Housing Depression

ing rent. Essentially, the government allowed people to use housing services without paying since March 2020. It would be state-sanctioned theft if this was permitted in any other industry.

Many housing providers (for-profit and non-profit) are extremely upset and frustrated. Cities like San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley want to introduce more restrictive housing laws with slow “ramp downs” of a three-year eviction moratorium that has damaged the housing market across the Bay Area.

Lawmakers and municipal leaders created a crisis by upholding threeyear health emergency mandates and eviction moratoriums. They introduced moral hazards and emboldened people to destroy property and to stop paying rent without adequately funded government programs in place. It has created an unpaid rent bubble and consumer debt estimated to be as high as $3B across the Bay Area’s nine counties. Municipalities have insufficient plans to help households pay what is owed and provide lifelines to rental property owners in financial distress or foreclosure.

During the pandemic, legislators essentially sanctioned the theft of service with blanket protections where many renters, without proven COVID-19 financial hardship and loss of income, decided to stop pay-

Housing is a human right. No rent on stolen land. Stop all evictions. No right to profit from renters. These are the messages and new rulesbased ideology that radical socialist progressives (SoProgs) push and institute housing policies authored by self-dealing lobbying attorneys.

Organizations like the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) aim to depress real estate values, and control socialized housing under nonprofit or public housing models. This is fundamental to their mission, no matter the cost and loss for smaller property owners.

Extreme renter entitlement and protections are so pervasive in Oakland and Berkeley and fueled by a plethora of nonprofit tenant litigation organizations. For many years, organizations like ACCE, with tentacles into local city governments, targeted large corporate rental owners/operators as the businesses taking advantage of renters. Today, there’s also a full-throated effort to demonize small rental owners. In these cities, smaller rental housing providers own/operate most older and affordable housing units. They are typically the most vulnerable and under-resourced rental businesses that struggled for three years during the Eviction Moratorium if they didn’t receive rental income.

In major cities like Oakland and San Francisco, increased homelessness, open-air drug use, and crime have become the norm. These conditions have also contributed to hous - ing challenges and resident flight. Recently in San Francisco, I walked four blocks on Eddy Street (Market St. to Jones St.) and was appalled by what I saw happening in broad daylight—right in front of the Tenderloin SFPD. This is the ongoing reality that many residents, workers, and tourists face daily in our cities. It further erodes our cities’ value and esteem, as well as stifling business and housing investment.

New attitudes of political correctness and extreme liberalism by SoProgs can cloud good judgment and impede common sense. These views enable a type of cultural conditioning that we’ve not experienced before. The acceptance and enablement of lawlessness drive out businesses, residents, and tourism—desperately needed commerce and tax revenue to fund municipal investments.

These new attitudes are often rooted in misguided equity and justice initiatives that can backfire and create unintended consequences. For example, good intentions for renters can disenfranchise vulnerable and underresourced Black, Brown, immigrant, and elderly rental property owners through housing enforcement policies, rent increase caps, emergency mandates, and forced owner subsidies. Unvetted programs and polices often require no proof of renter financial hardship or qualification to reside in affordable rent-controlled units. These activities ultimately destabilize housing and real estate markets, reduce the availability of rental units, and force communities of color that own real estate and rental property out of the market.

Historically, communities of color have worked hard to own property

(continued on page 22)

JUSTER (continued from pg 6) presented a day-long summit called SHIFT Happens. This inaugural summit was created in response to indications that, during the pandemic, the path toward gender equity had not only stalled, but also gone backward. Community leaders, activists, policymakers, legislators, and artists came together to exchange ideas on how to provide women, girls, and nonbinary people with the education, tools, and resources necessary to create opportunities, from health and safety to economic security, civic engagement, and political empowerment.

Members of the Commission on the Status of Women described how the Commission has been completely revamped to more immediately meet the needs of the community. There was an emphasis on elevating women to positions where they have the power to make policy about their own lives. Activist Sophia Andary, co-founder of Women’s March SF, led a panel called “Beyond the March,” in which panelists presented ways to get involved in the political process in order to create change, reminding attendees that “we must be intersectional in our activism.”

