Legislation mandating the installation of bathroom grab bars and telephone jacks at single-room occupancy buildings in San Francisco was given unanimous initial approval today by the city’s Board of Supervisors.
The ordinance, authored by Supervisor Eric Mar, requires the installation of the grab bars in common-use bathrooms in an effort to improve safety at the SRO buildings.
It also requires a working telephone jack as necessary for a unit to avoid being deemed substandard by the city’s housing code.
The legislation “will make it safer and reduce isolation for many people with disabilities or who are seniors,” Mar said.
Supervisor Norman Yee, who was injured when he was struck by a car several years ago, asked to join as a co-sponsor of the legislation, saying he installed a grab bar in his bathroom during his recovery.
“I know the danger of stepping into the shower and slipping,” Yee said.
The legislation will return to the board at its next meeting to be given final approval.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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