As part of the emergency state budget allocation under SB 89 to help California address the COVID-19 pandemic, the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council awarded grants to local jurisdictions and service providers to limit community spread. To see list of recipients, click here.
Assemblymembers Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) and Autumn Burke (D-South Bay, Los Angeles) sent a letter to the California Association of County Treasurers & Tax Collector urging them waive late payment penalties and other relief for property owners affected by COVID-19. The full letter is here: 
Assemblymembers Ting and Burke Urge Relief for Property Owners
The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the paychecks of millions of Californians. They’ve either lost their jobs or had their hours significantly reduced. Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) is introducing AB 828 to help those struggling to make ends meet, imposing a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures on residents whose incomes have been diminished because of the coronavirus.
“We already had a homeless crisis before the coronavirus reached California. The last thing we need is to put more people on the streets and increase community spread,” said Ting. “We must prioritize public health right now and keep people housed.”
AB 828 defines the moratorium period and provides a framework for repayment of past-due monies. Provisions include:
• No evictions or foreclosures during the declared state of emergency related to COVID-19, plus 15 days afterward
• Courts can set up a repayment plan for monies owed and allow residents to remain in the residence
• Payment recovery period may go through March 2021 if economic hardship due to the coronavirus can be proven
In recognition of the same financial difficulties that small businesses and nonprofits are facing during this pandemic, Ting has also agreed to principal co-author SB 939, a proposal by State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) that establishes similar protective measures on the commercial side.
As of Thursday night, March 19, Governor Newsom has ordered all Californians to stay at home until further notice, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Only those with essential jobs or providing essential services can go to work. For the sake of public health, please comply. You can read the order here.
Details of what's open and what you can do can be found here.
California's comprehensive website on COVID-19 can be found here.
(San Francisco) -- After advocating for months to save Seton Medical Center, Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) commended Governor Newsom for using special COVID-19 response funds from the state budget to secure the services of the Daly City hospital. The facility was set for imminent closure and would have left the southern portion of San Francisco and Northern San Mateo County with no emergency room, potentially straining other nearby urgent care centers and forcing residents to drive farther for care.
“I’m grateful the Governor saw the urgent need to keep Seton Medical Center open during this pandemic,” said Ting, whose district includes Daly City. “But even after our current public health crisis passes, it would be imperative for this facility to remain open because 27,000 patients, mostly elderly and low-income, are served there. Seton’s immediate closure would have created a health care desert. I’m proud to have joined with community leaders over the past year to work toward saving it."
The agreement with Seton is made possible under SB 89, a bill which Ting, as Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, urged lawmakers to pass on Monday, allocating up to $1 billion to help the state combat COVID-19. The measure passed with bipartisan support in both houses and was signed by the Governor on Tuesday.
In August 2018, Verity, owners of Seton Medical Center and other health facilities, filed for bankruptcy. Seton garnered some interest from buyers, but a sale never materialized, worrying community leaders. The state stepping in is welcome news because the move buys some time.
Seton Medical Center was founded more a century ago in San Francisco, operating as Mary’s Help Hospital. It moved to its current location in 1965, becoming Daly City’s largest employer with about 1,500 workers. The facility has 357 beds, and 80% of patients use MediCal and Medicare.
San Francisco, California -- In response to the alarming escalation in xenophobia and bigotry resulting from the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Pacific Planning and Policy Council (A3PCON), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) and San Francisco Asian American Studies Department have launched a reporting center to collect and track incidents of anti-Asian American and Pacific islander hate violence, adult harassment, discrimination, shunning, and child bullying in California and throughout the country. The reporting center will enable individuals who have been directly impacted by or witnessed firsthand this issue to share their stories here.
The lead organizations plan to work with public, private and other community based organizations to develop targeted education and media campaigns, to provide resources for impacted individuals and to advocate for policies and programs dedicated to curtailing racial profiling.
San Francisco - Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) released the following statement regarding the six-county Bay Area shelter-in-place order:
“We are in unprecedented times. The Coronavirus pandemic poses a massive threat to our community’s health and well-being, to our economy, and to our way of life. We must confront it with firm and resolute steps to slow the contagion’s spread.
“Today’s six-county public health order directing people to remain at home unless absolutely necessary, and to close all non-essential businesses, is a critical step to combat the pandemic.
“We fully support this action by our county health authorities, and we ask that our constituents please respect this directive. Even if you are not experiencing symptoms, you may still be infectious, and it's important that you stay inside to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and to avoid overwhelming our healthcare system. We know that people are hurting, financially and otherwise. This short-term pain will help us avoid much more severe long-term consequences.
"We will work closely with local authorities to obtain any needed state approvals, and to eliminate any state barriers, to help ensure our communities can effectively combat the pandemic and help those in need."
Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) issued the following statement after sending a letter to the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) and the Employment Development Department (EDD) urging that tax deadlines be adjusted for those affected the Coronavirus:
“We can all see the impact of the coronavirus emergency on our small businesses. Restaurants and stores that would otherwise be bustling sit eerily empty, and employees don’t know if they can count on their next paycheck. We must do all we can to ensure working families survive this economic crisis. I urge our state tax departments to use existing authority to conform to forthcoming actions from the federal government to provide relief and identify any additional statutory changes needed,” said Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco).
You can read the full letter here: Ting Urges FTB & EDD to Adjust Tax Deadlines for Those Affected by COVID-19
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Due to recommendations by the local Health Department, we are postponing this event that was
originally scheduled for Friday, March 13. We will let you know when we have a new date.
Thank you for your patience.
Ting attends March 6th rally urging Verity Health System to keep Seton Medical Center in Daly City open.
Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), Senator Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) and Assemblymember Kevin Mullin (D-San Mateo) released the following statement regarding Verity Health System’s decision to close Seton Medical Center in Daly City:
“Verity Health System’s decision to close two facilities will have a terrible impact to our communities in the southern portion of San Francisco and northern San Mateo County. With COVID-19 posing a public health challenge and our homelessness crisis worsening -- both of which are increasing trips to the ER -- the closure of Seton Medical Center in Daly City is a huge problem for the community. We demand that Verity follow state law mandating they give 90-day notice when shutting down an emergency room. We further demand that they follow the 30-day requirement for Seton Coastside in Moss Beach. With the nearest hospitals now farther away from Daly City, it’s possible that patients won’t get timely care because of the additional travel time. We are also concerned that the nearby facilities may become overcrowded. We will continue to work with local health departments to ensure residents will have access to affordable healthcare. Now is not the time to close down a hospital, and we ask Verity to reverse this decision.”