COVID-19 Resource & Action Guide
Coronavirus Resource And Action Guide
Joseph Smooke | 03/22/2020
Photo Credit: Joseph Smooke
COVID-19 Resource & Action Guide
We hope that every one of you is able to stay safe and healthy during this time. This list of actions and resources is for San Francisco and California. If you don't live there and would like us to circulate a similar guide for your area, please let us know!
Click here to see Part 2 (published March 23, 2020)
HOUSING
Evictions
Take Action! Urge Governor Gavin Newsom to act now and stop evictions in California. Despite a Bay Area wide "shelter in place" order, tenants are still getting evicted - and evictions continue throughout the state. The Kansas Governor put a stop to evictions, but Governor Newsom still hasn't taken such an action to protect California tenants. All Newsom has done is to encourage cities to enact their own eviction moratoriums rather than taking definitive action to protect tenants throughout the State. You can follow this issue through Housing Now, a statewide coalition of housing justice organizations.
San Francisco Mayor Breed has issued an executive order that places a moratorium on evictions. In order to be protected, tenants have to follow this procedure .
San Francisco Sheriff Miyamoto has said that they will not enforce pending eviction orders from the Court, but there is no official statement to this effect.
There has been a lot of concern that the San Francisco Superior Court had not suspended evictions. The word as of earlier today (March 18) that we have from the Eviction Defense Collaborative is the Court has now stayed eviction cases for 90 days unless it's a matter of safety. Click here to keep up with the latest on this issue.
Tenant Counseling
Pretty much all tenant counseling in San Francisco has moved from being in-person to being by phone only. How do you access counseling? Here's information for Housing Rights Committee and the SF Tenants Union.
Utilities
SF Mayor Breed has announced a suspension of all water and power shut-offs.
FOOD
Take Action! You can donate food to the SF Unified School District (SFUSD) through the free meal program for students that it has expanded during this time of closure. Here's a list of other resources such as childcare, student learning and emotional support that SFUSD is making available.
For people with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), there's a local organization called Expensify.org that will be matching SNAP grocery purchases up to $50 per household. Click on that link for all the details including how to access it.
HEALTH CARE WORKERS
Take Action! Here's a petition from National Nurses United demanding that Congress act to provide protection for nurses.
SMALL BUSINESSES
Take Action! SF Mayor Breed has put in place a moratorium on evictions of small and medium size businesses. Please support your small businesses! Don't resort to Amazon just because it's easy. Many of your small businesses are still delivering, and you can still shop at your local grocery stores and restaurants, as long as you do take out.
MORE WAYS TO TAKE ACTION!
People Power Media is proud to be a part of the SF United In Crisis coalition. Please go to the coalition's website to see our latest advocacy efforts. And get a list of all the amazing grassroots organizations that you can support through donations and volunteering.
Here's an amazing resource guide from the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE).