From the President
by Eric Andresen
We need your help! As you are all painfully aware, we are besieged with new legislation impacting the housing industry in San Francisco and across the state. Various tenant organizations have decided to use the fiascocreatedbythat Sacramento landlord with all the rental units as a springboard for an avalanche of new anti-landlord regulations. Here in San Francisco, the increased local activity of national tenant groups, such as ACORN, provide a clear sign of this unpleasant change in our housing environment.
More than ever, the SFAA staff and our volunteer board members are stretched almost beyond their limits in a seemingly never-ending series of activities that demand an incredible amount of time. Many of you have already experienced the sheer frustration of trying to track any one of us down and, unfortunately, this trend is not likely to change in the near future.
Your support, both emotionally and financially, is imperative if we are going to be able to continue to maintain our work. Many of you may not realize just how much time is actually spent on your behalf. Janan has not worked a simple 40-hour workweek for years (lately it’s been closer to 60!), and your board members are collectively donating hundreds of hours each month. They each have earned and deserve your recognition for their incredible efforts and sacrifices, so make sure you pass along your gratitude whenever you get a chance. Believe me, one simple “thank you” can really make a huge difference in a crazy day.
On the financial side, we are beginning to run out of our “routine” sources for money. We will soon reach the bottom of the barrel, for we can no longer continue to tap the previous generosity of all those wonderful folks who are now experiencing the dwindling of their own resources. Simply put, your help in the form of financial assistance is urgently needed. Each and every one of you needs to clearly recognize that the continued challenges forced on us this year are exerting a tremendous impact on our organization’s ability to respond effectively. Our failure to meet these challenges head-on will not only prove costly to each and every one of you, but may well force many of you out of the rental business.
All of us must take our stand now. At this time, I ask each of you to review your past donations, both in dollars and in time, and increase your contribution this year. In financial terms, a doubling of your past donation would make an immeasurable difference in the success of our work and, in turn, in your own success within the industry. In terms of time, at a minimum, you need to donate 10 hours each month either by attending hearings, representing us at various neighborhood and community organizations, or by volunteering to help our staff complete the myriad of tasks in the office and reporting in.
The SFAA is a trade association and, consequently, you can’t just sit back and let things happen as you might if you owned shares of stock in a corporation. On the contrary, this association is only as good and effective as the support it receives from its members. Sad to say, we are sorely lacking the level of support required and we must make some urgent and vital changes immediately rather than delaying until a future time.
Please take the first step and send another check to support the SFAA PAC and Legal Fund. As soon as it’s in the mail, take the second step and volunteer some time on behalf of the Association. To facilitate your volunteer efforts, begin by filling out the form and indicate how you will volunteer time to help “around the office” or elsewhere, or use the form to explain your own ideas on how best you can donate your time to support our organization or you could apply to be a board member. Then fax or mail the form(s) back to the SFAA offices right away. Please do it now, today, before it is too late for our organization and for you.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the SFAA or the SF Apartment Magazine. Eric Andresen owns West Coast Property Management and West Coast Property Maintenance Companies. Mr. Andresen also serves on the Executive Board of the California Apartment Association and many other leading industry organizations. Questions or concerns should be directed to SFAA at 415-255-2288. © Copyright 2002.