San Francisco, CA
San Francisco sued over Tenderloin neighborhood's conditions
San Francisco sued over conditions in Tenderloin
Open drug use and chronic homelessness have become emblematic of San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. Now a group of five residents and two hotels have joined together, filing a federal lawsuit aimed at forcing the city to take drastic steps to improve street conditions.
SAN FRANCISCO – Tenderloin residents and businesses have filed a lawsuit aimed at getting the city to improve street conditions in the neighborhood.
Open drug use and chronic homelessness have become emblematic of San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. Now a group of five residents and two hotels have joined together, filing a federal lawsuit aimed at forcing the city to take drastic steps to improve street conditions.
“The allegation is that for years the city has treated the Tenderloin as a containment zone for narcotics activity and all the problems that come with that and that the problems have gotten much worse in recent years with the advent of fentanyl,” said Matthew Davis.
Davis, the attorney representing the residents and hotels, says his clients, some of whom are working-class families with small children, feel trapped inside their homes because of the conditions just outside their doors. He says they pay for city services in the form of taxes, but that the city doesn’t hold up on its end of the bargain.
“Today, if you go into the neighborhood, the streets are unsafe, they’re unsanitary, and they’re inaccessible,” said Davis. “Those are basic city functions and the city isn’t providing them.”
San Francisco’s City Attorney’s Office said increased lawsuits over homelessness do not improve conditions on the city’s streets in a statement.
The statement read in part, “We will review the complaint and respond in court. While we understand and share the frustration of Tenderloin businesses and residents, the City is making efforts to reduce crime, disrupt open-air drug markets, and address homelessness, all while complying with the preliminary injunction issued in the Coalition on Homelessness case.”
Police commands have been seen patrolling the Tenderloin as part of legislation put forth by Supervisor Ahsha Safai last year.
Randy Shaw from the Tenderloin Housing Clinic welcomes the legislation and the additional patrols and says he hopes the lawsuit filed in federal court will force the city’s hand into coming up with an effective strategy to clean up the tenderloin.
“Well, the lawsuit’s a last resort. The city has failed to provide equal protection to Tenderloin’s businesses and property owners,” said Shaw. “They pay the same fees and taxes as people in Cow Hollow, but they don’t get the services.”
While the hotels and residents have filed their lawsuit, the University of California San Francisco School of Law filed its own separate lawsuit saying the city is failing in its efforts to improve conditions surrounding the campus in the tenderloin.
The city is also reviewing that complaint as well.
What’s New
Hilton hotel workers in San Francisco voted on Christmas Eve to approve a new union contract after a 93-day strike, according to the Unite Here Local 2 union.
The union, which represents about 15,000 workers in the region, announced that the deal settles the last of the city’s 2024 hotel strikes, covering approximately 900 Hilton workers.
Newsweek has contacted Unite Here Local 2 and Hilton via email for comment.
Justin Sullivan/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Why It Matters
The new contracts after this year’s strikes establish significant improvements in wages, health care and workload protections for workers at Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott-operated hotels.
The agreements conclude months of labor unrest that involved thousands of workers and disrupted San Francisco’s hotel industry.
What To Know
Hilton workers voted 99.4 percent in favor of the agreement on Christmas Eve, which includes a $3 per hour immediate wage increase, additional raises, and protections against understaffing and increased workloads.
The four-year contract preserves affordable union health insurance and provides pension increases. The deal covers workers at Hilton San Francisco Union Square and Parc 55, with 650 workers having actively participated in the strike.
This agreement follows similar contracts reached with Hyatt workers on Friday and Marriott workers last Thursday, covering a total of 2,500 workers who had been on strike since late September.
What People Are Saying
Bill Fung, a housekeeping attendant at Hilton San Francisco Union Square for 29 years, said: “These 93 days have not been easy, and I’m so proud that my coworkers and I never gave up. We stood together through the rain and cold, and even though there were some hard days, it was all worth it. We will go back to work with our health care, good raises, and the confidence of knowing that when we fight, we win.”
Lizzy Tapia, President of Unite Here Local 2, said: “Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott workers refused to give up their health care or go backwards – and we proved on the picket line that we’re not afraid of a tough fight. As contract talks begin with the city’s other full-service hotels in the new year, they should know that this is the new standard they must accept for their own employees.”
San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie said on X: “All those that have been out on strike will be back to work, and just in time for Christmas. So, things are looking bright as we head into 2025.
What Happens Next
Unite Here Local 2 said it would push for other full-service hotels in San Francisco to adopt the same standards established by the Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott agreements when contract negotiations resume in 2025.
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