Residents at multiple HUD-subsidized sites tell Housing Authority they face broken elevators, rodents and delayed repairs; call for oversight and local hiring

Dozens of residents, tenant advocates and neighborhood organizers used the Housing Authority’s public comment period on April 24 to describe ongoing habitability problems at HUD-subsidized properties and to demand more robust oversight of private property managers.

Why it matters: Speakers described conditions they said affect health, safety and daily life for low-income and legacy public housing residents across San Francisco. Many asked the Housing Authority and its city partners to enforce management contracts more strictly, increase transparency about repairs and contractor hiring, and expand local hiring and contracting opportunities for Black and other underrepresented contractors.

What residents described: Residents who identified themselves by name told the commission they are coping with broken elevators, rodent infestations, chemical exposure, unresolved repairs and delays in fob or garage access. Several speakers named property managers and developers such as John Stewart, McCormick & Baron (sometimes cited as McCormick and Barron), Related Management and MBS as parties they said have not addressed recurring maintenance and service problems. Examples from the record include:

- Irie Benson, a resident at Alice Griffith and a Citywide HUD Alliance member, said elevators have broken down and longtime maintenance delays have left units and common areas in disrepair: “So when the elevators break down, the residents with disabilities and mobility issues are trapped.”

- A resident said she had not been able to access her unit for about three weeks because the elevators were out, forcing her to stay elsewhere and pay for food and lodging.

- Salah Hakuia Chandler recounted a medical incident she said she linked to pesticide use at a Candlestick-area John Stewart building and said she received what the speaker called an eviction-threat letter after raising concerns.

- Several speakers from Plaza East, Hunters View (West Point), and other sites said security and building services were inadequate and described ongoing mold, pest and infrastructure problems.

Oversight and accountability requests: Speakers and tenant organizers repeatedly urged the Housing Authority to work with the mayor’s office of housing and community development and with HUD to enforce contract obligations, provide clearer public reporting on monitoring and affordability covenants, and prioritize hiring of local residents and Black-owned firms on construction contracts. Janice Williams of the Citywide HUD Alliance asked for public hearings on management practices across HUD communities in San Francisco; others pressed for a formal “letter of assurance” or similar instrument from the authority to hold property managers accountable.

Staff and board response: Housing Authority CEO Tanya Letizhu acknowledged the comments and told the meeting the authority has been working with Mercy Housing, property managers and MOHCD on issues at Sunnydale and other properties. On pest control specifically, Letizhu said the authority and Mercy have “been battling pest, very diligently and working with Mercy around additional pest control for where the dirt is being moved,” and that staff have contacted impacted units to provide services and pest treatment where needed. The board president and commissioners thanked speakers for coming and said staff would continue coordination with city partners and contractors on remediation and oversight.

Requests for data and enforcement: Several commenters cited federal and local monitoring rules and asked for annual monitoring reports and recorded affordability covenants to be made public. Speakers also testified that residents are not seeing promised resident hiring and contracting on capital projects; multiple commenters asked the authority to require prevailing wages and local hire in redevelopment contracts and to audit developer compliance with those requirements.

Ending: Commissioners and staff acknowledged the depth of residents’ complaints and said they will continue to work with the mayor’s office, HUD and property managers to address immediate habitability needs and longer-term contract and hiring concerns. The public record shows persistent, unresolved issues across multiple properties and calls from resident leaders for frequent and transparent follow-up from the authority and city partners.