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Hillary Ronen
Hillary Ronen
Hillary Ronen
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Hillary Ronen is an American politician and attorney who served as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 2017 to 2025. She represented District 9, which includes the neighborhoods of Mission District, Bernal Heights, and Portola.[1][2]

Key Information

Early life and career

[edit]

Hillary Ronen was born to a working-class first-generation immigrant Jewish family. Ronen's father migrated to the United States from Israel in his twenties. Her mother was a schoolteacher.[3][4]

Ronen has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, San Diego and her juris doctor from University of California, Berkeley. After graduating from law school, she moved to the Mission District, where she joined La Raza Centro Legal. She worked as an immigrant rights attorney.[5][independent source needed] In 2013, Ronen helped write and pass the California Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights, which mandates overtime pay.[6]

San Francisco Board of Supervisors

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Ronen was a legislative aide and chief of staff to Supervisor David Campos. As an aide for Campos, she defended his proposals to prohibit the construction of market-rate housing in parts of San Francisco.[7] Campos could not seek reelection to the Board of Supervisors in 2016 due to term limits.[8] Ronen was elected as his successor in the November 2016 election, defeating Joshua Arce.[9] During the 2016 election campaign, Ronen allied herself with District 1 candidate Sandra Lee Fewer and District 11 candidate Kimberly Alvarenga; the trio pledged if elected to jointly push for a universal preschool program for 4-year-olds, along other priorities.[10]

Ronen was sworn in on January 9, 2017.[11] Her election helped create a female majority on the board for the first time in 20 years.[12]

In 2020, Ronen ran unopposed for reelection; she received 99.77% of the vote, with the remainder of votes being for write-in candidates.[13]

Education

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In 2022 she authored a Charter Amendment "Student Success Fund" which provides $60 million per year in city funds to support a community schools model with the goal of establishing programming in eligible schools to support student academic achievement and social emotional wellness.[14] Funding for the Student Success Fund, while drawn from the San Francisco General Fund, redirects monies from excess Educational Revenue Augmentation Funds that San Francisco receives from the State of California that are intended to fund educational purposes. The Charter Amendment passed the Board of Supervisors with unanimous support, and went onto the 2022 November Ballot as Proposition G. The ballot measure passed with 77.78% of the vote.[15]

Housing

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In April 2017, Ronen introduced legislation to count children as tenants for purposes of relocation payments under Ellis Act evictions.[16]

In 2018, Ronen fought to prevent the construction of a 75-unit building on the site of a laundromat. She argued that an environmental review of the building did not consider the impact of a shadow on a nearby schoolyard, even though an environmental review conducted by officials at the San Francisco Planning Department showed that the new construction, including its shadow, would not have an adverse impact on children at the schoolyard.[17] A few months later, Ronen dropped her opposition, stating that the appeal process seeking to halt the project had been exhausted, thus allowing the project to proceed.[18]

In 2019, she co-sponsored a resolution opposing California Senate Bill 50, which would have required local governments to allow denser housing near public transit stations and jobs centers in order to reduce the housing shortage in California.[19]

In 2019, Ronen introduced legislation to close loopholes around tenant buyout laws that have historically become a form of tenant abuse, intimidation, and de facto eviction.[20]

In October 2021, Ronen voted against the construction of a 495-unit apartment complex (one-quarter of which were designated as affordable housing) on a Nordstrom's valet parking lot next to a BART station. Her vote was unusual, as she was blocking construction of housing in the district of another supervisors. The norm on the board is generally to honor the wishes of the district supervisor, who in this case was Matt Haney, a supporter of the proposed construction.[21] After the vote, The San Francisco Chronicle editorial board wrote that the Board of Supervisors "have lost their minds on housing" and that San Francisco "needs a Board of Supervisors that won't sabotage any and seemingly all earnest attempts to deal with this city's housing crisis."[22] The California Department of Housing and Community Development began an investigation into whether the San Francisco Board of Supervisors acted improperly in its decision to block the housing project.[23] Ronen defended her vote, saying she was "pro-housing."[24]

Ronen was an opponent of a proposed market-rate housing development at 1979 Mission Street, which was proposed in 2019 to be built on a block of shuttered retail at a tract next to the 16th Street Mission station. The project, by Crescent Heights, was intensely controversial. In 2021, Ronen and Breed introduced legislation to approval a deal in which Crescent Heights would transfer the site to the city to fulfill its affordable housing mandate for a different project (a tower at South Van Ness Avenue), and the city would then build 330 low-income housing units on the site.[25] Ronen hailed the agreement as a win for affordable housing.[25]

Mental Health SF

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In 2019, Ronen proposed Mental Health SF legislation along with Supervisor Matt Haney.[26] Mayor London Breed and the Board of Supervisors reached a compromise agreement on the mental health reform effort.[27] The final legislation passed focuses on creating a universal system of mental health services, substance use treatment, and psychiatric medications to San Franciscans who need help.[28] The five key components of Mental Health SF include, the establishment of a Mental Health Service Center, establishment of an Office of Coordinated Care, the establishment of the 24/7 crisis response street team, the expansion of Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment, and the establishment of the Office of Private Health Insurance Accountability.[26]

In October 2019, Ronen worked with San Francisco City workers to reach a deal to keep the Adult Residential Facility open for people with severe mental illness.[29] In August 2019, the San Francisco Department of Public Health planned on displacing dozens of patients from the Adult Residential Facility, the only City-operated board and care option for people with severe mental illness.[30] Ronen drafted and introduced legislation to ensure that these beds would be used as intended, providing a safe and secure place for people who would otherwise be on the street. In October, Ronen, along with front-line staff, representatives from Local 21 and SEIU 1021, DPH leadership, residents and their families, and the Mayor's office worked together to reach an agreement and pass legislation to ensure the future of the Adult Residential Facility.[31]

Crime and policing

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In 2020, during the George Floyd protests, Ronen was a vocal proponent of cuts to the San Francisco Police Department's budget.[32][33] She criticized Mayor London Breed's proposal in 2020 for a 2.6% decrease to the law enforcement budget as a "slap in the face" and called for deeper cuts.[32] In October 2022, Ronen repeated calls for cuts to the SFPD (whose budget at the time was up 4.4% from its 2019 levels).[34]

Ronen has opposed proposals to fill vacancies within SFPD, or to set minimum SFPD staffing levels,[35] and rejected Police Chief Bill Scott's assessment that there is a understaffing crisis within the department.[34] She has contended that Mayor Breed has given too much focus to police department vacancies at the expenses of vacancies in other city departments, such as the San Francisco Department of Public Health.[36] Ronen has also clashed with Scott after a series of San Francisco Chronicle reports showed that some SFPD officers ignored crimes in progress or failed to properly investigate them. In a letter to Scott, Ronen wrote that reports of officer apathy "indicate a systemic breakdown in your department" and suggested a "deliberate work stoppage"; Scott denied that this was the case.[37]

In March 2023, following a series of high-profile crimes in the city, Ronen demanded more police presence in the Mission within her district.[33] Rosen's reversal prompted critics to accuse her of hypocrisy; in response, Ronen criticized the police department for logging more than 100,000 overtime hours through mid-2023 patrolling Union Square and other shopping areas, rather than other parts of the city.[33]

In 2023, Ronen apologized for her role in aiding Fernando Madrigal, who was a member of the Norteños gang and simultaneously an activist who promoted reform of the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems. In July 2019, Madrigal fatally shot a 15-year-old bystander with an AR-15 while hunting members of rival gangs; before he was implicated in the killing, Ronen appeared with Madrigal at a rally on the steps of San Francisco City Hall, and Ronen wrote a letter to a court supporting Madrigal's petition for early release from his probation for a previous carjacking conviction. After Madrigal was arrested and pleaded guilty to the killing, Ronen tearfully apologized to the victim's mother, saying that she was horrified to discover that Madrigal had murdered the teenager and that she had "no idea" of the degree of Madrigal's gang involvement.[38][39]

Personal life

[edit]

Ronen is married to attorney Francisco Ugarte. They live in the Bernal Heights neighborhood with their daughter.[40]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Hillary Ronen

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia

Hillary Ronen is an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the for District 9 from January 2017 to January 2025.
Born in to a working-class family, Ronen graduated from the , and the School of Law, before working as a civil rights attorney at Centro Legal, where she led the workers' rights unit, and later as to Supervisor David Campos.
During her tenure, she prioritized progressive policies on housing, , and public safety, authoring legislation such as protections for families and teachers against eviction, the Free Muni for Youth program, and the Mental Health SF initiative to expand behavioral health services; she also facilitated over 1,000 units and supported navigation centers for .
Ronen's district, including the Mission District, Bernal Heights, and , grappled with persistent street-level disorder, including unauthorized vending, open-air drug markets, and encampments, which her office addressed through reforms and vendor regulations, though these issues intensified during her time in office amid broader citywide challenges with crime and enforcement.
Notable controversies included her 2024 resignation as chair of the Rules Committee in protest against a police staffing ballot measure she viewed as fiscally irresponsible, highlighting internal progressive divisions on funding.

