SoMa tenants vote on proposals for a citywide initiative. Photo by Sara Bloomberg
By Sara Bloomberg
The city’s fifth regional tenants convention, held on Jan. 25 just blocks away from Twitter’s mid-market headquarters, addressed the unique needs of the South of Market and Tenderloin neighborhoods, where gritty SROs exist alongside luxury condos.
It’s precisely this stark contrast of living conditions, tenants said, that makes the broken promises of the 2011 Twitter tax breaks so apparent. Community members say they aren’t seeing the benefits from agreements that the tech companies are supposed to have with the city in exchange for not owing any payroll taxes.
“They’re gonna be here for better or for worse,” said Hatty Lee of the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation, referring to the tech companies and startups moving into District 6. “How do we keep them accountable, talk about the wealth that’s not being taxed and get the city to take responsibility for what they created?”
Roughly 70 SRO residents, seniors, people with disabilities and young artists and students filled the community center at the Bayanihan Community Center at Mission and 6th streets to address their housing concerns and brainstorm creative solutions. (more after the jump)
