SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) – San Francisco is still recovering from the pandemic the slowest of all major US cities. Thirty-four percent of downtown office space is now vacant. At the same time, there is not enough housing in the city. Could some of this vacant office space be converted into much-needed housing?

San Francisco is in a constant battle with itself: too much commercial space, but not enough housing.

“In many cases, it is cheaper to remodel one of these buildings than to build new,” says Marc Babsin, head of Emerald Fund, a real estate development company based in San Francisco.

That's what Mayor London Breed wants to hear.

She is convinced that the “coming together” of the two, like a marriage, could contribute to the revitalization of the city center.

“We will continue to adapt, we will adjust and we will get better,” Breed stressed.

The key word is “conversions”. This has been done before.

VIDEO: The story of vacant land on SF's Nob Hill could help explain the city's ongoing housing crisis

The story of a decades-vacant lot on San Francisco's Nob Hill may help explain the city's ongoing housing crisis, SF Standard reports.

In 2006, the Royal Insurance Building on the corner of Sansome and Pine Streets, across from the old Pacific Stock Exchange, was converted from office space into 46 condominiums.

The 52-unit Ritz-Carlton building on Market Street was once the headquarters of the San Francisco Chronicle.

And in the 1930s, AP Giannini had a branch of the Bank of Italy, which later became the Bank of America, which lent Walt Disney the money to complete his first feature film, Snow White, and later for other projects.

This building, One Powell Street, was converted into 44 high-end lofts in 2004.

We know it's possible, but what does it take to convert commercial space into residential units? The answer: It's not that simple.

MORE: New renderings of controversial 50-story skyscraper for SF's Outer Sunset District revealed

Strachan Forgan knows a lot about conversions.

His firm, Solomon Cordwell Buenz, was responsible for the largest office-to-residential conversion in San Francisco's history: 100 Van Ness, a 29-story building that now houses 418 rental units.

100 Van Ness was the old AAA building.

100 Van Ness, the former AAA building, was converted into residential units.

“The biggest change we made to the building was to remove the old precast concrete facade and replace it with floor-to-ceiling glass facades to really exploit the building’s view potential,” explained Forgan.

In many interior renovation projects, plumbing installation is one of the biggest challenges.

“This means we have to cut new vertical risers throughout the building,” Forgan explained.

This means that holes have to be drilled through the concrete.

Each unit must now have its own piping, sprinkler heads, thermostat, heating and ventilation, and lighting.

“Light, air and natural light in the residential units is a big deal,” said Joseph Camajani of engineering consulting firm IMEG. “Many of these offices are very large and deep, and it's difficult to get natural light into the bedroom units.”

For IMEG, a floor-to-ceiling glass façade was ideal.

VIDEO: SF sues Chinatown hotel owners offering single rooms over health and safety risks

One tenant reports that there is an ongoing rat and cockroach problem, the ceiling leaks and she has no hot water. But lawyers are convinced that the city attorney's lawsuit will change everything.

ABC7 asked: When will you decide to tear down the building and rebuild from scratch?

“I think some buildings have reached the end of their useful life and the best use of the property might be to build new buildings there,” Forgan said.

He is currently reviewing 15 possible redevelopments in San Francisco, but only three to five are potential candidates.

The other challenge is dealing with the planning department.

Because the city was determined to make 100 Van Ness a success, approvals were expedited.

The property was purchased in 2011 and was ready for occupancy just four years later.

VIDEO: City investigates SF pods used by tech workers as low-cost housing

Investigators from the city of San Francisco are currently examining the Mint Plaza residential complex.

Other conversions have also proven extremely profitable, such as the conversion of the former University of the Pacific dental school at 2121 Webster Street in Pacific Heights.

It came on the market in 2016 and the sale of the 76 condominiums is said to have brought in $300 million.

But that was then. Today, in 2023, conversions may be less profitable.

“Construction costs have probably doubled compared to last year and rents have now fallen so much that they are barely above the 2012 level,” reveals Babsin.

In addition, when 100 Van Ness was built, the city required owners to set aside 13 percent of the units for affordable housing; today, that number is 21 percent.

Any developer, architect or engineer will tell you that City Hall needs to create more incentives to make these conversions more realistic.

“We have a huge inventory of buildings that could be good enough and could serve the people who need them,” Camajani said.

If you use the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live

Copyright © 2024 KGO-TV. All rights reserved.

The post San Francisco offers with The Challenges of Changing Workplace Area into Residential Items appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

A technician checks the pressure on an HVAC unit during a diagnostics test. (SafeConnect)

[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.]

Most experts say that detecting and dealing with refrigerant leaks is the biggest challenge in regular maintenance of air conditioning systems on Class 8 tractors. For that reason, regular maintenance on the systems is critical.

Steven Schaeber, manager of service training and technical editor for the Mobile Air Conditioning Society, said there’s no such thing as a leak-free HVAC system on a tractor. They all have minute leaks at every joint, at every O-ring connection, every sealing point. The hunt to find and address leaks is constant. Without regular maintenance, Schaeber noted, the problems only get worse.

“Over a period of time — it may be seven, eight, 10 years — the refrigerant charge drops down, and if you don’t maintain the charge level you run the risk of overheating the compressor and that’s where it fails,” he said .

Schaeber

Schaeber added the leaked refrigerant instantly evaporates; Thus electronic leak detectors and fluorescent trace dyes are the methods for tracking down leaks. “In my opinion you have to use both,” he said. “There are some leaks that you can’t find with dye.”

Performing motor vehicle air conditioning (MVAC) work requires the technician to be certified. The US Environmental Protection Agency states that “any person who repairs or services MVAC systems for consideration (payment or bartering) must be properly trained and certified under Section 609 of the Clean Air Act by an EPA-approved program.”

EPA adds that its approved technician training and certification programs “provide education on the proper use of MVAC servicing equipment, the applicable regulatory requirements, the importance of refrigerant recovery, and the effects of improper handling of refrigerants on the ozone layer and climate.”

Regular AC unit maintenance minimizes major issues in the long term. (Mobile Transportation Service)

To be certified, technicians must be trained by an EPA-approved program — ie the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence — and pass a test demonstrating knowledge in these areas.

Travis Wynes, a former consultant helping fleets improve maintenance practices and shop operations, said in order to stay on top of HVAC maintenance, fleet technicians need to be properly versed on the subject. “One of the biggest problems I saw was just a lack of training, and a lack of anyone to put procedures and policies in place,” he said.

Manufacturing and design advancements introduced during the past 10 years have helped to reduce emissions, makers of the systems and the maintenance experts said.

Components have improved in the past 10 years, and high-performance condensers and evaporators have been introduced during that time as well, helping to reduce emissions from the system while providing greater efficiency, said Brett Herrmann, engineering lead in mechanical design for Rockford, Ill .-based Bergstrom Inc.

“Your refrigerant charge level goes down quite a bit. If there is a leak, you’re going to lose a lot less refrigerant into the atmosphere with the improved heat exchanger technology,” he said. “On the AC side the hoses and the fittings and the seals have improved significantly in the last 10 years, and I think that’s a big contributor to the reduction in emissions and leaks.”

For more than 25 years, the refrigerant in the systems has been R-134a, but regulatory changes are underway to a different refrigerant. The American Innovation and Manufacturing Act, part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021, directs EPA to phase down production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons by 85% over the next 15 years. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which include R-134a, are greenhouse gases.

According to EPA, a final rule established by the AIM Act “sets HFC production and consumption baseline levels from which reductions will be made, establishes an initial methodology for allocating and trading HFC allowances for 2022 and 2023” and creates a compliance and enforcement system.

“For us in mobile air conditioning, that means reducing the use of 134a,” Schaeber said.

Many in the trucking industry are anticipating a change to a refrigerant called 1234yf which is under testing.

Although it is the front-running replacement candidate, HVAC technicians want to make sure 1234yf is as good a performer as R-134a,

“We’ve got to make sure that we have all the proper charging equipment, [and] training in place before we make that move,” Herrmann added.

HVAC Tips from the Experts

Simple maintenance

braswell

One of the simplest of tasks in maintaining HVAC systems is taking care of the filter. Brett Herrmann, engineering lead in mechanical design for Bergstrom Inc.’s Global Electrified HVAC and Thermal Systems Group; Robert Braswell, executive director of American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council; and Travis Wynes, owner of Mobile Transportation Service, which performs maintenance for truck fleets, highlighted “must-dos” of HVAC maintenance:

Don’t Starve the AC

Working on HVAC systems, Herrmann has seen a lot of trucks with filters plugged with dog and cat hair. He noted that failing to clean the filters is akin to starving the air conditioning system. Removing a filter often allows a tech to see the evaporator. “If you can vacuum or clean the face of the evaporator coil, that’ll help with the air flow.”

stay vigilante

Regular cleaning of the exchangers is important, Braswell said, noting that for any truck going down the road “there are things blowing toward the engine. You’ve got to clean [exchangers] backward, so you’re pushing out all the debris and bugs and gunk.” Potential for damage to the systems is constant, Braswell added. “Something gets caught up in the blower wheel from the outside, or the wiring gets compromised because of corrosion, or the drain hoses are plugged up.” That last could lead to water intrusion in the cab, he said.

Check the fittings

Herrmann

For secure refrigerant/coolant circuits, check and confirm that the fittings are tight and the hoses are unobstructed. “A lot of times you see hoses that aren’t routed properly. Be sure the hoses aren’t rubbing on sharp edges,” Herrmann noted.

The receiver-dryer often has a moisture indicator. “A lot of times when there’s moisture, there’s a leak somewhere,” Herrmann said, or the system got contaminated during the last service. “If it shows that moisture got into the refrigerant circuit, pull the refrigerant out, do a thorough leak check, make sure the system is clean and recharge the system.”

Safety First

Wynes emphasized that technicians should use proper personal protective equipment such as eye protection since technicians will handle hazardous fluid. Safety protocols include proper ventilation and keeping refrigerant away from open flames and high-temperature surfaces.

monitor the cab

Make sure to inspect the HVAC system in the cab of the truck as well. Hermann recommends ensuring the doors are working properly. Strange noises from the rotation of the doors or the blower are tipoffs. “Sometimes you may get a bit of rubbing somewhere … or hear odd noises when you turn the blowers to different speeds or move the doors. That’s an indication that something is either warped or something is loose,” he said. “It’s a simple thing to listen for. If you go in and tighten that screw before it bends or breaks, it’s good preventive maintenance.”

Want more news? Listen to today’s daily briefing below or go here for more info:

The post Routine Upkeep Retains HVAC Models Buzzing appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Take a stroll down Montgomery Street in San Francisco’s Financial District during a weeknight and you’re not likely to see sights common in other more suburban neighborhoods: people walking their dogs or ushering their broods of children into buildings while weighted down with grocery bags filled with dinner fixings.

That’s partially because, despite the downtown area seeing a notable increase in housing units in recent years, there is seemingly low demand when units hit the market.

Data from the real estate listing database MLS shows that, since 2018, for the three ZIP codes that cover the Financial District and the areas north and south of it, units tended to spend more days on the market than in other parts of the city, and sell for a lower median list price.

Those ZIP codes are 94108, which covers a swath of California Street, Nob Hill and Chinatown down to Market Street; 94104, which is bounded by Market Street to the south and Kearney and Battery to the west and east; and 94105, which covers the area south of Market Street running to the Embarcadero and stretching south toward Oracle Park.

In 2018, properties in the Financial District area sold for a median price of $1.2 million, despite listing for a median of $1.3 million. They also spent more than twice the median days on the market, compared to units that sold throughout the city that year.

Units listed in 2019 and 2020 in that area also were more likely to sell for below their original list price, and spent a median of 62 and 70 days on the market, respectively. That was compared to a median 17 days on the market citywide in 2019, and 22 days in 2020.

In 2021, the median sale price of $1.15 million inch closer to the median list price of $1.24 million in the downtown area, although listings spent on the market about the same at 69 days compared to 16 citywide.

iframe title=”Median number of days on the market, for residential units downtown and citywide” aria-label=”Split Bars” id=”datawrapper-chart-h9y9i” src=”https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/h9y9i /1/” scrolling=”no” frameborder=”0″ style=”width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;” height=”277″>

Part of the reason why, industry experts suggest, is because single-family homes remain the most desirable and overbid properties in San Francisco.

“The majority of these (downtown) places, almost all of them are condos,” said Adam Brinklow of Front Steps San Francisco Real Estate, who provided the MLS data. “Over the last 10 years single family homes have been the huge driver” and in the highest demand, especially for people looking to raise a family in the city.

Which tends to be why many people who live in the downtown core are middle aged and older, established professionals who have already raised a family. People like John Dunlap, who has lived in a building at Third and Market for four-and-half years.

Dunlap said his building has been home to professional athletes, Trump and Biden administration appointees, banking executives and other established types, along with some families.

The proximity to museums and cultural institutions like the Mechanics Institute, bike rides along the Embarcadero and transit make it a more than comfortable location, Dunlap said.

While housing remains scarce in parts of the downtown core, compared to other areas of San Francisco, it has been increasing.

The area dubbed “Downtown” by The San Francisco Planning Department — roughly bounded by Van Ness Avenue, Market Street, and Sacramento Street running to the Embarcadero — saw a net increase of 8.7% in housing units between 2010 and 2021.

The area roughly bounded by Kearny and Market streets, Pacific Avenue and the Embarcadero that comprises the Downtown Community Benefit district has about 350 units spread across 11 locations, said the nonprofit group’s director Robbie Silver.

Despite the tight squeeze in one of the oldest areas of the city, the 8.7% increase was one of the highest rates in the city.

Of the city’s 15 planning districts plus the Presidio, Treasure Island and Golden Gate Park area, downtown came in fourth in net gains in housing units during the past decade, behind only the Richmond District, South of Market and the Northeast chunk of the city that includes North Beach, Chinatown and Fisherman’s Wharf.

