Welcome back to our weekly “Meet the Candidates” series, where District 1 supervisorial candidates who have filed to run respond to a question in 100 words or fewer.
Answers are published each week, but we are also archiving each answer on this page for District 1, to make it easier for voters to browse.
Next Thursday, May 9 at 10 a.m., I will be at The Coffee Movement at 1737 Balboa St. Drop by and share your thoughts. Can’t make that meeting? I’ll be somewhere in the district every week. Check back here to find out where.
As discussed in the past two weeks’ stories on housing, San Francisco is planning to raise the height limits and density in the west side of the city to meet its goal of building over 82,000 new housing units by 2031; 46,000 of them must be income-restricted affordable housing. But before this new plan, a large part of District 1 was already under an existing height limit of 40 feet — about four stories. Citywide, there are more than 73,000 units waiting to be built in the housing pipeline.
This week, we ask District 1 candidates: As supervisor, how will you leverage legislative tools available to you to have more affordable housing units built?
Jen Nossokoff
- Job: Vice president of a healthcare company and physician assistant
- Age: 38
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 2020
- Transportation: Walking, biking
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and master’s degree from Samuel Merritt University
- Languages: English
As District 1 supervisor, I will use legislative tools to enhance affordable housing, focusing on transit-oriented developments, zero-parking developments, and adaptive reuse of empty buildings. Promoting developments near public transit will reduce car dependency and make housing more accessible in transit-rich areas. By removing parking minimums, we lower construction costs and free up resources for affordable housing.
I will advocate for transforming underutilized buildings into sustainable housing that preserves community character. These strategies also support our environmental goals, contributing to a more sustainable, livable city for generations to come.
Marjan Philhour
- Job: Business owner, former advisor and fundraiser to London Breed
- Age: 49
- Residency: Homeowner, born in District 1 and moved back in 2006
- Transportation: Biking, walking, driving and public transportation
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley
- Languages: English
We need a broad vision for housing to meaningfully meet the city’s housing needs. We must ensure that subsidized affordable housing units are available while creating housing opportunities for middle income families and working people. By diversifying our housing stock, we will be able to enhance existing subsidies for affordable housing and provide more stability and security for residents.
Rather than playing politics and trying to “leverage” anything, we must utilize good governance to address the root causes of our housing shortage which have been exacerbated over decades. Our city has taken a piecemeal approach to housing creation, which has … read more here
Endorsed by: San Francisco Police Officers Association … read more here
Jeremiah Boehner
- Job: Marketing specialist and U.S. Army veteran
- Age: 39
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 1 since 2006
- Transportation: Driving
- Education: University of San Francisco
- Languages: English
I’ll work to make sure the process for permitting gets simplified and streamlined, so that construction projects can get done quickly.
Connie Chan
- Job: Incumbent District 1 Supervisor
- Age: 45
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 2011
- Transportation: Driving and walking
- Education: Bachelor’s degree, University of California, Davis
- Languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin
There are two key elements to build affordable housing: land and money. So whenever possible, I work with stakeholders, including the Mayor’s Office of Housing, to identify potential sites that can be available for housing development in the Richmond. And as Budget Committee chair, I sponsor and approve public financing legislation such as issuance of affordable housing bonds, certificate of participation, transfer tax allocation, special tax districts, application of state funding and more so San Francisco can obtain public dollars to build affordable housing.
In the coming months, I will be supporting a potential regional housing bond that could bring … read more here
Endorsed by: San Francisco Labor Council, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, Local 21, Service Employees International Union 1021 … read more here
Sherman D’Silva
- Job: Owner of a laundromat on Geary Boulevard
- Age: 51
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 1973
- Transportation: Driving
- Education: Bachelor’s degrees from San Francisco State University
- Languages: English
There are many single-story properties that are underutilized. Encouraging property owners with an incentive will multiply the units available without the need to build enormously tall housing complexes.
This would meet our obligation to increase affordable units while preserving the character of the Richmond District.
I would seek legislation to encourage property owners to add supplemental units to their property by allowing property owners to retain their pre-construction property tax base even after additional units are added. In addition, all construction permit fees would be waived. Incentives would only be available if the new units fall under rent control.
Money raised and spent in District 1 supervisor race
For
Money spent
Against
Marjan Philhour
$63,735
$136,064
Connie Chan
$11,806
$101,585
$5,360
$72,021
Jen Nossokoff
$11,653
$3,573
Jeremiah Boehner
$0
Sherman D’Silva
$0
$0
$50,000
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
For
Money spent
Against
Marjan Philhour
$63,735
$136,064
Connie Chan
$11,806
$101,585
$5,360
$72,021
Jen Nossokoff
$11,653
$3,573
Jeremiah Boehner
$0
Sherman D’Silva
$0
$0
$50K
$100K
$150K
$200K
Source: San Francisco Ethics Commission, as of April 3, 2024. Chart by Junyao Yang.
Candidates are ordered alphabetically and rotated each week. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at junyao@missionlocal.com.
Read the rest of the series here. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.