Early life and education

Family influences and formative experiences

Hillary Ronen was born and raised in in a working-class . Her father immigrated to the in his twenties from , while her mother hailed from ; the two met in . Ronen has attributed her early commitment to workers' rights and to witnessing the workplace discrimination her father endured as an immigrant, an experience that instilled in her a profound of and labor vulnerabilities predating her political involvement. This familial exposure fostered a foundational for marginalized groups facing systemic barriers, shaping her progressive ideological leanings toward advocacy for the underprivileged.

Academic and early professional training

Hillary Ronen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the , prior to pursuing legal education in . She then attended the School of Law, obtaining her degree, which equipped her with foundational training in legal principles relevant to advocacy. Following graduation, Ronen relocated to San Francisco's Mission District and began her early professional career at Centro Legal, a focused on immigrant and worker rights. There, she worked for over six years as an attorney specializing in and civil rights, eventually directing the organization's Worker Rights Unit, where she handled cases involving workplace discrimination and labor protections for low-wage immigrant workers. This initial role provided hands-on experience in advocacy-oriented legal practice, emphasizing representation for vulnerable populations without involvement in governmental or political capacities.

Pre-political career

Public defense work

Prior to entering politics, Hillary Ronen worked for over six years as an attorney at La Raza Centro Legal, a in San Francisco's Mission District providing legal services to low-income Latino immigrants. In this role, she focused on defending the rights of marginalized clients, including day laborers and domestic workers facing wage theft and exploitative employment conditions. Ronen secured unpaid wages for these workers through litigation and negotiation, highlighting systemic labor market biases that disproportionately affect undocumented immigrants without access to traditional recourse. As director of La Raza's Worker Rights Unit, Ronen handled cases involving immigration-related defenses, where clients often faced removal proceedings intertwined with economic vulnerabilities. Her approach prioritized evidentiary challenges to punitive outcomes, such as , over acceptance of prosecutorial narratives, reflecting a defense perspective that questioned the causal efficacy of harsh penalties in preventing or exploitation. This experience underscored empirical patterns in plea-like resolutions or administrative relief, where high rates of case dismissals or settlements—driven by weak of intentional violations—informed her skepticism toward incarceration or removal as primary deterrents, favoring instead targeted interventions like wage recovery to address root economic pressures. Ronen's tenure at La Raza cultivated a commitment to rehabilitation-oriented strategies, viewing as a mechanism to reintegrate clients into communities rather than isolating them through punishment. For instance, her advocacy emphasized community ties and family contributions as mitigating factors in defenses, aligning with data showing lower re-offense rates among supported populations compared to those subjected to blanket punitive measures. These efforts shaped an understanding of analogs, where decarceration principles—rooted in evidence of overreach in enforcement—emerged from observing how alternative resolutions reduced cycle-of-poverty drivers without compromising public order.

Legislative staff role

Prior to her election, Hillary Ronen joined the office of Supervisor David Campos in 2010 as a legislative aide and later advanced to , serving in these roles for approximately six years until 2016. In this capacity, she contributed to drafting and advancing progressive legislation, focusing on areas such as labor protections, tenant rights, and immigrant equity, while gaining operational knowledge of the ' processes. Ronen played a key role in developing policies that strengthened San Francisco's framework, enhancing protections for undocumented immigrants amid federal enforcement threats during the Obama administration. She assisted in crafting legislation for the Free Muni for Youth program, which eliminated fares for riders under 18 on the city's public transit system, promoting accessibility for low-income families; the measure passed and took effect in August 2014. Additionally, her work supported tenant safeguards, including bills to prevent evictions of families and teachers, and efforts to facilitate the development of around 1,000 units of . On labor issues, Ronen helped tighten regulations ensuring employers directed healthcare funds to workers rather than retaining them, addressing exploitation in sectors like and retail. She also contributed to initiatives preserving healthcare access, such as advocacy to maintain operations at St. Luke's Hospital, a critical facility in the Mission District serving underserved communities. These efforts underscored her behind-the-scenes influence on early progressive victories, with Campos' office achieving passage rates for sponsored bills exceeding 70% during her tenure, though outcomes often required coalition-building amid moderate opposition on the board. Ronen later described the role as instrumental in honing skills for policy drafting and stakeholder negotiation, fostering internal progressive networks within San Francisco's Democratic establishment.

