense
of neighborhood pride, promote a
safe and clean community, and
improve the quality of life for
all residents of the neighborhood.
Make a difference on our streets and be-
come a member today!
Contact NOPNA
Martin is a lifelong cyclist and avid film photographer. You can
always find him in the Panhandle or lost at Ocean Beach!
Sign up for our
email newsletter!
continued from page 1
UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS
issue 1 : 2023 | 3
one cause of homelessness. They
say not enough housing is available
at costs that would enable everyone
to be housed. The vast majority of
people with substance abuse issues
or behavioral health challenges are
housed and these characteristics
aren’t what’s causing homelessness,
even if they do add to the
difficulties of someone experiencing
homelessness.
One area of concern for NOPA
residents is the lack of public
bathrooms. There are currently only
33 public bathrooms citywide, and
none in our neighborhood. Officials
encourage residents to contact Public
Works and the Crisis Response and
Homeless Outreach Teams to request
more public restrooms in our area.
Regarding encampments, the
city has focused on clearing large
encampments of six or more tents as
shelter becomes available. However,
recent and long-standing court rulings
and laws restrict anti-camping policies
when there’s nowhere for a person
to go. These rulings remain in place
as long as the number of people
experiencing homelessness exceeds
the number of available shelter beds.
Practically, this means the city can:
• Offer shelter and services to
unhoused people;
• Ask unhoused people to move
temporarily for cleaning
and to address health and safety
issues; or
• Ask unhoused people to move out
of the public right-of-way to the
extent they’re unlawfully
obstructing the sidewalk or street.
People without housing who
refuse services or shelter may be
asked to move temporarily for
cleaning activities, but otherwise,
the city must allow them to remain
in place provided they’re not
obstructing the public right-of-way.
NOPNA continues to
communicate with city leaders
and departments on homelessness.
The desire is to gain a deeper
understanding of the issue’s
complexity, ensure neighborhood
residents are housed, and
understand how to be involved
in the city’s plans for addressing
homelessness.
NOPNA encourages neighbors
to stay involved, attend general
meetings, and ask questions to help
facilitate a broader understanding of
this profound and pressing issue.
How to Help
Residents can call 311 or use
the SF311 app to report trash or
sidewalk issues. City resources
are allocated, and the Homeless
Outreach Teams (HOT) do
daily outreach, based on these
reports.
Getting involved as active
community members and
calling 911 when in doubt is
essential. Calling 911 is not
calling the police — a dispatcher
will route the call to the direct
department, including the Street
Crisis Response Team, police,
fire, or medical.
For more information about
how to express a concern, see
https://hsh.sfgov.org/services/
public-guidance/.
The San Francisco Chronicle’s “SF
Index: Key Facts About Homelessness
in San Francisco” shows over 70%
of San Francisco’s homeless lived in
the city when they lost their housing.
The most common reason for losing
housing is losing a job. For people
without savings of any kind, even
a brief gap in employment can
lead to living on the streets. Some
populations are more vulnerable —
homelessness disproportionately
impacts people of color, specifically
indigenous and Black individuals,
respectively 5% and 37% of San
Francisco’s homeless population.
Age is another factor, with over 57%
of people experiencing homelessness
being over the age of 40, suggesting
that years of living and working in
San Francisco can make it difficult to
create a safety net.
In their University of California Press
book, Homelessness is a Housing
Problem, authors Clayton Page Aldern
and Gregg Colburn assert a lack of
affordable housing is the number
Ryan Booth has called NOPA home since 2015 and is committed to equitable outcomes and fostering a culture of belonging in our community.
4 | NOPNANews
CONTINUED FROM NOPNA NEWS SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL 2022
EDUCATE TO LIBERATE:
LESSONS IN COMMUNITY
by Em Minor
could this resource-
strapped administrator
do to keep this beloved
neighborhood and City
College landmark alive?
Linda turned to
Precita Eyes — the
go-to resource for
community murals
in San Francisco —
for a much-needed
In the early 2000s, almost 30 years after the
commissioning of “Our History is No Mystery” (1976) and
assist. It proved to be a fortuitous connection. Susan
Cervantes, founding director of Precita Eyes, took decisive
action by launching a campaign to raise emergency funds
to repaint the mural, looping in Haight Ashbury Muralist
Miranda Bergman, one of the original artists, to once again
20 years after the commissioning of “Educate to Liberate”
coordinate the massive project.
(1988), the mural at City College of San Francisco’s (CCSF)
With support from CCSF, Zellerbach Family Foundation,
John Adams Campus on the corner of Hayes and Masonic
and Precita Eyes, Miranda led a 50+ person team of
— colloquially dubbed “The People’s Wall” — had once
volunteers to complete the new, third installment of the
again accumulated so much vandalism that it was beyond
epic mural, “Educate to Liberate: Lessons in Community.”
repair.