The South of Market area came in second with a 9.4% net increase in units, much of that in the form of high rise towers like the 392 unit condo complex Mira SF on Folsom Street, and the nearby Lumina tower at 201 Folsom Street

Garrett Frakes of real estate sales and marketing firm Polaris Pacific said much of the condo and rental market near downtown is focused on that area south of Market Street that sweeps from near the Embarcadero and going south to the ballpark.

There are, “a series of very significant both rental and condo towers that enjoy the lifestyle of the waterfront and retail opportunities,” he said.

But after the recent completion of the Mira tower, there aren’t many more new units coming on the market in that area, Frakes said.

“Construction is just not moving forward,” he said, attributing that to rising construction costs among other issues.

Nearby, the area most San Franciscans think of as South of Market — what Frakes described as low-rise streets lined with Muffler shops and tech companies — has some housing stock, including lots of rental properties.

Units in that area lost around 30% of their value during the pandemic, said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Vesta Asset Management. That has climbed back by about half and units are mostly full again, Griffiths said, but rents are still below what they were compared to markets in more residential parts of the city.

Back in the downtown core, the 8.7% increase over the past decade equated to more than 35,000 units of housing.

More people living in downtown, or adjacent to it, would fit with Mayor London Breed’s plan to urge more people, including office workers, to spend more time in the area. But while other major metro areas have seen the number of people swiping into office settings increase, San Francisco has lagged behind.

Silver and his group have focused on putting on events and drawing people to the area after the offices shutter to give it more of a neighborhood feel and hurry the district’s revival. More people living there might help move the area in that direction, but for Dunlap, who already lives there, the neighborhood feel isn’t hard to find.

“After hours there’s a lot going on,” he said, noting the plentiful selection of restaurants and small shops tucked away in places like Maiden Lane along with their buildings’ architectural flourishes.

“I would welcome more residents and more housing down there,” to give the area more a neighborhood feel and voice in the city, Dunlap said. “If buildings are going to be no longer used for business or office reasons … there’s no reason that they should be languish.”

Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice

The post Downtown San Francisco is including housing models however stay barely populated appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

A sparkling seven-story building on 12th Street could soon play a key role in not only getting homeless families into housing, but helping them avoid displacement outside of San Francisco.

Earlier this month, Mayor London Breed announced The City’s plans to buy City Gardens, a residential building South of Market that would provide permanent supportive housing to families experiencing homelessness.

If the Board of Supervisors approves the deal, it would be the first building The City has purchased and dedicated exclusively to families under Breed’s plan to add 1,500 units of permanent supportive housing to The City’s growing portfolio by June.

It’s long overdue, according to advocates and service providers for homeless families. Permanent supportive housing is a model that ensures tenants an affordable place to live, for as long as they would like, coupled with an array of social services such as mental health treatment.

For many families, permanent supportive housing can be preferable to options like rapid rehousing, a different support that provides short-term financial help to a person or family experiencing homelessness so that they can find a new home in the private market.

Rapid rehousing is intended as a quick fix that steps in when someone has an unexpected major issue, such as loss of a job or medical event that results in homelessness. While effective at mitigating homelessness in the near term, rapid rehousing has unintended consequences, advocates for homeless families point out.

Mary Kate Bacalao, director of external affairs and policy at Compass Family Services, said rapid rehousing can amount to “state-subsidized displacement.”

Because the financial assistance is temporary, it’s possible they could find a place in San Francisco but would be unable to pay for it once the money runs out, risking homelessness over again.

This issue is well-documented in high-cost housing markets in San Francisco. In 2018, the San Francisco Public Press reported most families that received rapid rehousing assistance were moving to more affordable housing markets throughout the Bay Area.

Rapid rehousing clients can end up as far away as Sacramento, according to Kyriell Noon, CEO of Hamilton Families, a nonprofit like Compass that connects families with rapid rehousing support. The distance makes it difficult to stay engaged with clients and ensure they’re connected to support services, Noon said. And, because people of color are disproportionately in need of housing support, the consequences are especially dramatic, Noon said.

“Rapid rehousing inadvertently is hastening the exodus of Black and brown low-income folks out of The City,” Noon said.

Advocates say rapid rehousing has its place, but it’s not the best fit for everyone. “The most vulnerable families need supportive housing,” Bacalao said.

And yet, in the absence of adequate permanent supportive housing, it’s the most vulnerable families that rise to the top of the priority list and thus are directed into rapid rehousing, Bacalao said. That’s why The City’s purchase of the building at 333 12th St. would be pivotal.

There’s a communal lounge and laundry room on every floor, an outdoor courtyard and even a place to store bicycles.

The building won’t come cheap — the proposed deal totals $145 million — but it’s essentially brand new, opening just last year. And it could be ready for new tenants in a matter of months.