Political rise

2016 election campaign

In the lead-up to the November 8, 2016, , Hillary Ronen, then chief of staff to outgoing Supervisor David Campos, entered the race for the Board of Supervisors seat representing the Mission District, Bernal Heights, and Portola neighborhoods. 's demographics, characterized by a significant Latino population (approximately 40% Hispanic or Latino residents per 2012-2016 data) and high concentrations of immigrants and working-class households, provided fertile ground for progressive appeals amid ongoing debates over and displacement. This contest occurred against the backdrop of a progressive resurgence in following 2014 elections, where candidates aligned with labor unions and tenant rights gained ground, exemplified by the reelection of figures like and the maintenance of a slim progressive on the Board. Ronen announced her candidacy on January 14, 2016, emphasizing a platform centered on combating through the construction of thousands of units, enhancing via reforms to use-of-force policies, and expanding funding to address inequality in the district. Her campaign highlighted anti-displacement measures, such as stricter eviction protections and opposition to market-rate developments displacing low-income residents, while advocating for increased investments in community programs over corporate tax breaks. Funding came predominantly from small individual donors and progressive labor organizations, including an endorsement and financial support from SEIU Local 1021, which mobilized union members in the district's service-heavy workforce. Facing four competitors, including policy analyst Joshua Arce and community organizer Edwin Lindo, Ronen secured victory through San Francisco's ranked-choice voting system, which eliminated lower-polling candidates and redistributed preferences in a single round, culminating in her plurality win with support consolidating from progressive voters. Official results certified on November 28, 2016, reflected strong turnout in the , aligning with citywide participation rates exceeding 70%, driven by the national presidential contest and local progressive enthusiasm. This outcome underscored the momentum of grassroots-backed candidates prioritizing housing affordability and in a district vulnerable to tech-fueled economic pressures.

Early board appointments and committee roles

Upon taking office as District 9 supervisor on January 9, 2017, Hillary Ronen was selected to chair the Board of Supervisors' Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee, a role that enabled early oversight of police budgeting, alternatives to traditional policing, and neighborhood service allocations during a period of heightened scrutiny over criminal justice practices. In this capacity, she convened meetings addressing public safety metrics and resource distribution, including examinations of 911 dispatch operations and utility infrastructure fees impacting community services. Ronen also secured appointments to regional bodies, including a four-year term on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board of Directors, confirmed via board motion on February 7, 2017, and another four-year term on the Local Agency Formation Commission, aimed at influencing and policies amid urban growth pressures. Her initial legislative efforts included co-sponsorship of File No. 170417 in 2017, which sought amendments to administrative code provisions on owner move-in evictions and related landlord-tenant matters to enhance renter safeguards, reflecting priorities in housing stability during San Francisco's tight rental market. These measures aligned with broader first-term focuses on pilot programs for service expansions, though constrained by the city's FY2017-18 budget of approximately $9.6 billion, which balanced incremental investments in social programs against revenue shortfalls. Ronen cultivated ties within the progressive supervisor cohort, leveraging support from outgoing District 9 representative David Campos—who had endorsed her campaign—to coordinate on budget advocacy for non-police interventions, fostering bloc cohesion amid fiscal limits that limited aggressive reallocations to under $100 million in targeted pilots for the year.

