2023-24 Highlights

POLICIES TO PROTECT OUR MOST VULNERABLE
CCDC’s Proposition A Campaign Committee organized mobilization events to educate voters about the San Francisco Affordable Housing Bonds for the development and rehabilitation of housing for extremely low-income to moderate-income households. Their efforts resulted in the measure passing with 72% of the vote in the March election.

CCDC launched a campaign with community partners and grassroots leaders to establish the Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund for Seniors, Families, and Persons with Disabilities. The campaign launched this initiative on May 20 at the Mary Helen Rogers Senior Community and organized a rally attended by more than 150 people representing Chinatown, and the Mission, Tenderloin, and Bayview. A charter amendment was subsequently introduced by San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin. As written and endorsed by 28 organizations, the measure would fund operating subsidies to provide over 500 units for extremely low-income residents. With leadership by Meg Heisler of the San Francisco Communities Against Displacement and advocacy by residents including the Community Tenants Association, the measure was passed by the full Board. The measure was nearly placed on the San Francisco ballot for the November election for voters in all nine Bay Area counties, but pulled when met with unfavorable polling and legal opposition. CCDC rallied to get Proposition G on San Francisco’s November ballot. With unanimous support from the Board of Supervisors and Mayor London Breed, the initiative would fund rental subsidies for affordable housing developments serving low-income seniors, families and people with disabilities. Voter approval could make a big difference for households at or below 35% AMI throughout the city.

THE SRO COMMUNITY
While Single Room Occupancy (SRO) units continue to provide affordable housing to the most vulnerable in San Francisco, CCDC’s goal has been to support residents in two major ways: community organizing to advocate for essential needs and assistance for families to move into adequately sized housing. Dedicating more than 300 advocacy hours this year, SRO families actively fought to restore a proposed 10% budget cut in the SRO Collaboratives and Code Enforcement & Outreach Program, demonstrating their commitment to maintaining essential services for the SRO community. Founded to empower former SRO families to foster leadership and create positive change in their community, CCDC’s Resident Outreach for Opportunities Together (ROOT) program led nine events and engaged 100 families this year addressing crucial issues such as family mental health, safety, and social isolation among the elderly. CCDC’s Rental Subsidy Program helped 243 SRO families relocate to larger affordable housing this year with Section 8 vouchers and support services.

Photo left: Consorcia Apartments, one of the three properties of Throughline Apartments. Photo center: 730 Stanyan. Photo right: Transbay Block 2 West rendering.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
During the 2023-24 year, CCDC’s housing development work included:

• Completion of Throughline Apartments, a scattered site rehab project combining three of CCDC’s portfolio buildings for a total of 88 units.
• Topped out 730 Stanyan, new construction of 160 units of family housing (including 26 units for transition-aged youth) at the edge of Golden Gate Park. In partnership with TNDC, construction completion is scheduled for summer 2025.
• Started Transbay Block 2, new construction of 151 units of senior housing in the “East Cut” neighborhood.
• Received full funding for Casa Adelante - 1515 S. Van Ness, a 168-unit family housing project in the Mission District, in partnership with Mission Economic Development Agency. Construction start is anticipated in early 2025.
• Advancing plans for rehabilitation of more than 600 units in CCDC’s portfolio, including two buildings that will begin construction in 2024: the Clayton Hotel in historic Manilatown and the St. Claire Residence in the Tenderloin.

WELLNESS IN THE RESIDENTIAL VILLAGE
CCDC provides resident services and activities at 27 affordable housing properties throughout San Francisco. In 2023, a new Wellness Team was created to provide increased clinical supportive services and support to staff, residents and communities to address chronic incidents meeting residents’ cultural, ethnic and language needs. Throughout the year, 430 contacts were made for the prevention, healing and recovery from traumatic experiences, mental health and substance addiction challenges, engaging support from their families and their communities.

CCDC’s Tenderloin Family Housing at 201 Turk Street hosted a new Small Business Showcase with local businesses and brought back the popular Cooking Competition as part of the I Love the Tenderloin Week.

Three residents from 227 Bay Street senior housing attended Neighborworks’ Community Living Institute, a community leadership training event with participants from across the country, and brought back skills and a $4,000 grant to use for community empowerment.

Property management has also been key in supporting the health and safety of residents in CCDC housing. During 2023-24, CCDC increased training offered to staff around safety, property compliance, fair housing and collaboration/teamwork. Fire drills were completed at all properties. Namiki Apartments completed an elevator modernization.

Photo left: Youth camping. Photo center: EcoFair. Photo right: Tenant services provided by youth leaders.

YOUTH AS ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERS
The Chinatown GOES: Geography, Outdoors, Environment, Stewardship internship program provided an annual cohort of 15 youth a well-rounded education on environmental justice topics. Interns learned real-world applications in STEM-related environmental fields and developed leadership skills such as public speaking and presentations for policymaking and advocacy careers. Interns participated, led and planned natural area trips for broader Chinatown community members. Over the past year, the program helped organize 20 local and natural field trips with more than 750 participants. The annual Eco Fair at Portsmouth Square, with more than 220 community members participating, provided an opportunity for the youth interns to present what they learned to the community by hosting educational booths and activities about environmental topics.

Chinatown CDC works to continually cultivate the Chinatown community through housing advocacy, community programming, infrastructure development, leadership, and community sustainability. Even during the most challenging of times during the pandemic, Chinatown CDC has ensured that Chinatown’s voice, strength and values never waver.

CHINATOWN'S FUTURE
The Chinatown Corridor Study team concluded their visits, research and analysis of North American Chinatowns in Vancouver, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York and Boston, followed by focus groups and community engagement sessions on San Francisco’s Grant and Stockton Street Corridors in Chinatown. Altogether, proposals generated from the research and engagement with the community fell under the three categories of the 1987 Master Plan’s description of Chinatown: Residential Village, Capital City, and Tourist Center. Proposals and programs fell under seven broad categories: small business preservation, workforce development, anticipating future challenges, cultural heritage preservation, strengthening and improving infrastructure, bringing broader audiences into Chinatown, and re-establishing a nighttime economy. The full report with proposals will be released in September.