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San Francisco group rallies to protest evictions at homeless shelters

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San Francisco group rallies to protest evictions at homeless shelters


San Francisco prides itself on its status as a sanctuary city. But some homeless immigrants say their families are being forced out, not through deportation but by eviction.

The noon rally outside Everett Middle School in San Francisco included immigrant parents trying to raise their children while living in homeless shelters in the city.

“We’re here to demand a sensible answer to the question how does evicting working families from shelters solve anything,” said Reverand Victor Floyd, a member of a group called Faith in Action.

The city has a 90-day limit at its family homeless shelters. Then they’re served with an eviction letter and may or may not be eligible for a 30-day extension. Everett’s principal, Heidi Avelina Smith, joined the rally to urge San Francisco to live up to its “sanctuary” ideals.

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“By nature, a sanctuary is a warm, welcome, safe place to call home. A 30-day shelter policy is not a reflection of this commitment,” she said. “San Francisco is one of the most expensive places in the nation. The cost of living, and more specifically, the cost of housing is an extraordinary challenge for all. A shelter policy that offers families with children only 30 days to attempt to stabilize economically is a policy that does not acknowledge the reality of our city today.”

Bridget Early has been the school’s social worker for 17 years, and things have never been this bad.  She said 80 kids, one-fifth of her students, are homeless with 20 of them living in city shelters.

“It is shocking, and I honestly have to say it’s shameful too that, for whatever reason, we don’t take care of each other. And I think we see ourselves as separate, maybe. Or we don’t have the shared responsibility to take care of our neighbors, but we should. And we do have the resources in this city to do that.”

The city does, in fact, have the money. Eight years ago, voters approved Measure C which taxes large businesses to establish a fund to fight homelessness. Now, there is $50 million available for hotel vouchers and rental subsidies.  Supervisor Connie Chan said it’s time to act in a big way.

“We do have the capacity right now, we do have the funding now,” she said. “It’s like, what can we do to rip the bureaucracy, rip the red tape, and get them housed first. And I think if there were more families to come, we’re going to tackle it along the way.”

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That responsibility may fall on Mayor Daniel Lurie who, on Tuesday, was given more power to approve contracts to fight homelessness. Advocates are hoping that will cut though some of the bureaucracy and political bickering.  Maria Zovala just received an eviction order to move out of the shelter room she shares with her two special needs children.

“It’s inhumane,” she said. “For the responsible authorities to allow families with children and seniors to be on the street, living with uncertainty of not knowing what the current government is going to do with regards to deportations.”

The school said it’s doing what it can to help. It provides a weekly food giveaway and maintains an on-campus thrift store. And it’s experimenting with a guaranteed income program, offering one thousand dollars a month to the families of unhoused 6th graders.

“Help us raise our next generation in a safe, secure and warm environment,” said the principal. “A true sanctuary.”

It turns out that being a sanctuary city may involve more than just letting people stay. It may mean finding a space for them to live.

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San Francisco, CA

New SF supervisor supports reopening Great Highway on weekdays

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New SF supervisor supports reopening Great Highway on weekdays


SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Alan Wong, the new supervisor for District four in San Francisco, has publicly expressed his support for reopening the Great Highway to vehicles on weekdays. This statement comes amid ongoing debates surrounding the highway’s conversion into a park last spring, which was met with mixed reactions from the community.

The Great Highway was transformed into a public park earlier this year, a change that many residents have embraced, while some local neighbors have pushed back. Joel Engardio, the former supervisor who supported this conversion through Measure K, was recalled this year, highlighting the division among constituents in District four.

Wong, who was appointed as supervisor following Engardio’s recall, filed paperwork to run for the elected position on the board. His term is set to last until January 2027, during which he aims to solidify his platform around reopening the Great Highway.

In his statement, Wong emphasized, “I believe my values align with a majority of Sunset residents who support reopening the Great Highway to cars on weekdays. As a result, I am prepared to be one of four supervisors needed to sponsor a ballot initiative to restore that compromise.” This suggests Wong’s intent to address community concerns head-on while building a wider consensus.

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Prior to its conversion, the Great Highway allowed vehicles during the week and served as a park on weekends, a compromise Wong supports restoring. He aims to return to this model in response to feedback from local constituents.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published.



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Women’s volleyball professional team headed to San Francisco

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Women’s volleyball professional team headed to San Francisco


Pro volleyball will soon be coming to San Francisco and this latest team is part of a surge of women’s sports.

League One Volleyball officially launched this year with six teams. Now the league has announced it’s expanding to nine teams, and that one of those expansion teams will be based in the city by the bay.

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Three-time Olympic volleyball medalist Kelsy Robinson Cook is on the ownership team for LOVB San Francisco, bringing professional volleyball to the city. “Can tell you it’s going to be amazing,” said Robinson Cook. “Then, when you bring in the fandom of the Bay Area and SF I think personally it’s going to make for an incredible atmosphere.”

Team ownership said starting a team in the Bay Area is a natural with colleges and universities in the region turning out top talent. “It’s the number one sport for women and girls and I think that just speaks volumes as to where we’re headed, not only in club and college, but professionally,” said Robinson Cook.

Pro women’s volleyball is part of a growing list of professional women’s sports teams calling San Francisco and the Bay Area home.

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The women’s professional baseball league announced plans for a team in San Francisco. Bay FC and the Golden State Valkyries are already proving there is a market for professional women’s sports.

When pro-volleyball was looking to expand, San Francisco was a natural choice. “You’re seeing Bay FC, the Valkyries, the success that they have, and this market loves sports, and they’ve also proven they love women’s sports,” said Robinson Cook.

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San Francisco leaders said the city has already proven that it supports pro-women’s teams, and will welcome professional volleyball. Mayor Daniel Lurie pointed to the city’s rich sports history and enthusiasm to support the home teams. “Now, as we saw with the Valkyries selling out every single home game last year, there is an appetite, there is a fan base, and this new league understands that,” said Mayor Lurie.

At this time, there are still a lot of questions up in the air, including exactly where LOVB San Francisco will play. Organizers say they have a lot of plans in the works to get the team ready to bump, set and spike starting in January 2027.

 

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Body cam footage released in South San Francisco police shooting

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Body cam footage released in South San Francisco police shooting


(KRON) — The South San Francisco Police Department released video Thursday showing what led up to two officers shooting a man who authorities said was armed with a knife.

On December 8 at around 5:10 a.m., police arrived at the 900 block of Sandra Court on the report of a man under the influence of drugs and making threats to kill himself. When officers made contact with the man, identified as 28-year-old Luis Francisco-Manzo, he initially complied with orders, authorities said.

Officer-worn body camera video shows Francisco-Manzo walking toward officers in the entrance hallway of an apartment complex with his arms raised. A small dog barks as officers give repeated commands. Suddenly, Francisco-Manzo appears in the entranceway next to officers as one calls out, “He’s got a knife.”

South San Francisco Police Department officers shot Luis Francisco-Manzo on December 8, 2025. Authorities said Francisco-Manzo charged at officers while armed with a knife. (Photo: South San Francisco Police Department)

Officer Brendan Hart, who has been with SSFPD for eight years, fired a Taser at Francisco-Manzo, but it did not have the intended effect, police said.

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Four gunshots are heard in the body camera video. Police said Officer Hart and Officer Martin Corona were the officers who discharged their weapons. Officer Corona has seven years of law enforcement experience with over four years at SSFPD.

(Photo: South San Francisco Police Department)

Francisco-Manzo was transported to the hospital in critical condition. On Thursday, authorities said he continues to recover in the hospital. No officers were injured in the incident.

The police shooting remains under investigation by the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.



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