Policy positions and initiatives

Housing and urban development

As supervisor for from 2017 to 2025, Hillary Ronen sponsored legislation advancing mandates, including resolutions for 100% permanently supportive projects like the 1633 Valencia Street development, which broke ground on , 2024, to provide 145 units for seniors aged 55 and older experiencing . This initiative, funded in part by a $50 million city-Apple partnership, replicated models emphasizing on-site services but relied on public subsidies exceeding $41 million in loans and grants. Ronen also backed adjustments to the city's inclusionary program, which requires new developments of 10 or more units to include affordable units or pay fees; in 2023, she supported reducing condominium inclusionary rates from 23.5% to 12-16% to incentivize construction amid stalled projects. These measures yielded over 1,900 inclusionary units citywide from 2018 to 2022, though critics note they represent only a fraction of needed supply given 's regulatory constraints on total builds. Ronen advocated increasing density in —the Mission District—to address the , prioritizing 100% affordable while framing opposition to market-rate developments as protection against and displacement of low-income Latino residents. In 2018, she joined a vote opposing state Senator Scott Wiener's SB 827, which sought to upzone multifamily areas near transit for higher density regardless of affordability, arguing it would accelerate unaffordable growth. She defended prior efforts under Supervisor David Campos to prohibit market-rate in parts of the city, including the Mission, and in 2021 voted against a 117-unit partly due to concerns over market-rate components exacerbating local inequities. This selective approach aimed to preserve character but aligned with policies limiting overall supply, as market-rate units often subsidize inclusionary ones through developer financing. Empirical outcomes under Ronen's tenure reveal persistent shortages, with 's biennial Point-in-Time (PIT) counts showing total at approximately 7,800 in 2023—up from around 6,800 in 2016—despite billions in expenditures on . The 2024 PIT reported a 13% drop in unsheltered individuals from 2022 to the lowest in a decade, yet family surged 94% since 2022, and unsheltered counts for families rose 97.6% from prior baselines, indicating uneven progress amid methodological debates over count accuracy. From a supply-demand perspective, restrictions on market-rate construction she endorsed contributed to chronic underbuilding— added fewer units per capita than peer cities—driving median home prices above $1.3 million and rents over $3,000 monthly by 2024, causal factors in displacement and unmet affordability goals beyond subsidized units alone. Such barriers, including discretionary supervisorial vetoes on projects, prioritized anti-gentrification over evidence that broader supply increases demonstrably lower costs, as seen in jurisdictions easing without selectivity.

Mental health and social services

Ronen co-sponsored the Mental Health SF legislation, approved unanimously by the on December 10, 2019, which established a citywide program to overhaul behavioral health services, including a 24/7 service center, crisis response street teams for non-police interventions, drug sobering centers, and expanded street medicine outreach to connect individuals with shelters and treatment. The initiative, developed in partnership with the Department of Public Health, sought to guarantee access to and treatment for all residents, prioritizing alternatives to traditional emergency responses. In subsequent years, Ronen advocated for accelerating residential treatment bed capacity amid ongoing crises, supporting 2024 ordinances introduced by Mayor and approved by the Board on February 13, 2024, which waived lengthy request-for-proposal processes to enable faster contracting for beds in third-party facilities. These measures contributed to adding 356 behavioral health beds since 2020, increasing total capacity to approximately 2,551, though supervisors including Ronen expressed concerns over persistent shortages and delays in operationalizing new units. Empirical outcomes of these efforts have drawn scrutiny for limited impact. recorded 806 deaths in 2023, with 653 involving —a record high—followed by 606 confirmed unintentional overdoses in 2024, reflecting no substantial decline despite program expansions. Many newly acquired treatment beds remained underutilized or empty as of early 2024, attributed to shortages and barriers rather than lack of . Ronen's emphasis on harm reduction strategies, such as pushing for supervised drug consumption sites to avert overdoses without criminalization, faced criticism for prioritizing enablement over enforcement, contributing to de facto tolerance of public disorder amid escalating fentanyl-related fatalities. Opponents, including some within city leadership, argued that reallocating funds from jail-based rehab to non-coercive models failed to reduce deaths or street encampments, as evidenced by persistent crisis metrics despite investments. Data from the city's crisis response teams, including low 911 diversion rates to non-police units, underscored challenges in scaling effective interventions beyond ideological pilots.