Another panel featured eight male panelists—legislators, tech and business leaders, city policymakers—with a female moderator who asked them to talk about what they were doing in their respective areas to promote gender equity and improve the lives of women, girls, and nonbinary people. Their work covered a wide range, including supporting immigrant and women-owned businesses during the pandemic, to the child welfare system, the plight of incarcerated women and transgender people, to the statewide housing shortage, and to pay equity.

It was an ambitious agenda for an inaugural one-day summit, but I came away with a much clearer idea of what the city of San Francisco and the state of California are doing to create positive change. More info: https://tinyurl.com/ShiftSummt

Welcome Castro

Three years of empty, boarded-up storefronts has cast a pall over many of our city’s neighborhoods, including the Castro. So, it is good news to hear of a new store not only opening on Castro Street, but also devoted to the Castro. Welcome Castro, by San Francisco Mercantile in collaboration with Castro Merchants, will hold its grand opening on Thursday, April 27, from 5–8 pm, at 525 Castro Street. Their announcement promises a good old-fashioned Castrostyle celebration: “Ribbon cutting! Wine and hors d’oeuvres! Music! Drag queens! Party! All are welcome!” They are also promising surprise guests and a special announcement.

Part neighborhood visitor center and part gift shop offering a “fabulously queer retail experience celebrating the LGBTQ history and culture of the Castro village,” Welcome Castro will carry many LGBTQ+ and Castro-themed products, with a focus on items made by local queer artists and designers. They will also feature maps and guides to the neighborhood’s shops, bars, restaurants, and historical sites. One very special feature is a window installation by Serge Gay Jr. paying tribute to four Black women leaders: Ms. Billie Cooper, Gwenn Craig, Honey Mahogany, and the late Pat Norman. The installation was created in collaboration with the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District.

Castro resident Robert Emmons spearheaded Welcome Castro after owning and operating two other stores on Haight Street. San Francisco Mercantile is a gift shop, and Welcome Haight & Ashbury is a visitor center. Welcome Castro is designed as a pop-up that brings both concepts together: providing visitor information as well as San Francisco and Castro-themed gift items from local LGBTQ+ designers and makers.

Welcome Castro is part of an effort to revitalize the Castro Street corridor. After so many stores closed during the pandemic, Castro Merchants received a $100,000 Vacant Storefront Activation grant from the Office of Economic and Workforce Development in 2022. Welcome Castro is funded partly by some of those funds, a $50,000 grant that Emmons hopes to repay by the end of the 10-month trial for the pop-up.

Volunteer Appreciation Month

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, so please join me in thanking the legions of volunteers who make this city possible. Look around, and you will see them everywhere: ushering at theatres, running events, planting trees, picking up trash, feeding the hungry, coaching sports teams, reading to children, and so very much more. Take time to thank a volunteer, or, better yet—join them.

Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.

GGBA (continued from pg 9)

Students and it is for teachers who want to keep teaching and keep loving it each day!

I am super excited about the possibility for every teacher in the world to have my book because it focuses on being the best version of themselves every day. The purpose is not to tell teachers to change who they are or that they’re not good enough but to support them in truly embracing their passion and showing up centered and healthy for themselves and their students. So, if you didn’t know, Teacher Appreciation Week this year is May 5–9 (in the U.S.) and my book is now available on Amazon, just in time for you to be able to buy my book for all the teachers you love, and even those you wish you could love, so that they can begin to learn how to center empathy and their emotional well-being in and out of the classroom! It is an interactive book. I’m so happy to get the opportunity to share this with you all. Thank you!

To purchase A Teacher’s Companion: How to Center Empathy & Emotional Well-Being for Yourself and Your Students by Misha Safran, go to: https://a.co/d/2WZd31K

For more information about CEEQ: https://ceeq.org/

ROSTOW (continued from pg 7) slapped it back in place. The conservatives on the other side then asked the justices to overturn the Fourth Circuit but seven justices refused. Our buddies Alito and Thomas voted for West Virginia.

