LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
THE HONORABLE WILLIE L. BROWN, JR.

TWO-TERM MAYOR OF SAN FRANCISCO, LEGENDARY SPEAKER OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY, and widely regarded as the most influential African American politician of the late 20th century — the Honorable Willie L. Brown, Jr., has been at the center of California politics, government, and civic life for an astonishing four decades.

His career spans the American presidency from Lyndon Johnson to George W. Bush, and he has worked with every California governor from Pat Brown to Arnold Schwarzenegger. From civil rights to education reform, tax policy, economic development, health care, international trade, domestic partnerships, and affirmative action, he has left his imprimatur on every aspect of politics and public policy in the Golden State. As mayor of California’s most cosmopolitan city, he refurbished and rebuilt the nation’s busiest transit system, pioneered the use of bond measures to build affordable housing, created a model juvenile justice system, and paved the way for a second campus of the University of California, San Francisco, to serve as the anchor of a new development that will position the City as a center for the burgeoning field of biotechnology.

During his tenure from 1996 to 2004, Mayor Brown championed unprecedented goals to increase housing in San Francisco, much of which was 100% affordable. He led the charge to relaunch the process to develop more housing in San Francisco, including a new residential neighborhood, Mission Bay. He opened the door to landmark housing development policies that ensured affordability. This included the creation of one of the country’s first inclusionary zoning requirements and a “jobs housing” linkage policy, both of which required real estate developers to either directly build or fund the creation of new affordable housing as a requirement of their own market-rate projects.

Mayor Brown’s leadership in affordable housing had a profound impact on Chinatown and Chinatown CDC. Chinatown CDC expanded its portfolio to include Notre Dame Apartments, Golden Gate Apartments and Namiki Apartments, senior and family housing embracing San Francisco’s diversity in the greater Chinatown, Western Addition and Japantown areas. He averted the eviction of more than 40 tenants in a privately owned, single-room occupancy (SRO) building at 665 Clay Street in the heart of Chinatown when, at the urging of community organizers and Chinatown leaders, he appropriated funds from the City budget to acquire the building to keep residents in place. This also allowed Chinatown CDC to make seismic, heating and other upgrades creating a livable space for families.

After the 1991 demolition of the Embarcadero Freeway following the Loma Prieta earthquake, Chinatown community leaders raised concerns about the threat to the livelihood of Chinatown. Mayor Brown worked closely with Gordon Chin of Chinatown CDC and Rose Pak of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to launch a planning study of the former freeway parcels, designating a minimum of one parcel for affordable housing. Broadway Street, near the Embarcadero, became home to a new residential village of nearly 350 affordable housing units spread out over three buildings in three parcels. Two of these three projects were developed and now operated by Chinatown CDC. The pioneering work done to equitably redevelop the Broadway corridor has become a national model for freeway site redevelopment, including the Hayes Valley and Octavia corridor area.

Leaders from cities across the country have come to San Francisco to ultimately learn from our work, catalyzed by Mayor Brown’s leadership. Today, he heads the Willie L. Brown, Jr., Institute on Politics and Public Service, where this acknowledged master of the art of politics shares his knowledge and skills with a new generation of California leaders. His continual presence at charitable events in San Francisco Chinatown supporting everything from Chinese Hospital to the annual Chinese New Year Parade is a demonstration of his deep respect for the people and places of our community. Chinatown CDC is honored to present this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award to the Honorable Willie L. Brown, Jr., in this year of his 90th birthday.