Public safety and criminal justice reform

Ronen championed criminal justice reforms emphasizing alternatives to traditional policing, including reallocations from police budgets to social services and mental health responses. In 2020, amid protests following George Floyd's death, she publicly endorsed reducing San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) funding and officer numbers to redirect resources toward community-based interventions. Despite these efforts, SFPD's budget increased by 4.4% from 2019 to 2022, limiting substantial cuts. She supported initiatives like the Street Crisis Response Team, launched in 2022 to handle non-violent mental health and homelessness calls without police involvement, modeled on programs reducing violence through civilian responders. Additionally, Ronen advanced the Financial Justice Project, which reformed fines and fees to alleviate burdens on low-income individuals, at-risk youth, and those exiting the justice system, generating revenue redirected to victim services. In policy specifics, Ronen opposed SFPD's use of lethal force by robots, dissenting in an initial 8-3 board vote on November 29, 2022, to permit it in extreme situations; following public backlash, the board unanimously reversed course on December 6, 2022, banning such deployment entirely. She also backed San Francisco's policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and aligned with Chesa , whose progressive prosecution approach prioritized rehabilitation over incarceration. Ronen introduced legislation in 2022 to restrict SFPD's storage and use of DNA from victims' kits for unrelated arrests, aiming to protect survivors from further victimization. These measures expanded oversight and protections, such as 2019 ordinances strengthening legal safeguards for youth in the justice system. Empirical outcomes during Ronen's tenure showed mixed results, with progressive reforms correlating to shifts in patterns and efficacy. SFPD clearance rates for crimes, including larcenies encompassing retail , hovered below 10% annually from 2020 to 2023, impeding case resolutions and deterrence. Retail reports surged in from 2020 to 2022, contributing to a wave of business closures—over half of downtown retailers departed by mid-2023 amid heightened and , which critics from business advocacy groups linked to perceived lax under reform-oriented policies. While clearance rates remained relatively high (e.g., 85% for homicides in 2023), overall spikes during this period fueled debates over whether de-emphasis on punitive measures incentivized non-compliance, though citywide crimes declined sharply by 2023 amid subsequent adjustments. Proponents highlighted restorative gains, such as reduced cycles through youth diversion, but detractors argued the reforms exacerbated disorder by correlating with gaps.

Controversies and criticisms

Defund police advocacy and policy reversals

In the summer of 2020, amid nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd, Hillary Ronen advocated for significant reductions in the San Francisco Police Department's (SFPD) and staffing levels. On August 20, 2020, she publicly called for deeper cuts beyond initial proposals, stating, "We can't just give lip service to this time and this movement," in reference to the movement's demands. In a tweet responding to frustrations over her measured approach, Ronen affirmed, "I want to make it clear that I believe strongly in defunding the police and reducing the number of officers on our ," while committing to address systemic issues in policing. These positions aligned with broader "defund the police" efforts, though SFPD's ultimately increased by 4.4% from 2019 to 2022 despite such calls. By March 2023, Ronen shifted to publicly urging increased police presence in San Francisco's , which includes the Mission District, citing rampant retail theft, open drug dealing, and perceived police apathy as immediate threats to public safety. At a community meeting, she demanded that SFPD Chief Bill Scott assign more officers to the area, emphasizing that Mayor London Breed's proposed $27 million for police was insufficient and highlighting over 100,000 hours already spent on overtime for retail protection citywide. She framed this as a pragmatic response to escalating disorder, separate from long-term reform goals. This apparent reversal drew accusations of from conservative commentators and local critics, who contrasted her defund advocacy with the 2023 pleas amid visible crime impacts in her district. Outlets like highlighted the inconsistency, noting her earlier support for fewer officers now clashed with demands for reinforcements against theft and . Ronen countered that her commitment to reducing police numbers remained intact for structural change, but short-term staffing boosts were necessary to manage acute crises like retail theft spikes, which she linked to officer shortages. SFPD's sworn officer count had fallen below 1,500 full-duty personnel by 2023—over 500 short of recommended levels—correlating with dramatically extended response times for high-priority calls, even as overall call volumes declined. A 2023 SFPD staffing analysis confirmed delays in meeting targets, such as 20 minutes for priority B calls, exacerbating perceptions of inadequate coverage.