Built as a co-living space, where single rooms are rented out and tenants share common spaces like kitchens, it’s replete with 200 units that The City views as a good fit for families experiencing homelessness.

And in San Francisco, there are hundreds of such families, often invisible because they’re living in cars or crashing on couches.

According to the most recent Point-in-Time Count, the biennial census of The City’s homeless population, there were 208 homeless families in 2019.

Advocates warn the actual number is probably much higher, as the Point-in-Time Count uses the narrow definition of homelessness set by the federal department of Housing and Urban Development.

Still, the 200 new units of supportive housing would be a welcome start.

“It’s not perfect, but it’s great and I’ll take it,” Noon said.

ashanks@sfexaminer.com

The post San Francisco plans to buy 200 models to deal with homeless households | The Fs appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – An Oklahoma City church’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit was badly damaged by vandals.

Knob Hill Baptist Church employees arrived at the church, 2700 SW 59th St., on Wednesday morning and found that someone had caused severe damage to the HVAC unit.

Norman Police search for missing man

dr Randall Marshall, pastor of Knob Hill Baptist Church, told KFOR that someone rammed their vehicle into the HVAC unit at some point overnight.

Knob Hill Baptist Church’s HVAC unit after it was vandalized.

The church will not be able to heat or cool its sanctuary until the unit is repaired.

Woman escapes attempted kidnapping, suspect loose

Because the congregation is small, raising money to pay for the repairs will not be easy.

“Something like this is probably $10,000-15,000 minimum damage, so you got a small congregation of 40 people, it’s hard to overcome something like that, but our God will take care of it,” Marshall said.

Marshall said he and his congregation are not embittered by the vandalism. He said they will pray for whomever caused the damage.

Close modal

Suggest a correction

Suggest a correction

The post OKC church’s HVAC models vandalized appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

A sparkling seven-story building on 12th Street could soon play a key role in not only getting homeless families into housing, but helping them avoid displacement outside of San Francisco.

Earlier this month, Mayor London Breed announced the city’s plans to buy City Gardens, a residential building South of Market that would provide permanent supportive housing to families experiencing homelessness.

If the Board of Supervisors approved the deal, it would be the first building the city has purchased and dedicated exclusively to families under Breed’s plan to add 1,500 units of permanent supportive housing to the city’s growing portfolio by June.

It’s long overdue, according to advocates and service providers for homeless families. Permanent supportive housing is a model that ensures the tenant an affordable place to live, for as long as they would like, coupled with an array of social services like mental health treatment.

For many families, permanent supportive housing can be preferable to options like rapid rehousing, a different support that provides short-term financial help to a person or family experiencing homelessness so that they can find a new home in the private market.

Rapid rehousing is intended as a quick fix that steps in when someone has an unexpected major issue, such as loss of a job or medical event that results in homelessness. While effective at mitigating homelessness in the near term, advocates for homeless families point out rapid rehousing’s unintended consequences.

Mary Kate Bacalao, director of external affairs and policy at Compass Family Services, said rapid rehousing can amount to “state-subsidized displacement.”

Since the financial assistance is temporary, it’s possible they could find a place in San Francisco but would be unable to pay for it once the money runs out, risking homelessness all over again.

This issue is well-documented in high-cost housing markets in San Francisco. In 2018, the San Francisco Public Press reported most families that received Rapid Rehousing were moving to more affordable housing markets throughout the Bay Area.

For Hamilton Families – a nonprofit that, like Compass, connects families with rapid rehousing support – a rapid rehousing client can end up as far away as Sacramento, according to Kyriell Noon, CEO of Hamilton Families. It’s difficult to stay engaged with a client that’s so far away and ensure they’re connected to support services.

Because people of color are disproportionately in need of housing support, the consequences are especially dramatic.

“Rapid rehousing inadvertently is hastening the exodus of black and brown low-income folks out of the city,” Noon said.

Rapid rehousing has its place, but it’s not the best fit for everyone.

“The most vulnerable families need supportive housing,” Bacalao said.

And yet, in the absence of adequate permanent supportive housing, it’s the most vulnerable families that rise to the top of the priority list and thus are directed into Rapid Rehousing, Bacalao said.

That’s why the city’s purchase of the 12th Street building would be so pivotal.

There’s a communal lounge and laundry room on every floor, an outdoor courtyard, and even a place to store bicycles.

The building at 333 12th Street won’t come cheap – the proposed deal totals $145 million – but it’s essentially brand new, opening just last year.

And it could be ready for new tenants in a matter of months.

Built as a co-living space, where single rooms are rented out and tenants share common spaces like kitchens, it’s replete with 200 units of housing that the city views as a good fit for families experiencing homelessness.

And in San Francisco, there are hundreds of such families, often invisible because they’re living in cars or crashing on couches.

