SFHA reviews Plaza East staffing, repairs and funds a $1.2 million resident‑services package

Commissioners at the Housing Authority of the City and County of San Francisco on Sept. 29 pressed Plaza East property managers for clearer performance metrics, approved funding flexibility for on‑site services and were shown progress on repairs.

The board heard from Channing Cobra Jackson of McCormick Baron Salazar and Ron Bowen of the John Stewart Company, who reported that August produced 56 work orders at Plaza East, of which six remain open and three were categorized as emergency work orders. Bowen said two new maintenance hires have been approved and two temporary staff are in place while background checks and hiring processes proceed; one commissioner summarized the hiring timeline as “90 days” for all four roles and Bowen said some hires could finish background checks in “two weeks.”

Commissioners sought clearer, month‑to‑month measures: how many work orders are opened and closed in each month, how many are carryovers, which are true emergencies and how the property benchmarks against similar portfolios. Bowen acknowledged the report did not list opened vs. closed counts for each month, committed to revise the report to include those KPIs and said the management team is moving to the Yardi property‑management system to capture more functionality.

The presentation also covered resident services provided by Family Restoration House (FRH): August activities included a backpack distribution, youth outings and weekly meals, and staff reported roughly 80 resident referrals and a larger set of event attendees during the month. Commissioners encouraged more consistent on‑site resident communications so tenants understand expected service improvements once staffing is fully in place.

On repairs, staff said the authority approved a revolving loan for emergency repairs, work has begun and about 10 units have been completed to date; the presenter promised before‑and‑after photos at the next meeting. Managers described regular site walks, weekly quality‑control photos and coordination with the Housing Authority for scorecard validation. Staff also said Watchtower camera audits have been requested and a new police liaison will support safety coordination.

The commission approved a resolution authorizing the chief executive officer to provide an amount not to exceed $1,200,000 over three fiscal years, through the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development and/or by issuing a request for proposals, to support resident services at Plaza East. The resolution passed by roll‑call vote (President Joaquin Torres, Commissioner Leroy Lindo, Commissioner Luanna Kim and Commissioner Mary Anne Pikes voted aye). The motion’s language was amended during the meeting to preserve the agency’s flexibility to use MOHCD funding, amend existing contracts where appropriate, or run a competitive procurement.

Why it matters: Plaza East is a high‑priority accelerated conversion site with residents awaiting repairs, services and relocation options tied to larger redevelopment steps. Commissioners emphasized that improved reporting — specifically opened/closed work‑order counts, time‑to‑close by category, and resident‑facing communications — is essential to track tangible improvements on site.

What’s next: Staff committed to provide revised work‑order reports (including monthly opened/closed counts and triage categories), photographic evidence of completed repairs at the next meeting, and to coordinate service‑provider decisions with resident leadership and MOHCD.