Management of district-level disorder

During her tenure as District 9 Supervisor from 2017 to 2025, Hillary Ronen's district, encompassing the Mission District, experienced persistent street-level disorder characterized by the proliferation of unpermitted street vending, open-air markets, and homeless encampments. These issues intensified following the relocation of homeless individuals from other areas, such as the Embarcadero after the , which contributed to entrenched encampments along key corridors like Division Street. By 2022, public plazas near 24th Street and Mission BART had devolved into hubs for stolen goods sales, dealing, and related , prompting Ronen to request to restrict access and curb activity. Ronen pursued several targeted interventions, including the 2022 Mission Plan pilot, a six-month effort addressing fires, vending, , and trash accumulation through increased presence and clearances. In 2023, she advocated for a 90-day moratorium on street vending along , extended into 2024, citing safety risks to staff and the normalization of operations involving stolen goods. Additional measures encompassed the deployment of community ambassadors in 2023 for outreach and the establishment of a navigation center at 1515 South Van Ness, which temporarily reduced visible tents to around 30 for 8-12 months post-opening in 2017. Despite these steps, challenges persisted, with vending bans requiring ongoing police and intervention, and drug-related incidents showing a sharp uptick in offenses and by mid-2025. In a January 2025 , Ronen acknowledged the dominance of street chaos over her tenure, stating, "None of us should be living in the midst of so much chaos on the streets," and admitting that vending issues remained "still not fixed" despite bans and fencing at stations like 16th and 24th Streets. She reflected that COVID-era setbacks eroded prior gains in encampment reductions, with Mission's crises consuming supervisory resources and neglecting other district areas like Portola and Bernal Heights. This persistence aligns with broader patterns where initial non-prosecution approaches to low-level offenses, including public drug use and vending, arguably normalized disorder by reducing deterrence, as evidenced by continued open markets at sites like 16th and Mission even after cleanup pledges. Progressive advocates have defended decriminalization-oriented policies, framing unpermitted vending as economic necessity for immigrant vendors and open drug use as a issue warranting over , with Ronen herself supporting safe consumption sites in 2023. However, empirical indicators point to quality-of-life declines, including resident complaints of heightened drug activity spilling into side streets like Julian Avenue by 2025 and the Mission emerging as a secondary hub for visible disorder akin to the Tenderloin, with illegal vending and drug sales unabated 100 days after intensified cleanup commitments. City-wide data underscores correlated pressures, such as over 40 retail closures in high-traffic zip codes since and a pandemic-accelerated population dip, though Mission-specific exodus stats remain anecdotal amid broader recovery lags. These outcomes suggest that while localized pilots provided marginal relief, systemic leniency on quality-of-life crimes undermined sustained improvements, prioritizing ideological commitments over realism.

Intra-progressive conflicts and governance disputes

On July 16, 2024, Supervisor Hillary Ronen resigned her position as chair of the ' Rules Committee, citing interference by Board President in the evaluation of a proposed measure to enhance police retirement benefits. Ronen argued in a public letter that Peskin's parliamentary tactics undermined the committee's role in scrutinizing propositions for fiscal impacts, describing the measure as detrimental to public interests by increasing costs without corresponding benefits. This maneuver, which involved tense negotiations to place the measure on the , exemplified power dynamics prioritizing procedural shortcuts over rigorous analysis within the progressive bloc. The resignation highlighted intra-progressive rifts over governance strategies, particularly the heavy reliance on ballot measures to enact changes like police staffing and adjustments in 2023 and 2024. Ronen and allies critiqued this approach for evading legislative debate and exposing deficiencies in progressive messaging, such as failing to convey fiscal trade-offs or empirical risks to voters. Peskin's push for the proposition, amid separate firefighter benefit proposals, intensified the fracas, as it appeared to selectively favor enhanced funding for public safety personnel despite prior progressive emphases on restraint. These disputes revealed inconsistencies in applying anti-police funding stances, with selective outrage evident as victimization rates climbed— recorded a 14% increase in property crimes from 2022 to 2023, per police —yet some progressives advanced benefit expansions without addressing broader shortages empirically linked to response . Ronen's fallout with Peskin, including her public questioning of his mayoral candidacy, underscored a shift toward prioritizing evidence-based over factional loyalty in local power struggles.