Mary Marsh, a former CCSF librarian and mural volunteer,
Linda Squire Grohe, dean of CCSF at the time, faced
issued a press release to commemorate the occasion:
pressure to remove the 2,900 square foot mural completely
if it couldn’t be restored; a feat that would require a
The new mural begins on Hayes Street by referencing
significant investment of time, talent, and funds. What
the original landscape and native people of the area.
Back again from the 1976 mural are the huge Siqueros
inspired hand pointing to the planet on
the corner, and the large iconic faces on
Masonic. The mural is filled with people
engaged in different community events,
with a focus on the career and life-long
learning opportunities at John Adams
Campus. Portraits of peace advocates
from around the world, John Adams
teachers and employees, and the
muralists themselves, enrich the mural
with stories…
This version of the mural lives on today. I touched
base with Mary Marsh to reminisce about her experience
issue 1 : 2023 | 5
representing CCSF to bring the mural to life. She spoke
investigation, I generally find a group of school kids
with fond memories of working with the CCSF Associated
with clipboards buzzing around the mural, studying its
Student Council to recruit volunteers, interacting with the
many scenes, taking notes, and playfully horsing around
neighborhood to generate public support, and grappling
with each other. I wish the muralists
with the difficult task of painting detailed scenes on an
could witness the scene — this is
unwieldy concrete wall.
what it’s all about!
I was surprised and saddened when Mary shared that
What a wonderful legacy they’ve
the mural continued to experience vandalism in the
left to our neighborhood.
ensuing years, particularly a scene depicting a group
of multicultural people holding a sign stating in seven
languages, “No Human Being is Illegal.” The vandalism
coincided with national movements tied to immigration
reform (e.g. Arizona SB 1070) and it was Mary herself who
Em Minor is incredibly thankful for the opportunity to meet the artists,
community leaders, CCSF representatives, and neighbors who brought
The People’s Wall to life, and to share their stories. To learn more, a
scene-by-scene depiction of the mural is available via the CCSF Library
on the 2nd Floor of the John Adams Campus.
took to the street to
remove the graffiti from
the mural.
Mary has since
retired from CCSF,
which left me with an
uncomfortable sense
the wall was once again
vulnerable. Who’s its
guardian now, and will
the anti-graffiti varnish
be enough to continue
to keep it preserved?
From time to time,
I hear a ruckus outside
my living room window,
situated across the
street from the John
Adams Campus. Upon
6 | NOPNANews
A GREENER
NOPA
by Jason Cauthen
Spring is here and you might’ve
noticed San Francisco is in bloom, with
pink blossoms on cherry trees and
other flowering trees bursting with
the plants, neighbors came together
to add some pedestrian-friendly
greenery to the Slow Street.
Fennel Doyle — a neighbor who’s
color. You might’ve also noticed some
a self-described “solarpunk” and
new trees and greenery replacing
voice for “birds, bees, and butterflies”
portions of concrete sidewalk on many
— helped the idea germinate and
blocks in the neighborhood.
developed a proposal in coordination
The seed of this initiative to bring
with Friends of the Urban Forest
more green space to our streets was
(FUF) to convert 177 sq ft (about 20
planted in the early days of COVID
when a neighbor planted a bed of
veggies on the Golden Gate Slow
sidewalk squares) of our neighborhood
sidewalks from concrete to green
space for plants and trees. Together
Street at Broderick. With some help
they won the support of the local
from Farming for Hope, the non-profit
residents who were happy to have new
located on Divisadero who donated
trees in front of their homes.
Things really took root as FUF and Fennel won an additional
grant from the San Francisco Parks Alliance. They were able
to expand the reach across the neighborhood, increasing the
total new green space to 1,000 square feet (a total of 110
sidewalk squares).
On a sunny day in December, dozens of volunteers of all
ages turned out to plant and cultivate the new green space.
And right on cue, rains came in late December to help ensure
these new saplings and plants got all the water they needed
to start things off right.
While we all get to enjoy the fruits of these volunteers’ labor,
Fennel is already thinking about the next step to help these
new lives thrive. According to Fennel, “We need to put some
worms in now!”
Jason Cauthen is a San Francisco native who has lived in NOPA for the past decade
with his wife and two boys. He can be found throwing a football with his kid on Lyon
Slow Street.
issue 1 : 2023 | 7
VOLUNTEER
FOR NOPNA NEWS
NOPNA News is a volunteer-driven publication
created by and for our neighbors. If you’d like
to get involved, we’d love for you to be a part
of it — whether by contributing your skills, your
voice, or your time.
There are several areas where we’re
always looking for more support.
