State Senator Scott Wiener has introduced a new bill to the California legislature aimed at addressing a long-standing housing injustice in San Francisco. The bill seeks to rectify actions taken under the guise of “urban renewal” around 75 years ago, which resulted in the demolition of homes and businesses predominantly owned by Black residents.
In August 1948, the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency was established. For the following 28 years, the agency demolished thousands of homes in the city, supposedly to address urban blight. However, those affected have a different perspective on the agency’s actions.
San Francisco resident Mattie Scott described the demolition process as “very traumatic” and “devastating”. She witnessed the destruction of homes and businesses in her neighborhood in the Fillmore District. The demolition operation ran from 1948 until 1976, purportedly to replace the destroyed homes with new affordable housing, but only a fraction were replaced.
Scott, who is the founder and executive director of Healing 4 Our Families & Our Nation, noted that the percentage of Black people in San Francisco has dropped from around 15 percent to less than 3 percent.
State Senator Wiener’s bill, SB-593, aims to replace the 5,800 homes that were lost during the urban renewal period. Wiener stated, “The loss of these homes devastated the Black community of San Francisco and contributed to the crisis of affordable housing costs that continues to make the city unlivable for so many.”
The bill is currently on the Assembly floor for voting in the coming weeks. According to Wiener, the bill establishes a tax trust fund to finance the construction and would not impact the city’s general fund.