Make housing a priority

Regarding “Vaccine checks are unnecessary” (Open Forum, Oct. 29): The writer makes some fundamental errors. The concept of risk analysis and assessment described applies to the identification and evaluation of mitigation approaches (e.g. seat belts are an effective mitigation against accidental injuries). Even the writer agrees that the approach was effectively used.

But the writer oversteps by suggesting the process works the same in evaluating the process of enforcement. The writer identifies a trifecta of reduced infections, reduced severity and an effective mitigation of COVID. This is not a trifecta because the three facts are not independent. We have an effective vaccine, which has reduced infections and their severity. But those effects will not persist if the vaccine is not taken.

Vaccination must be enforced. It is valid to question how this should be done (I agree that individual businesses are poorly suited to the task), but it is incorrect to suggest that the risk methodology is the appropriate means to measure the effectiveness of the enforcement approach.

Regarding “Politics could gut housing funds” (Editorial, Oct. 27): The Build Back Better legislation making its way through Congress is an opportunity for the federal government to get it right on affordable housing and homelessness. At stake is the creation of 2 million affordable homes over 10 years, including 330,000 in California.

The Chronicle’s editorial highlights how California could be shortchanged if all the housing dollars in the bill remain as is: designated only for public housing capital investments. Very few public

Chef Mathew Broadway checks a vaccination card in August at Vegan Picnic in San Francisco. Some argue that restaurants shouldn’t be the vaccine police.

housing units remain in the state because most housing authorities have or are in the process of transitioning these units to private ownership using the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.

Californians understand that producing more affordable housing is the only way to alleviate our housing crunch. That is why Gov. Gavin Newsom’s top housing priority in the bill are provisions that would expand federal tax credit resources.

To see how the shortage of bonds is playing out in San Francisco, look no further than MidPen Housing’s shovelready project, Shirley Chisholm Village, 135 homes in the Outer Sunset neighborhood that will serve city school district educators and their families. It is shovel ready but for the lack of LowIncome

Housing Tax Credit resources.

California’s housing crisis requires investment beyond public housing.

Jana Asenbrennerova / Special to The Chronicle