San Francisco, CA – Mayor Newsom used his YouTube update this week to highlight the success of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in creating 2,910 jobs for San Franciscans on its One-Year Anniversary. Earlier this week, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) stated that stimulus program has “completely failed to create jobs.” Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) has said the Federal Stimulus Program might have saved some jobs, but it “didn’t create one new job.”

“To Rep. Cantor to Scott Brown and to all the other Republicans that completely seem disconnected from what is really going on in this country with the stimulus program I invite you out here to San Francisco,” said Mayor Newsom. “We’ll introduce you to the families whose lives have changed and have real jobs because of the leadership of Speaker Pelosi and the leadership of the Democratic Congress and our President.”

Mayor Newsom urged the Republican Party to be truthful with the American public about the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act.

“Stop the nonsense. Stop misleading people. Stop knowingly either lying to people or stop knowingly misleading people.” said Mayor Newsom.

The City and County of San Francisco has received $328 million in Federal Stimulus Funding. In total, San Francisco residents will benefit from nearly $1 billion in American Recovery & Reinvestment Act funding. Only $88.3 million of San Francisco’s Federal Stimulus money has spent so far, with hundreds of millions to be distributed this year and next.

Notable ARRA grants to the City and County of San Francisco include:

· 32.2 million in TANF-ECF funding. This has allowed San Francisco to create the Jobs Now! SF program, a 100% wage subsidy program that allows private and public sector employers to hire unemployed San Franciscans. To date, San Francisco’s Jobs Now! program has helped 1,854 residents get back to work.

· $71.8 million in transit capital assistance grants benefitting the SF MTA, and MUNI riders – including fare collection equipment replacement, light rail vehicle doors and steps reconditioning and systems rehabilitation, and motor coach life cycle rehabilitation. Through the last reporting cycle, the Agency expended $25.8 million and created more than 600 jobs.

· $29.8 million in funding for San Francisco International Airport to improve airport security and runway safety at SFO.

· $16.6 million in COPS funding for the San Francisco Police Department to hire and train 50 new police officers.

· $33.2 million in funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to the San Francisco Housing Authority for building repairs including weatherization, painting, health and safety and general site improvements. These funds will also improve energy efficiency and conservation in San Francisco’s public housing. Through the last reporting cycle, the Housing Authority has expended $3.2 million and created 191.90 jobs.

In his YouTube update, Mayor Newsom also congratulated the BMW ORACLE Racing team for their America’s Cup Victory and invited the public to City Hall on Saturday to welcome the Cup to San Francisco. Newsom also answered tweets and Facebook messages from San Franciscans.

The update can be viewed on the “mayorgavinnewsom” YouTube channel or at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tF8JVdiuJg.

San Francisco, CA – In his weekly YouTube update, Mayor Newsom applauded President Obama for including an extension of the program that funds San Francisco’s JobsNow initiative in his proposed budget.

“This is a huge win – a big deal,” said Mayor Newsom.

The Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Emergency Contingency Fund (TANF-ECF) which funds the JobsNow program is currently set to expire in September 2010. Newsom said San Francisco is still waiting for the U.S. Senate and Congress to include the program’s extension in the final federal jobs bill.

Interested JobsNow participants can apply to enroll by calling 1-877-JOB1NOW or 311 or by visiting the HSA website at www.jobsnowsf.org

To watch the YouTube update, visit: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yksu3SIYcus.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA- Today, Mayor Newsom announced $19.2 million in funding for energy efficiency programs through the San Francisco Energy Watch program and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Newsom also highlighted the creation of new local jobs through the programs and outlined the total energy and financial savings from the City’s energy efficiency work on the city buildings during the last 6 years.

“San Francisco’s energy-efficiency programs demonstrate how protecting the environment creates jobs and helps businesses and property owners save money” said Mayor Gavin Newsom. “To dramatically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, we have to be responsible stewards of our buildings and facilities. That’s why we are leveraging all these funds to create green jobs and further our environmental goals.”

