Randy Shaw

Randy Shaw is the Editor of Beyond Chron and the Director of San Francisco’s Tenderloin Housing Clinic, which publishes Beyond Chron. Shaw's new book is the revised and updated, The Tenderloin: Sex, Crime and Resistance in the Heart of San Francisco. His prior books include Generation Priced Out: Who Gets to Live in the New Urban America. The Activist's Handbook: Winning Social Change in the 21st Century, and Beyond the Fields: Cesar Chavez, the UFW and the Struggle for Justice in the 21st Century.

Articles by Randy Shaw

SF Voters Have Clear Choices in Key Races

Posted September 8, 2026 by

San Francisco voters have two marquee races in November: the Wiener-Chan congressional contest and the Yekutiel-McCoy D8 Supervisor battle. In both cases the differences between candidates are so clear that voters can easily pick their favored candidate. Here’s how we<br> Read More »

Is SF’s Tenderloin Bouncing Back?

Posted August 10, 2026 by

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back. In January I wrote that 2026 was a Make or Break Year for the Tenderloin. The historic neighborhood was at a tipping point—it would either bounce back from the terrible Covid years or become<br> Read More »

Will Voters Back Housing, Transit in November?

Posted August 3, 2026 by

Four Critical Ballot Measures In November voters can address two of the Bay Area’s core challenges: affordable housing and public transit. Four ballot measures—one statewide, one for five Bay Area counties, and two for San Francisco—deserve voter support. Here’s our<br> Read More »

Is SF’s Mission District Still Gentrified?

Posted July 27, 2026 by

New Affordable Housing Reopens the Mission Since the late 1970’s a major San Francisco story line has been the Mission’s gentrification. It’s a classic case of the working and middle-class displaced by more affluent residents. Valencia Street’s upscale restaurants, new<br> Read More »

Why the Environmental Movement Has Fallen Short

Posted July 27, 2026 by

How Enviros Challenge American Values As the United States undergoes record heat waves, floods and other lethal weather events, the Trump Administration just spent $129 million to stop new solar and wind facilities. The nation’s president treats climate change as<br> Read More »