Haight Organizations: Who They Are and What They Do

You know the acronyms: HANC, HAIA, HAMA. You might even know what they stand for. But, do you know what they do, or how they're different from each other? Click through to find out.

HAIA: Haight Ashbury Improvement Association

• Established: "Rejuvenated" in 2006
• President: Ted Loewenberg
• Positions: Lobbied for Alcohol-free Haight/Ashbury Street Fair, supported Head Shop restriction, "spearheaded" Sit/Lie, campaigned for removal of HANC Recycling Center, supported Whole Foods, opposed the bike lane on Oak Street.
• What Else You Need to Know: If you ask around, they're known for being on the conservative side, and they tend to have more dollars to back them when they want to get things done. HAIA President Ted Loewenberg is outspoken, and a quick google search of his name will show you that he's vocal in the press.
• Can You Join Them: $25 per year for residents, $50 per year for merchants.
• Next Meeting: Member meetings happen on the third Wednesday of February, May, and September at Urban School from 6:30-8:30 PM.
• Contact: [email protected]

HANC: Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council

• Established: 1960
• President: Kevin Bayuk
• Positions: In 1959, they stopped the panhandle from becoming a 6-lane highway. More currently, they lobbied to keep the Recycling Center open, they're involved in future Haight-Ashbury Public Realm Plan with HAMA, they proposed a homeless bill of rights, and they did not (and do not) support sit/lie.
• What Else You Need to Know: In terms of the street population in the neighborhood, HANC tends to lean toward harm-reduction rather than criminalization. They're the oldest neighborhood organization, and have remained steadily left-leaning since their inception.
• Can You Join Them: $15 regularly, $3 for elderly/student/disabled/low-income folks.
• Next Meeting: Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at 7pm in the downstairs room of the Park Branch Library
• Contact: There's a form on their website.

HAMA: Haight Ashbury Merchants Association

• Established: 2011
• President: They're about to run elections, but they do have a board. Christin Evans (of Booksmith) is officially the treasurer, and mostly runs the show (with lots of help).
• Positions: They try to remain mostly apolitical. Their focus is narrower, in that they only deal with issues that effect businesses. They led the initial push to secure funding for the Public Realm Plan, though they want the community and other Haight organizations to be involved going forward. (By the way, there will be a meeting on the Public Realm Plan in July that all community members are invited to attend. Stay tuned.) They are responsible for the Holiday lights that go up in the neighborhood every season.
• What Else You Need to Know: HAMA is made up of business owners - but not necessarily property owners, as most business owners in the neighborhood don't own their buildings. About half of their board members live in the neighborhood in addition to owning businesses here.
• Can You Join Them?: You can request to come to a meeting but only business owners can join. For the record, members pay $250
• Next Meeting: HAMA's meetings aren't at set dates or times (or places). Most likely the next one will be the one in July we mentioned earlier, and we'll keep you posted on that.
• Contact: [email protected]

Not pictured: HYA (Homeless Youth Alliance), & CVIA (Cole Valley Improvement Association). Regardless of which one seems most appealing to you, these organizations are a great way to stay politically connected to the 'hood, and have a voice in solving problems. Email them, show up to meetings, be heard. They thrive on participation.