According to the most recent Point-in-Time Count, the biennial census of the city’s homeless population, there were 208 homeless families in 2019.

Advocates for the homeless warn that the actual number is probably much higher, as the Point-in-Time Count uses the narrow definition of homelessness set by the federal department of Housing and Urban Development.

Still, the 200 new units of supportive housing would be a welcome start.

“It’s not perfect, but it’s great and I’ll take it,” Noon said.

The post San Francisco plans to buy 200 items to accommodate homeless households appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

A sparkling seven-story building on 12th Street could soon play a key role in not only getting homeless families into housing, but helping them avoid displacement outside of San Francisco.

Earlier this month, Mayor London Breed announced the city’s plans to buy City Gardens, a residential building South of Market that would provide permanent supportive housing to families experiencing homelessness.

If the Board of Supervisors approved the deal, it would be the first building the city has purchased and dedicated exclusively to families under Breed’s plan to add 1,500 units of permanent supportive housing to the city’s growing portfolio by June.

It’s long overdue, according to advocates and service providers for homeless families. Permanent supportive housing is a model that ensures the tenant an affordable place to live, for as long as they would like, coupled with an array of social services like mental health treatment.

For many families, permanent supportive housing can be preferable to options like rapid rehousing, a different support that provides short-term financial help to a person or family experiencing homelessness so that they can find a new home in the private market.

Rapid rehousing is intended as a quick fix that steps in when someone has an unexpected major issue, such as loss of a job or medical event that results in homelessness. While effective at mitigating homelessness in the near term, advocates for homeless families point out rapid rehousing’s unintended consequences.

Mary Kate Bacalao, director of external affairs and policy at Compass Family Services, said rapid rehousing can amount to “state-subsidized displacement.”

Since the financial assistance is temporary, it’s possible they could find a place in San Francisco but would be unable to pay for it once the money runs out, risking homelessness all over again.

This issue is well-documented in high-cost housing markets in San Francisco. In 2018, the San Francisco Public Press reported most families that received Rapid Rehousing were moving to more affordable housing markets throughout the Bay Area.

For Hamilton Families – a nonprofit that, like Compass, connects families with rapid rehousing support – a rapid rehousing client can end up as far away as Sacramento, according to Kyriell Noon, CEO of Hamilton Families. It’s difficult to stay engaged with a client that’s so far away and ensure they’re connected to support services.

Because people of color are disproportionately in need of housing support, the consequences are especially dramatic.

“Rapid rehousing inadvertently is hastening the exodus of black and brown low-income folks out of the city,” Noon said.

Rapid rehousing has its place, but it’s not the best fit for everyone.

“The most vulnerable families need supportive housing,” Bacalao said.

And yet, in the absence of adequate permanent supportive housing, it’s the most vulnerable families that rise to the top of the priority list and thus are directed into Rapid Rehousing, Bacalao said.

That’s why the city’s purchase of the 12th Street building would be so pivotal.

There’s a communal lounge and laundry room on every floor, an outdoor courtyard, and even a place to store bicycles.

The building at 333 12th Street won’t come cheap – the proposed deal totals $145 million – but it’s essentially brand new, opening just last year.

And it could be ready for new tenants in a matter of months.

Built as a co-living space, where single rooms are rented out and tenants share common spaces like kitchens, it’s replete with 200 units of housing that the city views as a good fit for families experiencing homelessness.

And in San Francisco, there are hundreds of such families, often invisible because they’re living in cars or crashing on couches.

According to the most recent Point-in-Time Count, the biennial census of the city’s homeless population, there were 208 homeless families in 2019.

Advocates for the homeless warn that the actual number is probably much higher, as the Point-in-Time Count uses the narrow definition of homelessness set by the federal department of Housing and Urban Development.

Still, the 200 new units of supportive housing would be a welcome start.

“It’s not perfect, but it’s great and I’ll take it,” Noon said.

The post San Francisco plans to buy 200 items to accommodate homeless households appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Supervisor Dean Preston announced the initiative at a press conference Tuesday morning. It would need about 9,000 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.

The goal is to incentivize property investors who leave homes vacant until the market is in their favor to list or rent the property.

“These are folks who are buying and selling housing in San Francisco as if they’re buying and selling stocks on the stock market. They couldn’t care less about providing homes for anyone, and we are going to put an end to it with the empty homes tax,” Supervisor Preston said.

He estimates the tax could bring in about $38 million dollars a year. He proposes that the money go toward preventing homelessness and affordable housing.

RELATED: SF considers taxing vacant apartments to help with housing crisis; new report shows 40K empty units

The tax rate would be based on the property’s size and how long it has been vacant. For instance, a unit smaller than 1,000 square feet would be taxed $2,500 for one year, $10,000 for three years. A home that is 20,000 or more square feet would be taxed $20,000 for its third year of sitting vacant.

