Mayor Gavin Newsom today marked the 5th Anniversary of Project Homeless Connect (PHC) by announcing that since January 2004, from combined outreach and housing efforts including the Care Not Cash, Housing First, Direct Access to Housing and Homeward Bound initiatives, a total of 10,133 homeless single adults have left San Francisco streets or the city’s shelter system for permanent housing.

“Project Homeless Connect is a cost-effective and efficient way to deliver services,” said Mayor Newsom. “The project is a catalyst for engagement and collaboration among city government, community volunteers, nonprofits, and business, and now in its 5th year, has proved to be a great success, helping us move 10,000 homeless people off our streets,” said Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Project Homeless Connect began in October 2004, under the direction of Mayor Gavin Newsom, with fewer than 300 volunteers surveying the homeless in downtown San Francisco. Since then, more than 21,000 volunteers have helped provide services and care to more than 29,000 homeless and poor individuals. Read more.

For more information go to: www.projecthomelessconnect.com.

The latest information on transportation alternatives are available via
511 - http://www.511.org.

• Public transit: BART, AC Transit, SF MTA
• Ferries: The Golden Gate, Vallejo Baylink, East Bay Alameda/Oakland, and Alameda/Harbor Day ferries 
• Detour Routes:Motorists can use alternate bridges: Golden Gate Bridge, Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, San Mateo-Hayward Bridge and the Dumbarton Bridge. Get more info on Detour Routes
• Carpooling options: Learn about RideShare and Casual Carpooling

Additional details of the closure can be found on the
- Web at: http://www.baybridgeinfo.org  or via
- Twitter - http://twitter.com/baybridgeinfo

10/26/09 – Mayor Gavin Newsom today announced the initial arrival of the first major shipment of the H1N1 swine flu vaccine in San Francisco. Approximately 28,000 doses of the injectable vaccine have been delivered to the San Francisco Department of Public Health. High risk patients who get their healthcare at public health clinics will begin getting the vaccine today. Injectable vaccine is also available at Kaiser and other clinician offices throughout the City.

Meanwhile, Department of Public Health staff has begun cataloguing, organizing and distributing a large portion of H1N1 swine flu vaccine to 9 sites throughout the City in preparation for a series of H1N1 swine flu vaccination clinics designed especially for high risk individuals who do not have a primary care provider or whose primary care provider does not have the vaccine.

“This is a public health issue with a big City-wide effort behind it,” said Mayor Newsom. “We are working diligently to ramp up for a series of vaccination clinics beginning on Thursday, October 29 and continuing for up to six days if necessary. Right now, we are looking for volunteers among San Francisco residents—clinical and non-clinical individuals—who want to help us deliver this vaccine to high risk residents.” Read more.

The vaccine is free of charge at vaccine sites. To find out the locations and times for the H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine clinics that begin on October 29, go to http://www.sfcdcp.org/FluVaccinesSites.html.

10/23/09 - Mayor Gavin Newsom today launched the Art and Storefronts pilot program, a new economic development initiative in Central Market and the Tenderloin. The program engages San Francisco-based artists to reinvigorate neighborhoods that have been hard-hit by the economic downturn.

“Art in Storefronts harnesses the creativity of San Francisco’s artist community to help improve the quality of life and the business climate in our neighborhood commercial districts,” said Mayor Newsom. “These installations will transform vacant storefronts and commercial corridors into a destination for contemporary art, bringing new energy to the area. With increased foot traffic, Art in Storefronts will improve streetscape conditions and safety and foster neighborhood pride.”

The Art in Storefronts pilot program officially kicked off with a community celebration along Central Market and North of Market/Tenderloin sidewalks. Eleven vacant storefronts transformed into art installations and two murals were unveiled along Market between 5th and 8th Streets, and North of Market along Taylor Street. The public had the opportunity to meet the artists who will be stationed at their installations, with the artists giving impromptu art talks throughout the evening and providing maps to the newly-transformed storefronts.

The program was initiated by Mayor Gavin Newsom, working with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD), the San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC), in partnership with neighborhood based economic development organizations.

Following the Central Market and Tenderloin launch, the program will rollout on Third Street in Bayview (October 30), and Lower 24th Street in the Mission (November 20). All installations will remain on view through the end of January 2010. Read more.

For more information, please visit www.sfartscommission.org/storefronts

10/22/09 – Mayor Gavin Newsom today joined San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (SFGH) to celebrate the rebuilding of the SFGH inpatient care facility. The groundbreaking ceremony is less than one year after 84% of San Francisco voters passed Proposition A, which authorized city financing of the project.

“The people of San Francisco appreciate the value of San Francisco General and they sent that message loud and clear last year,” said Mayor Gavin Newsom. “Now we are moving forward to strengthen General by building a new hospital that the entire city can be proud of for generations to come.”

The new 448,000 square-foot building, scheduled to open in 2015, will be nine stories (seven stories above ground and two below) and house 284 inpatient beds, 32 more beds than the current hospital. The new building will feature a state-of-the-art environment including patient care areas which have been designed to reduce errors and infections and improve quality and nursing care. The $887.4 million hospital will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified and will feature a seismically compliant design allowing the hospital building to move 30 inches in any direction. Read more

For information on the San Francisco General Hospital rebuild, please visit www.sfdph.org/dph/rebuildSFGH/.