WRITING AND PHOTOGRAPHY -
We’re always looking for volunteers who
can write articles, interview neighbors, and
take photos. Help us bring the stories of our
neighborhood to life.
COPY EDITING - If you’re good with words,
have an eye for detail, and like early sneak
peaks, we’d love your help getting the articles
from submission to print.
LAYOUT AND DESIGN - If you have InDesign
skills (or would like to learn), help us pull
together each issue. Our designers are respon-
sible for the clean, professional, and stylish look
and feel of each issue.
DELIVERY - Join the small army of volunteers
who deliver the four-thousand copies each
quarter. The time commitment is minimal and
flexible, and it’s a great opportunity to get to
know your neighbors.
If any of these positions sound interesting to
you, or you’d like to get involved in other ways,
email chrissy@nopna.org.
8 | NOPNANews
PEDESTRIAN SAFETY by Genna Gores
This juxtaposition of street design
creates a dangerous combination
Reducing Speed Limits
According to the Urban Institute
for those moving around NOPA.
at Rice University, “there’s a 10%
I work in transportation and
risk of death if a person is hit by a
am hyper-aware of how people
vehicle going 23 mph . . . 25% at 32
interact with the road. I’m also a
multi-modal traveler: I take the
bus, walk, drive, and bike. I expe-
rience travel from all angles and
believe our streets are getting
mph, 50% at 42 mph, and 75% at 50
mph.”3 This study also says deadly
traffic incidents decrease by 17%
when speed is reduced by 1 MPH.4
The speed limit on Fell and Oak
more dangerous. I’m not alone in
Streets is 30 MPH, and car-centric
this belief. Jeffrey Tumlin, director
roadway design makes it easy to
of SFMTA, agrees the pandemic
go faster.
changed driver behavior for the
worse.2 However, there are some
easy and proven solutions that can
This past year, California passed
AB43, making it easier for San
Francisco to reduce speed limits.
help improve roadway safety.
The city already reduced speed in
Last year, San Francisco
experienced 37 traffic fatalities and
54% of them were pedestrians. In
2014, our city committed to zero
traffic fatalities by 2024, but 2022
was the most dangerous year
on the road since San Francisco
began Vision Zero. To put that in
perspective, someone gets killed
every 10 days from traffic violence
and every 18 days for pedestrians.
San Francisco Municipal
Transportation Agency (SFMTA)
has created a map of our most
dangerous streets in San Francisco
(see below). In 2022, many of
these streets were in NOPA
(Fell, Oak, Stanyan, Haight, and
Divisadero). Most of the High-
Injury Network are car-centric
arteries, and many are adjacent
to multi-modal thoroughfares like
the Panhandle, or commercial
corridors like Divisadero and
Haight Streets.
Vision Zero High-Injury Network Map for 2022.
issue 1 : 2023 | 9
the Tenderloin and on parts of
Divisadero and Haight Streets to
bike crashes by 100 percent.”5 Not
allowing right on red could dramat-
to advocate for safer streets
with our Supervisors, SFMTA,
20 MPH. Lowering the speed limit
ically increase safety on streets that
and Mayor London Breed.
on Fell and Oak Streets could dra-
turn onto Fell and Oak.
Lowering speed limits and banning
matically reduce severe and fatal
Similar to speed limit reductions,
right turns on red would make
traffic collisions.
San Francisco banned right on red
a dramatic impact. We live in a
on certain streets in the Tenderloin
wonderfully multi-modal community,
Banning Right on Red
We could also ban right-hand turns
on red. The Insurance Institute for
and saw decreases in “vehicle-pe-
destrian close call.”6 San Francisco
could force drivers to stop and wait
Highway Safety says, “permitting
for their right of way and reduce
rights on red increases pedes-
dangerous close calls.
trian crashes by 60 percent and
I encourage the people of NOPA
so let’s make it safe for all
to move around!
Genna Gores is a native San Francsican who
works in public transit technology and is passion-
ate about the transportation field.
1https://sfgov.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=b2743a3fc0b14dd9814cf6668fc34773
fewer%20fatal%20crashes.
fewer%20fatal%20crashes.
5https://usa.streetsblog.org/2018/05/15/its-time-for-cities-to-rethink-right-turns-on-red/
6https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/berkeley-looks-to-ban-right-turn-on-red-17564714.php
10 | NOPNANews
YOU HAVE RENTERS
INSURANCE, RIGHT? by Anita Beshirs
Is It Enough?
Determining if we have
enough insurance for every
situation is overwhelming.