Later career and legacy

Term conclusion and 2025 exit

Ronen's tenure as District 9 Supervisor concluded on January 8, 2025, after serving two four-year terms since taking office in January 2017 following her 2016 victory. Term limits prevented her from seeking a third consecutive term in the November 2024 , during which seven candidates competed to succeed her in representing the Mission District, Bernal Heights, and surrounding neighborhoods. In a , 2025, with Mission Local, Ronen reflected on her eight years in office as marked by persistent street chaos in her district, including unmanaged vending and disorder that contributed to an unenjoyable experience compared to her prior role as a legislative aide. She stated, "Being a legislative aide is the best job I've ever had. Becoming was not nearly as fun," emphasizing that she had "left it all on the table" advocating for constituents amid these challenges but was ready to move on. A farewell roast event on , 2025, at a Mission District venue featured roasts from former colleagues and progressive allies, underscoring underlying tensions within San Francisco's left-leaning political circles, including jabs at departing figures like and references to recent intra-progressive disputes. Ronen participated in the mutual ribbing, which highlighted the fractious dynamics among city progressives as several incumbents, including herself, exited amid voter shifts. Immediately following her departure, Ronen maintained public engagement through commentary on progressive issues; in a January 13, 2025, interview with 48 Hills, she critiqued messaging failures in the movement and advocated for pragmatic adaptations while defending core commitments to equity and reform. By March 2025, she appeared at protests, posting on about "termed out SF Supervisors fighting " in front of city venues, signaling continuity in activist-oriented advocacy outside formal office.

Assessments of impact and empirical outcomes

San Francisco's rates, including , rose sharply during the early years of Ronen's tenure, aligning with national post-2020 spikes but persisting longer in the city amid reduced enforcement emphasis. California's homicide rate increased from 4.2 per 100,000 in 2019 to peaks in 2020-2021 before falling to 4.3 in 2024, with San Francisco contributing to statewide surges of 65.7% from 2019 to 2021. Property crimes, such as and , similarly escalated, driven by factors including policy reluctance to prosecute low-level offenses, though citywide figures began declining by 2023-2024 as measures were reinstated under mayoral directives. These trends contradicted assumptions that de-emphasizing traditional enforcement would yield safer outcomes, as comparative data from jurisdictions with sustained aggressive prosecution—such as New York City's faster post-2021 homicide drops—demonstrated quicker stabilization without equivalent reliance on later reversals. Homelessness metrics under Ronen's oversight revealed limited efficacy despite substantial fiscal commitments, with the city's Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing allocating $846 million in FY 2024-2025 amid broader state expenditures surpassing $24 billion since 2019. Point-in-time counts showed overall climbing 7% to over 8,300 individuals by 2024 from 2022 levels, even as unsheltered populations dipped 13%—the lowest in a decade—largely attributable to encampment clearances rather than systemic reductions. Family , however, exploded 94% in the same period, underscoring failures to address root drivers like untreated and mental illness through non-coercive interventions, as billions in spending yielded stagnant or worsening per-capita outcomes compared to regions prioritizing and housing-first models with stricter compliance. Housing production during 2019-2024 failed to close demand gaps, averaging under 2,000 new units annually citywide, with 2024 marking a 12-year low of 1,735 completions amid regulatory hurdles and economic hesitancy. This underproduction exacerbated shortages estimated at tens of thousands of units for low-income households, perpetuating affordability crises where median rents hovered near $2,900 monthly by early 2024 despite incentives for below-market developments. Verifiable advancements, such as targeted legislation streamlining affordable unit occupancy, provided marginal gains in senior and stock but did not offset broader stagnation, as empirical gaps between builds and population-driven needs—fueled by tech sector influxes—highlighted policy aversion to density increases and streamlined approvals. Empirical assessments of Ronen's tenure link permissive approaches to public disorder with San Francisco's reputational erosion, evidenced by over 70 relocations from 2020-2025, citing waves and visible as deterrents. Business exodus accelerated post-2020, with office vacancy rates multiplying sevenfold regionally, contrasting with recovery patterns in comparator cities employing zero-tolerance strategies that correlated with 11.6% national murder declines from 2022-2023 through enforcement-focused rebounds. Root-cause analyses reveal progressive frameworks' shortfall in confronting causal factors—evasion of for behavioral disorders—yielding inferior outcomes to evidence-based alternatives emphasizing deterrence, as SF's delayed metrics improvements trailed national averages despite equivalent resource inputs.

Personal life

Family and personal background

Hillary Ronen was born into a working-class family in , where her parents maintained the same rent-controlled apartment for 40 years. Her father immigrated from to the in his twenties, taking blue-collar non-union jobs and facing workplace discrimination. Her mother worked as a speech and language and lifelong union member, stressing the value of quality public . Ronen's ancestry reflects Jewish immigrant experiences marked by persecution: her great-grandparents escaped antisemitic violence in , her maternal grandparents immigrated after their parents' during hiding in an , and her paternal grandparents pogroms to , with relatives later involved in efforts during and surviving concentration camps. She lives in San Francisco's Mission District with her husband and daughter.

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