Meanwhile, cases in two states that have undermined transgender health treatment will be combined before the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, a court where Democratic appointees outnumber Republicans by nine to six. We’ll watch that one.

Speaking of Democratic versus Republican judicial nominees, here we have a panel of Seventh Circuit judges, all Republican appointees, who voted 2–1 against an anti-trans high school music teacher from Brownsburg, Indiana. The teacher, John Kluge, asked to be given a religious-based pass on a school rule that said teachers must use preferred names and pronouns. For a time, he was allowed to use the last names of his students, two of whom were trans. But Kluge kept forgetting to follow his own rule, and other students complained about his hostile attitude. One of his trans students dropped out of his class, and to make a long story short, the guy was canned.

Kluge sued under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids religious discrimination in the workplace, among other things. According to Art Leonard of the New York School of Law, one of the judges thought the case should have had some fact-finding at trial, although he agreed with the majority that Kluge could not claim that his discharge was an act of retaliation. Leonard thinks it likely that Kruge’s lawyers at the Alliance Defending Freedom will appeal to the full circuit or the High Court.

Show Me the Madness

I’m not sure I have the stamina to tell you about the insanity out of Missouri, where the Attorney General has issued an “emergency rule” banning health care and transition services for all transgender adults in the state. I had no idea this was possible, and I think the federal courts will soon tell us it’s not. My wife’s side of the family, as I may have mentioned, come from Kansas and “hate” Missouri, to the point where my stepson used to drive over the border to buy things in Kansas and deny money to the Missouri sales tax collectors. Missouri, after all, attacked Kansas in the 1850s, setting fire

GREENE (continued from pg 8) respect, and grace. Planning early is a key to maximizing your options and asset protection.

How much does elder care cost, and why is it expensive?

The cost of elder care can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including the level of care required, the location and type of care facility or service, and the individual’s health and functional status. In general, however, elder care can be quite expensive, with costs ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars per month, especially if a plan is not in place.

Some of the factors that contribute to the high cost of elder care include: staffing and labor costs - Elder care typically requires a significant amount of staff, including healthcare professionals, caregivers, and support staff. The cost of hiring and training these individuals can be quite high. equipment and supplies - Elder care often requires specialized equipment and supplies, such as medical equipment, mobility aids, and personal care items, which can be expensive. facility costs - The cost of maintaining and operating care facilities, such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities, can be high due to factors such as rent, utilities, and maintenance. healthcare costs - Elderly individuals often require significant healthcare services, such as medical treatments, medications, and therapy, which can be expensive. geographic location - The cost of elder care can vary widely depending on the geographic location, with care in urban areas generally being more expensive than in rural areas.

Given the high cost of elder care, it’s important to plan ahead and explore all available options for financing care, such as long-term care insurance, Medicaid, and other government programs. It’s also important to work with experienced professionals, such as financial advisors and elder law attorneys, to help protect your assets and navigate the complex financial and legal issues associated with elder care.

How can an experienced attorney help with elder care?

An experienced attorney who specializes in elder law can provide a wide range of services and support related to elder care, including:

BARNES (continued from pg 21) and homes, playing by rules stacked against them despite decades of injustice and racist housing policies. Rental owners of color largely provide most of the below-market rate housing to other people of color. Now, more radical SoProgs are on a mission to devalue their properties by installing new rules through unvetted policies, using scare tactics, and stealing opportunities to build equity and generational wealth in communities of color. It’s an insidious new form of blockbusting we’ve seen before, and the enablers must be stopped to Lawrence in defense of slavery, and my family hasn’t forgotten it! I used to joke about this, but I’m starting to think the cause is a legitimate one.