Renters insurance is
affordable, customizable,
and a benefit for smaller
incidents and devastating
Three devastating fires took place
between August 2022 and January
package is $150 annually. After a
catastrophes. And if that’s not
$500 deductible, it provides $6,000 in
enough, not having to repeat, “No,
2023, displacing 52 individuals and
personal Property coverage, $100,000
I did not have renters insurance”
three businesses from the Divisadero
in Liability coverage, $1,000 in
hundreds of times may be worth the
Corridor. My close friends were
Medical coverage, and Loss of Use.
cost alone.
among the victims, and you may also
know someone who lost everything in
these disasters.
What’s NOT Covered
Damage from an earthquake requires
Definitions
One of the first questions most
a separate policy. My carrier doesn’t
people ask my friends is, “You had
offer policies for flooding, mudslides,
renters insurance, right?”
and landslides in San Francisco.
They didn’t have renters insurance,
and they’re not alone. You also may
be among the fifty percent of renters
Proof of Ownership
Personal property coverage can only
nationwide without renters’ insurance.
replace what’s documented with proof
I purchased renters’ insurance over
of ownership. So grab your phone
20 years ago, yet discovered I was not
and fill it with photos and videos of
prepared to make a claim for stolen or
your possessions. Itemize valuable
damaged property. Below is helpful
possessions (price, make model, serial
information I learned about renters
numbers, year purchased) and include
• Personal Property is for
property inside your
rental unit and inside your
automobile.
• Liability is for when you’re
responsible for the damage
(e.g. if you forgot that pot on
the stove).
• Medical is when someone else
is injured inside your home.
• Loss of Use is for displacement
costs when your rental unit is
uninhabitable due to damage
(as in a fire), often calculated
as 70% of personal property.
insurance that I thought others would
receipts.
find helpful.
How Much Does Renters
Insurance Cost?
The price varies with the value of
Buy Before You Need It
You can’t gain coverage for what you
lost after the fact. More importantly,
you may be temporarily uninsurable
assets to insure, location, and other
after a major disaster even if it’s not
factors. For example, my basic
your fault.
Anita Beshirs, a 28-year neighborhood renter
and local artist/curator, co-organized a raffle
and bar hop fundraiser with Erin Kehoe and
arranged support from NOPNA, DMA,
ASNA, and LOHaMNA for victims of the two
August Divisadero Fires. You can reach her
at anitacbeshirs@gmail.com or on IG
@anitasparklebeshirs.
MEET THE BOARD
We’re excited to welcome a few new members to the NOPNA board for
2023. Each new member has demonstrated their commitment to making
our neighborhood a better place and brings a range of experience and
expertise. So, without further ado, join us in welcoming the new members
of NOPNA’s board!
Sarah Bashford Sarah
has lived in San Francisco
since 2001 and moved to
the NOPA neighborhood
with her husband, two
boys, and dog in 2021.
She loves creating
community by getting
to know her neighbors
and working together to
see improvements to the
neighborhood. She can
usually be found in her
garage with an old piece of
furniture and power tools.
Chrissy Loader Chrissy
is a writer, filmmaker,
and music and food
lover. She moved to the
neighborhood in 2005
and recently became a
board member and the
managing editor of the
NOPNA News to get
to know her neighbors
better and support the
community. If you’re
interested in being a
newsletter contributor,
email chrissy@nopna.org.
TREASURER
Caitlin Stanton Caitlin
is a native New Yorker
who fell in love with the
NOPA neighborhood after
moving here in 2021. She’s
excited to help her new
community by applying
her prior experience as
nonprofit treasurer to
NOPNA. You can find
Caitlin training for her next
race in the Panhandle,
walking her dog Jeepers,
and reading in the park.
PRESIDENT.
Martin Almaraz
VICE PRESIDENT.
Leela Gill
CORRESPONDING
SECRETARY
Robin Kutner
RECORDING
SECRETARY
Jeremy Besmer
Ryan Booth
Jason Cauthen
Jeff Dewey
Larry Griffin
Tim Hickey
Apoorv Narang
Meg Rahner
Shakirah Simley
issue 1 : 2023 | 11
UPCOMING
EVENTS
April 20 — NOPNA General
Meeting
May 21 — Bay to Breakers
June 3 — NOPNA Block Party
June 15 — NOPNA General
Meeting
June 17 — Juneteenth
August 17 — NOPNA General
Meeting
September 17 — Sunday
Streets
October 15 — Phoenix Day
October 19 — NOPNA General
Meeting
October 31 — NOPA
Halloween Block Party
November 16 — NOPNA
General Meeting
Follow us on Facebook, Insta-
gram, or Twitter, and get details
and updates by signing up for
emails at www.nopna.org!
Recurring
Events:
Neighborhood Clean Ups
with Refuse/Refuse — See
refuserefusesf.org/cleanups
Farmer’s Market — DMV
Parking Lot, Broderick@Fell,
Sundays, 10 am–2pm
Art Walks — More info coming
soon!
Email us to get involved:
Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
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