If you want to hear the latest from one of the groups and some of the organizers of perhaps the biggest fight against gentrification in SF right now, please join us this Monday when Andy Blue of Plaza 16 Coalition tells of their work to slay the Monster in The Mission. He’ll be joined by activist and videographer Peter Menchini who’ll show a few of his videos on recent anti-gentrification actions such as Mission Takes City Hall.
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However, City Hall and the developers haven’t gone unchallenged. Organizations have formed to fight evictions, disrupt auctions of foreclosed-on homes, and to speak out at public hearings, planning commission meetings and in marches and demonstrations against massively inappropriate development. And while the mayor and a majority of supervisors seem intent on ethnically (and economically) cleansing the city, some of the efforts of groups such as The Plaza 16 Coalition, seem to be having at least some effects on the blind develop-everything-at-all-costs mentality of housing investors and the planning commission.
The Plaza 16 Coalition formed in 2013 to fight the largest ever market rate (luxury) housing development ever proposed for The Mission District. The group, which now has over 100 member organizations, advocates for affordable housing and to oppose the Maximus Investments plan for BART Plaza at Mission and 16th Streets for two ten-story towers of luxury apartments. The coalition has disrupted public meetings held by the developers to pitch their project and has demanded they turn the property over to the community which would be so negatively effected by its construction.
Since our Occupy Forum is held in the Global Exchange board room (thanks for your generosity GX!) this is an issue of direct interest to participants and fans of the Forum. Such a project would certainly increase both commercial and residential rents for blocks and so may put Occupy Forum at risk of losing its home.
Andy Blue is one of the organizers of Plaza 16 and he will update us on what’s happening in the fight against the luxury development and will tell us about the people and groups getting involved and what their vision for The Mission is. More info at: plaza16.org
Peter Menchini is a longtime SF activist and videographer who will show some of his footage from some Plaza 16 events and other recent affordable housing actions including the big, noisy Mission Takes City Hall.