Exemptions would include a property being remodeled, a natural disaster or a landlord who is in long term care or has died.

VIDEO: SF metro area remains most expensive place to live in US

“If it’s a legitimate, good faith reason that there’s some kind of vacancy, this tax is not going to tax. But if you are in the business of holding units off the market for prolonged periods of time, we’re not only going to tax you but each year of that vacancy that tax is going to go up,” Preston said.

Some critics call this proposed tax a distraction and say what city leaders really need to focus on is building more affordable housing.

“When we look at the size of our shortage and how many houses we need to build, this is a drop in the bucket. San Francisco has a history of not building enough housing and the Board Of Supervisors is trying to avoid actually fixing the problem ,” said Corey Smith, the deputy director of the Housing Action Coalition.

RELATED: Wealthy Bay Area city pushes back against new housing proposal

The Board of Supervisors recently voted down a plan to build an apartment building on the valet parking lot of a Nordstrom Department Store.

Preston’s office says it isn’t an either/or situation.

Preston says the city of Vancouver implemented a similar tax and saw vacancies decrease by 20%.

Copyright © 2022 KGO-TV. All rights reserved.

The post San Francisco supervisor seeks poll initiative to tax property house owners who depart housing items vacant appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.]

Most experts say that detecting and dealing with refrigerant leaks is the biggest challenge in regular maintenance of air conditioning systems on Class 8 tractors. For that reason, regular maintenance on the systems is critical.

Steven Schaeber, manager of service training and technical editor for the Mobile Air Conditioning Society, said there’s no such thing as a leak-free HVAC system on a tractor. They all have minute leaks at every joint, at every O-ring connection, every sealing point. The hunt to find and address leaks is constant. Without regular maintenance, Schaeber noted, the problems only get worse.

“Over a period of time — it may be seven, eight, 10 years — the refrigerant charge drops down, and if you don’t maintain the charge level you run the risk of overheating the compressor and that’s where it fails,” he said .

Schaeber

Schaeber added the leaked refrigerant instantly evaporates; Thus electronic leak detectors and fluorescent trace dyes are the methods for tracking down leaks. “In my opinion you have to use both,” he said. “There are some leaks that you can’t find with dye.”

Performing motor vehicle air conditioning (MVAC) work requires the technician to be certified. The US Environmental Protection Agency states that “any person who repairs or services MVAC systems for consideration (payment or bartering) must be properly trained and certified under Section 609 of the Clean Air Act by an EPA-approved program.”

EPA adds that its approved technician training and certification programs “provide education on the proper use of MVAC servicing equipment, the applicable regulatory requirements, the importance of refrigerant recovery, and the effects of improper handling of refrigerants on the ozone layer and climate.”

Regular AC unit maintenance minimizes major issues in the long term. (Mobile Transportation Service)

To be certified, technicians must be trained by an EPA-approved program — ie the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence — and pass a test demonstrating knowledge in these areas.

Travis Wynes, a former consultant helping fleets improve maintenance practices and shop operations, said in order to stay on top of HVAC maintenance, fleet technicians need to be properly versed on the subject. “One of the biggest problems I saw was just a lack of training, and a lack of anyone to put procedures and policies in place,” he said.

Manufacturing and design advancements introduced during the past 10 years have helped to reduce emissions, makers of the systems and the maintenance experts said.

Components have improved in the past 10 years, and high-performance condensers and evaporators have been introduced during that time as well, helping to reduce emissions from the system while providing greater efficiency, said Brett Herrmann, engineering lead in mechanical design for Rockford, Ill .-based Bergstrom Inc.

“Your refrigerant charge level goes down quite a bit. If there is a leak, you’re going to lose a lot less refrigerant into the atmosphere with the improved heat exchanger technology,” he said. “On the AC side the hoses and the fittings and the seals have improved significantly in the last 10 years, and I think that’s a big contributor to the reduction in emissions and leaks.”

For more than 25 years, the refrigerant in the systems has been R-134a, but regulatory changes are underway to a different refrigerant. The American Innovation and Manufacturing Act, part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021, directs EPA to phase down production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons by 85% over the next 15 years. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which include R-134a, are greenhouse gases.

According to EPA, a final rule established by the AIM Act “sets HFC production and consumption baseline levels from which reductions will be made, establishes an initial methodology for allocating and trading HFC allowances for 2022 and 2023” and creates a compliance and enforcement system.

“For us in mobile air conditioning, that means reducing the use of 134a,” Schaeber said.

Many in the trucking industry are anticipating a change to a refrigerant called 1234yf which is under testing.