Of the $19.2 million, $11.5 million is new funding for the Energy Watch program for free on-site assessments of energy savings and the installation of energy-efficient lighting, refrigeration, heating, air conditioning, and food service equipment at greatly reduced costs. In its initial phase, the program has already delivered over 2,000 every efficiency retrofits to mid and small-sized businesses in San Francisco, as well as multi-family housing. The Energy Watch program also supports 35 Bay Area businesses, and sustains over 175 green jobs in the energy efficiency field. The program is funded through the Public Good Charge (a fee charged monthly but the CPUC for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects), which is administered locally by PG&E.

Additionally, the City was awarded $7.7 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for energy efficiency programs that conserve energy in municipal buildings, including health centers, county jail buildings, and cultural centers. $3.1 million of these funds will be used to conduct energy efficiency upgrades to an array of facilities in the City that include the Ella Hill Hutch Center and Southeast Health Center.

These efforts, demonstrated by the energy efficiency retrofits at Davies Symphony Hall, will generate nearly $3 million in energy savings each year and will sustain employment for an additional 22 energy efficiency workers.

The recent expansion of the city’s energy efficiency programs have been aided by JobsNow employees that have then trained to introduce the Energy Watch program to San Francisco businesses. JobsNow is a stimulus-funded jobs program created by the City to put unemployed citizens to work. The program has already put nearly 1,700 San Franciscans back to work.

“We go to local businesses and tell them how they can save money by working with our program, installing new light bulbs and the like,” said Lee Williams of the JobsNow program. “Our team has learned so much by working with this program. We are all so happy to have this job. But to have a job where we also learn so much and do something we can feel good about, now that’s exciting.”

SF Environment’s combined energy efficiency programs dating back to 2001 have reduced the city’s overall energy use by 29 megawatts. The city expects to gain an additional 6 megawatts savings from these initiatives- totaling 35 megawatts- enough to power over 30,000 San Francisco residences.

9/30/09 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Today, the San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA) announced that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the SFHA $15.3 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) competitive funding. The newly awarded ARRA competitive funding increases the $17.8 in ARRA formula funding that SFHA received in March, 2009, to a total of $33.1 million. The $33.1 million in ARRA funding represents a 300% increase over the annual amount provided to SFHA from HUD for capital improvements.

 ”This funding is a critical piece of San Francisco’s economic stimulus efforts,” said Mayor Newsom. “These developments will get people back to work quickly on projects that will make San Francisco a more environmentally and economically sustainable city.”

The newly awarded ARRA funding will be used to improve 638 family, senior and disabled public housing units. HUD awarded SFHA $12.5 million under the category, “Creation of Energy Efficient, Green Communities.”  HUD committed an additional $2.8 million for, “Improvements Addressing the Needs of Elderly and/or Disabled Residents.” The $15.3 million in new ARRA funding will create upwards of 40 new jobs; increasing the total number of SFHA ARRA funded jobs to approximately 218.

The $15.3 million in ARRA competitive funding will be spent on capital improvements at four SFHA properties; Ping Yuen, Rosa Parks, 1880 Pine, and 1760 Bush. The new ARRA funding will be leveraged by an additional $27.1 million in private financing that SFHA is securing for energy conservation capital improvements over the next 18-months; which will create approximately 100 jobs.

“This award of $15.3 million is an indication that HUD recognizes not only the need for capital improvements at our properties, but that HUD also recognizes SFHA’s ability to effectively manage this increased funding,” stated SFHA Executive Director Alvarez. “The $33.1 million that SFHA has received in ARRA funding for capital improvements will spark new hope and motivation in our residents and property management staff. For me, these awards are a reflection of the Administration’s and Secretary Shaun Donovan’s commitment to public housing and to creating new jobs.”

SFHA will be working closely with local HUD officials to begin the capital improvements immediately.

9/30/09 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The Department of Public Works (DPW) is breaking ground on street resurfacing projects funded by the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Construction work has started on several projects, including along Jones Street, which began this week.

“Thanks to these federal stimulus dollars, we’re able to make the streets in San Francisco a little less bumpy and take some of the strain off drivers in the Read more…