I have volunteered and canvassed for Vallie’s campaign. Here’s what I like about her: her position on housing; her ability to get legislation passed; her ties to the community.
Housing: I believe that there is a housing supply shortage at multiple income levels and that the shortage causes housing costs to go up. Vallie Brown supports building subsidized low-income housing and market rate housing. She supported Scott Wiener’s SB 50, the zoning bill that would have legalized apartments everywhere and taller buildings near transit. Vallie Brown worked with the community and with home builders to secure approval for projects like 650 Divisadero, which would build 13 below market rate (BMR) and 53 market-rate apartments. Meanwhile, her opponent does not believe that more market-rate housing supply will help with affordability. And that’s a deal breaker.
Effectiveness as a legislator: In her 16 months as a supervisor, Vallie Brown has done a lot. Having served as legislative aide to 3 supervisors over 9 years, Vallie Brown knows how City Hall works, and she has deployed that knowledge to great impact. She has co-sponsored and passed 60 ordinances, working with supervisors on all parts of the political spectrum. She sponsored and passed a bill with Sup. Gordon Mar to remove building fees for accessory dwelling units (ADUs or in-law units) and affordable housing. She made it easier for small businesses to get their permits and open shop. Vallie Brown led efforts to give people living in cars and mobile homes a safe place to park and sleep at night. She ensured that people without credit cards and bank accounts could access stores by requiring retail businesses to accept cash. She sponsored legislation to make housing easier to build by removing requirements to put parking on site. And there’s a lot more. Vallie Brown is the most productive and effective candidate out there.
Vallie Brown can get consensus and get things done. She has a deep knowledge of her district and her community.
Some trivia about Vallie Brown. She grew up homeless and lived in a van. She came to San Francisco as an artist and lived in artist co-ops. During the AIDS crisis, Vallie Brown married a gay friend living with AIDS so that he could get health insurance. When she moved to the Haight she became a neighborhood activist.
- SF Chronicle endorses Vallie Brown: “Vallie Brown stands out in the field with her street savvy, policy chops and ability to find common ground on key issues.”
- SF Examiner endorses Vallie Brown: “In her brief time in office [Vallie Brown] has advocated for better pay for Muni drivers and helped secure a site for a safe parking pilot program for homeless residents living in their cars… she acted in a reasonably independent and bipartisan manner…”
- YIMBY Action endorses Vallie Brown: “Supervisor Vallie Brown [is] a powerful voice for housing for all. She grew up housing insecure, and knows San Francisco needs a lot more housing to live up to our values of inclusivity and access to opportunity.”
