EnvironmentalCommittee
2009 2008 2007 2006 Environmental Committee Minutes 9/5/07
Anjali,Stephanie, Vince DBI, Sean SFAA, Ray SFE, Gloria, Neil, Ben (on phone), Janet
Anjali update: meeting with Supervisor Maxwell 9/19 at 12- SF Hope Task Force may be on the agenda, updates re: healthy housing legislation, MOH
Ben- update Housing Guidance- Karen suggested that target group be property owners/managers, Ben thinks purpose is people with asthma, talking about environmental triggers. Maybe the creation of a parallel document for the property owners to learn about how they can alleviate asthma triggers. Diana is creating revisions and will send to Ben, Anjali will f/u with her.
2 different groups need to be targeted- tenants and property managers/owners
Distribution for property owners same as lead document- information pamphlet. No DB exists of property managers, but finding owners is public record. When Karen returns, more discussion can take place about what the document should look like, what should be included. Ben doesn’t think that anything like this currently exists regarding SF code and guidelines, will need to be built from scratch. Property owners have expressed to Karen that they want to know more about mold, water intrusion, etc.
This can wait until Karen gets back for her input. Ben, Karen, and DBI can provide technical support, Stephanie and Anjali will assist.
Evaluation of SFHA work:
We have MOE with SFHA- does indicate that we will do evaluations with tenants, maintenance staff, property managers, etc….
SFATF is working with CAFA evaluation team to evaluate this work. Common Questions document created for tenants. Meant to be a tool for SFATF to use or modify to evaluate work. Document created to be a broad tool for all CAFA coalitions
Other document “Awareness, Knowledge, and Commitment Survey” designed for tenants that have relationship with ATF. Gloria thinks it would be interesting for the SFHA to fill out.
Stephanie and Anjali will speak with CAFA eval team on Friday to talk about what we would like.
Sean and Janet ask what our role is in providing evaluation. What is our goal? What will we do with responses (i.e. “have you been threatened with eviction”?)
What is our function? What would we do if there is landlord retaliation? Would SFHA let us administer questionnaire?
Ben thinks we should focus questions on equipment, how has SFHA having cameras helped? Are the tenants happy with the work that we have done?
We haven’t done education in depth with tenants- we don’t have basis for evaluation
SFHA has kept records of what units have had work with cameras. We would have to talk to SFHA about how we would reach those tenants. Would we be able to reach relevant numbers of tenants? Evaluation should be kept simple and focused on the work that we have done
We should question who we have had an impact on- staff, management who went to training, some tenants
We need to figure out what our method is for administering questionnaires- is knocking on doors best strategy? Would HERC be a resource? Would mailing surveys be an option? Gloria had success in mailing needs assessment for Medi-Cal- mailing is least invasive. Self addressed stamped envelopes help surveys to come back. Phone is also an option. Target number should be as many people who have received help from cameras. SFHA- we can prepare the letter and have SFHA label and mail. Surveys would come back to ATF. We don’t know how many tenants we are looking to survey.
Anjali will work with SFHA to alert them of process. We should mail to property managers as well. Anjali will show evaluation tool for tenants to Naja to get her input.
Stephanie and Anjali will speak with CAFA evaluation team to create new tool. If we need to use the current tools that exist we will need to modify. We cannot evaluate work we have not done.
Tenant Education
SFE will do some tenant education with grant they received from California Breathing- the focus will be how to clean your home without toxic chemicals- Cynthia is working on this, Neil is involved. Janet clarified that the grant is to do cleaning education unit by unit (home visits) and group education. Work is specifically in Alice Griffith
SFDPH does home assessments in Children’s Environmental Health for lead, and also in Helen Z.’s department for mold. Mold is a public nuisance in the housing code
Evaluation efforts could also serve to promote SFE grant home visits via newsletter.
Healthy Housing Legislation
We are trying to ID at least one issue of concern that we will is a priority for draft housing legislation. Once we do this we could invite the City Attorney back to a meeting
Dust issue is now supported through Rajiv. Has been introduced- construction based intervention.
We could ask Supervisor Maxwell her thoughts about legislation when we meet with her on September 19th.
Neil feels that we need stakeholders who will be impacted by the legislation at the table
Anjali reviewed minutes from August meeting- to look at what committee members prioritized
Sean feels that the path of least resistance/easiest route is the cameras. Doesn’t require the owners to do anything. Just gets cameras to DBI, etc. Cameras would only target owners with units in disrepair- cameras would provide proof. Gloria asked what the incentive would be? Can we mandate best practices? Janet feels that we should be wary about writing legislation based upon one particular technology (technology changes, etc)
Does whole house performance testing include things that the camera can address?
Ventilation will face a lot of resistance from owners- could cause tenant displacement
Are we reinventing the wheel? Does their instead need to be more enforcement of what is already in place?
We should put our energy into one piece of legislation that has mandates something.
WHO needs to do something? WHAT do they need to do? WHAT is being done?
Rajiv Bhatia- DPH
Very committed to agenda of more holistic approach to health housing
Existing programs should be lead in making this happen- CEHP, Code Enforcement, SRO Code Enforcement, Land Use team (looking at healthy land use- new construction, impact fees)
CEHP- may transform to a healthy housing unit, reorganizing the work around healthy housing, playing a leadership role in moving this agenda forward
Housing Matrix- in terms of Code enforcement- fragmented approach. In DPH there is an SRO team that goes to 160 high risk SRO’s doing room by room inspection once a year- only city agency that does this
Code enforcement-reactive- reacts to code enforcement violations, but only if they are reported. Barriers (low income, etc.) Focus on health issues
Housing Program at DBI has licensing fee- they do not do room by room inspection- multi-unit only- focus more structural. No unified approach to healthy housing in SF.
DBI could continue with proactive inspections- refer to DPH for more health conditions, asthma, mold, etc. How does this become institutionalized? Could be legislation. Fragmentation needs to be looked at.
New Construction- lot of focus on diesel. More health damage from non-diesel particulate matter. Establishing clear guidance on how roadway related health effects will be addressed. EIR has been used and identified that putting new housing near existing roadways will cause adverse health affects. Only has addressed diesel not all particulates. Next step is to make an ordinance that requires this citywide. An action of the ATF could be to suggest a new suggestion- letters due by September 14th.
All new construction has development impact fees- paid to fund for community benefit- $ could be used to improve conditions of existing housing. Distribution plan is up in the air- Eastern Neighborhoods Planning Process- in draft, final planning approval in December.
Nexus between toxic consumer products and pest controlled entry/IPM. DPH is drivers of pest control actions (i.e. complaints of rodents), but could provide the “how” All pest control operators have to get license from DPH.
Rajiv- director of Environmental Health
Occupational Health Branch-
Environmental Health Regulatory Programs- Retail Food, Massage, Tobacco, Cannabis, Smoking in Public Places, Code Enforcement for Public Health Nuisances
Provide oversight to all redevelopment/dust control in HP Shipyard- most closely watch site in California – in Rajiv’s opinion
CEHP
Program on Health Equity and Sustainability- Environmental/Health Disparities Focus (land use, healthy food, immigrant rights and health, water quality and health, air quality and health)- Healthy Development Tool criteria for good development and land use planning- large focus on pedestrian injuries, dealing with traffic solves many problems
Lot of attention on Public Housing- movement for rebuilding with mixed use- No mention of healthy housing- This is where healthy housing principles can be integrated before housing is built. Design principles do not mention health. (SF HOPE).
