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Columnist

Heather Knight

Heather Knight is a columnist working out of City Hall and covering everything from politics to homelessness to family flight and the quirks of living in one of the most fascinating cities in the world. She believes in holding politicians accountable for their decisions or, often, lack thereof – and telling the stories of real people and their struggles.

She co-hosts the Chronicle's TotalSF podcast and co-founded its #TotalSF program to celebrate the wonder and whimsy of San Francisco.

Stories By Heather Knight

Pushing for a better S.F. doesn’t mean missing out on its endless beauty and fun

Highlighting the city’s problems in search of solutions is just one way to show you care about San Francisco, writes columnist Heather Knight. But there’s still plenty of joy, adventure and excitment to be found here. By Heather Knight

She failed to save her daughter from fentanyl’s grip. A year later, her daughter and S.F. remain stuck

A year ago, Chronicle columnist Heather Knight told the story of Laurie Steves, who moved from Seattle to San Francisco to try to save her daughter, Jessica, from homelessness and fentanyl addiction. Here’s what’s happened since. By Heather Knight

S.F. District Attorney Jenkins pledged to go after the most dangerous fentanyl dealers. Here’s what happened

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins pledged to seek pre-trial detention for the city’s most dangerous fentanyl dealers when she took office in July. She’s had mixed results with the city’s judges. By Heather Knight

S.F.’s famous Bay Bridge lights will come down soon — unless $11 million is donated for an even better version

Columnist Heather Knight looks at how the famous light sculpture on the Bay Bridge is at a crossroads, much like San Francisco itself. “Bay Lights” will go dark permanently in March — unless deep-pocketed philanthropists fund a plan to reimagine... By Heather Knight

Tenderloin businesses pay plenty of taxes. But they’re getting very little from S.F. in exchange

Small business and property owners are losing customers, money and patience. So they have an unusual request for San Francisco Mayor London Breed: a full refund of their 2022 taxes and fees. By Heather Knight

One S.F. man keeps pushing to build homes. Here’s why the city may be forced to say yes in 2023

Scott Pluta wants to build a few housing units in his side yard. San Francisco officials rejected his proposal last year — so he’s crafted a proposal far taller and far bigger. This time, the city might not be able to say no. By Heather Knight

S.F. nonprofit was set to open city’s first supervised drug use site. Then officials pulled the plug

A beloved nonprofit and a church wanted to team up to host San Francisco’s first formal, advertised overdose prevention site — and public health officials agreed. But now the plan is off the table with Mayor London Breed still hung up on legal... By Heather Knight

He was days from death. His quest to kick fentanyl is a harrowing lesson for S.F.

For months, columnist Heather Knight followed Ben Campofreda, a San Francisco man who nearly died from fentanyl addiction. His story offers hope for legions of people addicted to a powerful painkiller ravaging the country. By Heather Knight

S.F.’s drug crisis has been hurting kids for years. Why did it take a baby’s overdose to spark outrage?

City leaders called a baby’s fentanyl overdose “a wake-up call.” Why haven’t the 1,837 drug deaths in the city in three years, the enormous quantities of fentanyl flooding the sidewalks and the children forced to live with it prompted the same... By Heather Knight

S.F. Toiletgate: City supervisor demands answers on ‘really outrageous’ $1.7 million public bathroom

The budget for San Francisco’s notorious $1.7 million toilet came with a stomach-churning estimate of $445,000 for planning and designing the small loo. Supervisor Myrna Melgar is seeking an explanation from the Department of Public Works. By Heather Knight

Someone is severely injured in S.F. traffic every 14 hours. This time, it was a famous local artist

Every 14 hours, someone is taken to San Francisco General Hospital with major injuries sustained in a traffic collision on the city’s dangerous streets. On Nov. 6, that person was treasured artist Paul Madonna. Joen Madonna, his wife, told... By Heather Knight

S.F. group is pushing for lower speed limits. Here’s where it tracked most dangerous speeds

At least 30 people have died in traffic on San Francisco’s streets this year, one shy of the 2014 total that prompted the city to aim for zero street deaths by 2024. One solution? Making San Francisco “a safe speeds city.” By Heather Knight

A hard right turn? No, the election just shows voters want a San Francisco that works

City voters supported more moderate candidates, but they also funded public transit, schools and libraries and backed car-free streets. Is it the death of progressivism in San Francisco? Hardly. By Heather Knight

Two crucial S.F. measures on streets and transit could go down on Tuesday. Here’s what the city would lose

Columnist Heather Knight argues San Francisco’s Prop. J to preserve car-free JFK Drive and Prop. L to fund public transportation are important to the city’s future — but polls show they’re both in danger on Tuesday. By Heather Knight

S.F. Toiletgate: Experts offer cheap solutions to bathroom fiasco. Will red tape get in the way?

Shocked by San Francisco’s $1.7 million toilet price-tag, two building professionals say they’ll donate a pre-fabricated bathroom instead. And Emeryville’s mayor says his city has built a whole neighborhood in the time it’ll take S.F. to plan and... By Heather Knight

What it’s like to hike San Francisco’s best trail — and its worst

San Francisco has many stunningly gorgeous trails, but some are better than others. I walked the highest rated trail in the city according to AllTrails, and the lowest rated one. Here’s what I saw. By Heather Knight

‘My family’s luck has turned’: Stranger saves Yemeni refugees from Tenderloin misery

The Saleh family left war-torn Yemen only to plunge into more despair in the Tenderloin. After columnist Heather Knight shared their story, Chronicle readers stepped up big-time — and the family has found peace and happiness at last. By Heather Knight

S.F.’s Toiletgate: Newsom calls $1.7 million bathroom a waste, halts state money until costs come down

The saga over Noe Valley’s $1.7 million toilet takes a dramatic turn with Gov. Gavin Newsom threatening to pull state funding for the project if the city can’t devise a plan to get it done cheaper and more quickly. By Heather Knight

Celebration for S.F.’s $1.7 million toilet canceled after backlash: ‘The cost is insane’

Assembly Member Matt Haney secured $1.7 million in state funding for a Noe Valley toilet. But after seeing the city’s poor excuse for the high price tag and long timeline, he flushed his own news conference to celebrate it. By Heather Knight

S.F. is spending $1.7 million on one public toilet: ‘What are they making it out of — gold?’

Noe Valley neighbors have asked the city for a public bathroom in their town square for years. Now, the city finally has a plan — though the $1.7 million price-tag for one toilet and an opening date of 2025 is shocking. By Heather Knight