Although it is the front-running replacement candidate, HVAC technicians want to make sure 1234yf is as good a performer as R-134a,

“We’ve got to make sure that we have all the proper charging equipment, [and] training in place before we make that move,” Herrmann added.

HVAC Tips from the Experts

Simple maintenance

braswell

One of the simplest of tasks in maintaining HVAC systems is taking care of the filter. Brett Herrmann, engineering lead in mechanical design for Bergstrom Inc.’s Global Electrified HVAC and Thermal Systems Group; Robert Braswell, executive director of American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council; and Travis Wynes, owner of Mobile Transportation Service, which performs maintenance for truck fleets, highlighted “must-dos” of HVAC maintenance:

Don’t Starve the AC

Working on HVAC systems, Herrmann has seen a lot of trucks with filters plugged with dog and cat hair. He noted that failing to clean the filters is akin to starving the air conditioning system. Removing a filter often allows a tech to see the evaporator. “If you can vacuum or clean the face of the evaporator coil, that’ll help with the air flow.”

stay vigilante

Regular cleaning of the exchangers is important, Braswell said, noting that for any truck going down the road “there are things blowing toward the engine. You’ve got to clean [exchangers] backward, so you’re pushing out all the debris and bugs and gunk.” Potential for damage to the systems is constant, Braswell added. “Something gets caught up in the blower wheel from the outside, or the wiring gets compromised because of corrosion, or the drain hoses are plugged up.” That last could lead to water intrusion in the cab, he said.

Check the fittings

Herrmann

For secure refrigerant/coolant circuits, check and confirm that the fittings are tight and the hoses are unobstructed. “A lot of times you see hoses that aren’t routed properly. Be sure the hoses aren’t rubbing on sharp edges,” Herrmann noted.

The receiver-dryer often has a moisture indicator. “A lot of times when there’s moisture, there’s a leak somewhere,” Herrmann said, or the system got contaminated during the last service. “If it shows that moisture got into the refrigerant circuit, pull the refrigerant out, do a thorough leak check, make sure the system is clean and recharge the system.”

Safety First

Wynes emphasized that technicians should use proper personal protective equipment such as eye protection since technicians will handle hazardous fluid. Safety protocols include proper ventilation and keeping refrigerant away from open flames and high-temperature surfaces.

monitor the cab

Make sure to inspect the HVAC system in the cab of the truck as well. Hermann recommends ensuring the doors are working properly. Strange noises from the rotation of the doors or the blower are tipoffs. “Sometimes you may get a bit of rubbing somewhere … or hear odd noises when you turn the blowers to different speeds or move the doors. That’s an indication that something is either warped or something is loose,” he said. “It’s a simple thing to listen for. If you go in and tighten that screw before it bends or breaks, it’s good preventive maintenance.”

Want more news? Listen to today’s daily briefing below or go here for more info:

The post Routine Upkeep Retains HVAC Models Buzzing appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Elon Musk is so impressed with his cars’ HVAC system that he’s considering upscaling it to a home system.

One thing true Musk fans know is that Tesla doesn’t advertise its products, but the impressiveness of their air conditioning system has the billionaire seriously considering buying advertising space. Reported inversely.

America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to yours Facebook or Twitter Feed to stay up to date.

One day we will make a super efficient HVAC with Hepa filters

— Elon Musk the 2nd (@elonmusk) September 11, 2020

“Oh man, a super energy efficient, quiet and air-purifying home air conditioner would be awesome. We designed it for the car, but it can be scaled up for home use.” Musk tweeted.

“Most people have no idea how good the Tesla air purification system is. Literally 10x better than any other car. Maybe we should advertise informatively so people know things like this exist,” he added.

In the now infamous, meme-filled interview with Joe RoganMusk explained to Rogan that the problem with home use and wasting energy isn’t leaving the lights or the TV on, it’s the heat these products generate.

In most homes, 41 percent of the energy in the country is used for heating, according to the energy information management. In the mid-Atlantic (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, DC and West Virginia) are more than half.

READ MORE STORIES FROM AMERICA IN TRANSITION

MAJOR ELECTRICAL COMPANIES CHALLENGE BIDEN TO CUT EMISSIONS BY 80 PERCENT WITHIN 10 YEARS

ALL NEW US VEHICLES COULD BE MANDATORY TO BE ELECTRIC BY 2035, NEW STUDY SAYS

OFFICIAL UNVEILS PLAN TO TURN NEW YORK CITY INTO A WIND ENERGY MANUFACTURING CENTER

JAGUAR GOES FULLY ELECTRIC, LAND ROVER GOES MAJORLY ELECTRIC

PEPSI targets net-zero emissions by 2040

DOMINION SUBMITS PLANS FOR LARGEST OFFSHORE WIND PROJECT IN THE UNITED STATES

The post Elon Musk contemplating making HVAC models for properties appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.