During the pandemic, parking enforcement has been lax, and the 72-hour rule that forced Gregory Nelson to park in a new spot every few days is suspended. He found peace and stability staying in one spot — his version of sheltering in place — like millions of Americans. But working from home was not possible for him. Every week he tried to drive for Lyft, Nelson grappled with out-of-pocket expenses to use the ride-hailing app: car rental fees, tolls, gas and the occasional car wash. Within weeks of the shelter-in-place order, Nelson could no longer afford driving.
Category: Series
Posted inCoronavirus, Driving Home: Surviving the Housing Crisis, Homelessness, Housing
Photo Essay — Pandemic Makes Ride-Hailing Gig Untenable for S.F. Man Living in His Car
Earlier this year, the San Francisco Public Press featured Gregory Nelson in “Driving Home: Surviving the Housing Crisis,” a photojournalism project by Yesica Prado documenting the experiences of people living in vehicles in the Bay Area. Prado followed up with Nelson to find out how his life has changed during the pandemic.
Posted inCoronavirus, Driving Home: Surviving the Housing Crisis, Homelessness, Housing
From an RV to Four Walls and a Pantry: One New Mom’s Story
In a dimly lit living room, Tantay Tolbert reaches for a warm bottle of milk on the glass coffee table. Her month-old baby, Supreme Samuel Lloyd-Vaughn, softly cries in her arms. She caresses his black curls as she tilts the bottle into his mouth. “You were hungry, my baby?” Tolbert asks with a smile. “You eat a lot, baby.” It’s an ordinary day for Tolbert — comforting Supreme and dressing him in cute clothes. And yet, what seems ordinary now represents dramatic change and newfound stability.
Posted inCoronavirus, Driving Home: Surviving the Housing Crisis, Homelessness, Housing
Photo Essay — From an RV to Four Walls and a Pantry: One New Mom’s Story
Earlier this year, the San Francisco Public Press featured Tantay Tolbert in “Driving Home: Surviving the Housing Crisis,” a photojournalism project by Yesica Prado documenting the experiences of people living in vehicles in the Bay Area. Prado followed up with Tolbert to find out how her life has changed in recent months.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Essential Workers, Government & Politics, Labor
Mail Workers Renew Calls for Critical Postal Service Funding
Postal workers nationwide rallied on Tuesday to demand Congress approve $25 billion in emergency funding for the Postal Service to ensure its continued operation, and reverse workflow changes made by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. In San Francisco, members of the American Postal Workers Union San Francisco Local #2 gathered in the rain in front of the Fox Plaza post office to distribute leaflets, saying the service was still in dire need of congressional aid and could shut down next year without it.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Essential Workers, Health, Labor
Nurses in S.F. Department of Health Demand Thousands of Hours in Overtime Pay
During the pandemic, nurses have been given a lot of praise for the vital, frontline work they do, but some nurses working for San Francisco’s Department of Public Health would like to be paid the overtime they have put in. In a lawsuit against the city, several nurses claim that due to chronic understaffing, the public health department is forcing them to work overtime to cover the gap. They are demanding thousands of hours in back pay.
Posted inElections, San Francisco November 2020 Nonpartisan Election Guide
City College Board Candidates Outline Plans for Coronavirus Crisis Recovery — November 2020
In this race, we asked candidates: “What are your top priorities for BART as the pandemic continues and after shelter-in-place orders are lifted?” Listen to their answers below.
Posted inElections, San Francisco November 2020 Nonpartisan Election Guide
School Board Candidates on Supporting Students Left Behind by Distance Learning — November 2020
In this race, we asked candidates: “What is your plan for students who have fallen behind or struggled in school as a result of distance learning and other effects of the pandemic?”
Posted inElections, San Francisco November 2020 Nonpartisan Election Guide
Board of Supervisors, District 11 — November 2020
In this race, we asked candidates: “According to data from the 2012-2016 American Communities Survey, this district has the highest proportion of residents whose language spoken at home is not English, and the second-highest proportions of Asian and Latino residents, among all the supervisorial districts. How will you advocate for these communities at City Hall?”
Posted inElections, San Francisco November 2020 Nonpartisan Election Guide
Board of Supervisors, District 7 — November 2020
In this race, we asked candidates: “This district has one of the highest proportions of housing units that are owner-occupied in the city, according to 2012-2016 Census Bureau data. It is also among the higher-income districts in the city. To what extent is protecting homeowners who live in their properties a priority for you in the city’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, and how will you ensure they stay safe in their homes?”