Between now and the November election, Mission Local is asking each District 3 candidate one question per week, and candidates will get 100 words to respond. We will compile all responses to the 40-odd questions on a “Meet the Candidates” page, so that voters can get a full picture of their stances.
Because Supervisor Aaron Peskin terms out next January, six candidates have filed to run for the seat to lead District 3, which includes North Beach, Chinatown, Union Square, the Financial District, Russian Hill and Nob Hill.
Have a question for the candidates? Meet me on Thursday, June 13, at 10:30 a.m. at Joy’s Place, 611 Post St. Email me at yujie@missionlocal.com.
For years, the Granada Hotel at Lower Nob Hill was an single-room occupancy hotels for seniors, whose lives were turned upside down when the city bought the property for homeless re-housing in 2020. Soon after the acquisition, police reports showed a spike in calls for service at the Granada; problems such as bed bug and rodent infestations also persist.
Question this week: What do you think about the situation at the Granada Hotel?
Moe Jamil
- Job: Deputy city attorney, San Francisco City Attorney’s Office
- Age: 46
- Residency: Owner-occupied condo owner, living in District 3 since May 2014
- Transportation: Walking
- Education: University of California, Berkeley, and law school at Santa Clara University, K-12 public school
- Languages: English, Cantonese
The city’s acquisition of the Granada Hotel has been a challenge for the existing senior-citizen population and those awaiting placement into the project’s new supportive housing.
The city has disproportionately concentrated shelters and supportive housing in Lower Nob Hill. One neighborhood and its residents cannot continue to bear the responsibility of these facilities, especially without proper planning and oversight by city departments.
While PG&E is responsible for a majority of the delays in opening the facility, this serves as another reminder that the city should make every effort to support Clean Power SF and the public power movement.
Endorsed by: San Francisco Tenants Union, Teamsters Joint Council 7, Retired Assistant Police Chief Garrett Tom, Board President Aaron Peskin … read more here
Sharon Lai
- Job: Economic recovery leader at the World Economic Forum, former board member at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
- Age: 41
- Residency: Tenant and owner, living in District 3 since 2023, first moved to SF in 2005
- Transportation: Walk and Muni when solo, drive when with kids
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from University of California, Berkeley, development studies and city and regional planning; master’s degree in public administration, Harvard Kennedy School
- Languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese
The state’s time-bound Homekey funding allowed for the acquisition and conversion of the Granada, but it was rushed and didn’t adequately consider the risks of integrating formerly homeless populations with legacy tenants.
Formerly homeless populations require significant support to stabilize and adjust to formal housing. The impacts to the existing tenants were unacceptable. As a former homeless-housing executive, I don’t think this integration and transition should have occurred.
The city should have conducted proper assessment of building’s conditions, provided adequate resources to ensure legacy tenants’ safety, involved them in the conversion process, and provided relocation options as needed.
Endorsed by: Community Tenants Association, Teamsters Joint Council 7, 7 of the current Board of Supervisors … read more here
Eduard Navarro
- Job: Tech startup founder
- Age: 44
- Residency: Tenant in District 3 since December 2021
- Transportation: Walking, public transportation
- Education: CFA Institute: Chartered Financial Analyst, passed level 1. Master’s degree from Columbia University, architecture, concentration in urban design. Master’s degree from Columbia University, real estate development, concentrating in finance. Ecole d’Architecture de La Villette. Bachelor’s degree in architecture from Georgia Institute of Technology.
- Languages: Spanish, French, German, English, Valèncian (Catalan)
I canvassed at the Granada Hotel on March 2 for a friend running for DCCC. I saw first-hand the building’s deplorable condition. The environment was unsettling. Coleen, the wonderful onsite manager, provided a personal connection to each resident that made the visit possible. It’s heartbreaking to read about the ongoing issues. SROs are not hospitals or treatment centers and must not be treated as warehouses for people in need. We must do better, ensuring housing solutions are humane and effective. This requires a nuanced understanding of sociology, architecture, and a clear administrative structure providing not only accountability, but also authority … read more here.
JConr B. Ortega
- Job: Self-described formerly homeless, leatherman, boxer
“A lack of oversight created an unbearable and dangerous environment for existing tenants, Supervisor Peskin who championed the deal after residents reached out to him for help, declined to comment,” says the Standard.
City Hall has gotten too comfortable with nonprofits doing City Hall’s job and avoiding the responsibility after a scandal erupts.
Time and time again, nonprofits prove their inability to solve the problem, so it’s time we defund the nonprofits and require the city to, once again, do their job in providing a livable environment for residents.
It’s unacceptable that reports like these happen, even to this day!
Danny Sauter
- Job: Executive Director, Neighborhood Centers Together
- Age: 35
- Residency: Tenant in District 3 since 2014
- Transportation: Public transportation
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from Miami University
- Languages: English, Cantonese
The Granada Hotel and its years of well-documented building neglect, rash of public safety challenges, and difficult working conditions are alarming, and are indicative of larger challenges around supportive housing in San Francisco.
I would work with all stakeholders to ensure zero-tolerance policies for drug use in common areas, that essential building and worker safety projects are fast-tracked, and that neighbors have their concerns addressed.
Everyone at the Granada deserves better: Workers deserve protections and better wages, residents deserve safety and comfort, and neighbors deserve to have their support of the project rewarded with a safe, well-run supportive housing site.
Endorsed by: Nor Cal Carpenters Union, Senator Scott Wiener, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, Operating Engineers Local 3 … read more here
Matthew Susk
- Job: Former lead with Divvy Homes
- Age: 32
- Residency: TIC owner, first moved to District 3 in 2007. 2007-2009 while in high school, 2014-2016 after college, 2023-present with his wife.
- Transportation: Walking
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence University, master’s in business from Georgetown University
- Languages: English
The situation at the Granada Hotel is alarming. The hasty acquisition caused significant declines in safety and living conditions for tenants. Allegations of elder abuse, forced evictions, and inadequate oversight underscore a severe lack of accountability.
This troubling scenario highlights the urgent need for more accountability with quantifiable metrics. We must hold all city departments and nonprofits to the highest standards with clear success metrics. The situation at the Granada Hotel is a stark reminder of the consequences of poor management.
Money raised and spent in the District 3 supervisor race
Money spent
Money raised
Sharon Lai
$9,493
$86,241
Danny Sauter
$7,904
$74,566
Moe Jamil
$16,015
$71,672
JConr B. Ortega
$0
Matthew Susk
$0
Eduard Navarro
$0
$0
$50,000
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
Money raised
Money spent
Sharon Lai
$9,493
$86,241
Danny Sauter
$7,904
$74,566
Moe Jamil
$16,015
$71,672
JConr B. Ortega
$0
Matthew Susk
$0
Eduard Navarro
$0
$0
$50K
$100K
$150K
$200K
Source: San Francisco Ethics Commission, as of April 3, 2024. Chart by Junyao Yang.
Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at yujie@missionlocal.com.
Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.