Now, I see that, in fact, I will be devoting this entire column to transgender issues, because I haven’t even brought up the Bud Light story, nor have I touched on the Texas state representative, Bryan Slaton, who has championed a ban on drag shows that “sexualize children.” arostow@aol.com basic estate planning - An elder law attorney can help with creating a last will and testament or revocable trust and other estate planning documents to ensure that an individual’s assets are distributed according to their wishes. healthcare planning - An elder law attorney can help with creating advance directives, such as a living will or healthcare power of attorney, which allow individuals to express their wishes regarding medical treatment and appoint a trusted individual to make healthcare decisions on their behalf if they are unable to do so, and avoid additional costs and delays associated with court processes. financial planning - An elder law attorney can assist with managing finances and assets, including setting up trusts, managing investments, and creating a plan for long-term care costs. long-term care planning - An elder law attorney can help with evaluating options for long-term care, such as in-home care, assisted living, or nursing home care, and can help with identifying sources of funding for these services.

Slaton is now charged with serving alcohol to a minor at his home, the minor being an underaged intern who also had sex with the married lawmaker on a weekday night, we hear. Check out a photo of Slaton, and you’ll see the stereotypical unattractive fat cat Republican honcho, who reportedly told the intern to keep quiet about the tryst. It is not even the hypocrisy that annoys me. It’s just gross. Honey, I don’t know anything about you, but you can do better than that.

And while I was reading about Slaton on The Daily Beast, I couldn’t help noticing a headline right under his story that read: “DeSantis Ally Died by Suicide After Being Accused of Sexual Misconduct with Minor.” Somehow, I never saw this news, which took place in December and involved a man, Kent Stermon, who was described as a man with “vast influence” over the Florida Republican Party. Who knew?

Okay, fine. You read about it at the time, did you? Bravo. For the benefit of the rest of us, Stermon was accused of trying to trade Taylor Swift tickets for photos of this teenaged girl’s breasts. He then offered her dad a tidy sum to keep the incident under wraps, but the dad declined and went to the police.

I have no time or space left for Bud Light, which earned a really bizarre reaction after trans Instagram influencer Dylan Mulvaney posted a little promo. Various conservative celebrities pledged to boycott the product, but since I have no time or space, I can’t elaborate. Also, I don’t care, I’ve never heard of the boycott people, and I’m no longer a big beer drinker, having graduated to dry white wine and gin drinks. That said, I will make it a point to order a Bud Light the next time I’m out, on principle.

Medi-Cal and asset protection planning - An elder law attorney can assist with navigating the complex rules and regulations associated with Medi-Cal eligibility and can help individuals and families plan for and reduce out-of-pocket long-term care costs while preserving assets and income.

Overall, an experienced elder law attorney can provide valuable support and guidance to individuals and families navigating the complex legal and financial issues associated with elder care. By working with an attorney, individuals can ensure that they are taking advantage of all available resources and options to support their loved ones’ well-being and quality of life.

Statements In Compliance with California Rules of Professional Conduct: The materials in this article have been prepared by Attorney Jay Greene for educational purposes only and are not legal advice. This information does not create an attorney-client relationship. Individuals should consult with an estate planning and elder law attorney for up-to-date information for their individual plans.

Jay Greene, Attorney, CPA, is the founder of Greene Estate, Probate, & Elder Law Firm based in San Francisco, and is focused on helping LGBT individuals, couples, and families plan for their future, protect their assets, and preserve their wealth. For more information and to schedule an assessment, visit: https://assetprotectionbayarea.com/ before the damage to the most vulnerable communities and housing market are irreparable.

Derek Barnes is the CEO of the East Bay Rental Housing Association ( www.EBRHA.com ). He currently serves on the boards of Horizons Foundation and Homebridge CA. Follow him on Twitter @DerekBarnesSF or on Instagram at DerekBarnes.SF

Kippy Marks

When a candidate campaigns to become a Grand Duke or Grand Duchess, there is always a representation of colors that allows voters to know whom they are voting for. In most cases, candidates will also have a “catchphrase” and a coronation theme for their step-down. Here is a look back at what those were from 2009–2011.

2009–2010

The 37th Royal House of All That Glitters Is Gold

Grand Duke XXXVI Patrick Noonan

Color: gold

Symbol: Grateful Dead bear

Grand Duchess XXXVII Pollo Del Mar

Color: gold

Symbol: mermaid

Favorite Saying: “All that glitters is