ALLAN E. LOW SUPER PARTNER AWARD
SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNITIES AGAINST DISPLACEMENT
San Francisco Communities Against Displacement (SFCAD) was formed in 2016 when the San Francisco Foundation convened BIPOC-led, place-based CDCs from Chinatown, the Tenderloin, Mission, Bayview-Hunters Point, and Western Addition. Each neighborhood faced displacement pressures and public debates that often pitted communities of color against each other. By exchanging practical know-how and sharing priorities, we built cross-racial relationships strong enough to withstand tough policy fights.
Our first joint effort was the 2019 Affordable Housing Bond (Prop A). Running neighborhood-specific field programs, we organized seniors, tenants, and families citywide to demand deeper affordability. Their push helped expand the bond to a record $600 million and launch the Senior Operating Subsidy pilot—an idea that has shaped our advocacy ever since.
By 2022, every member organization faced the same challenge: families and seniors still could not afford the rents in affordable housing units. We spent a year researching, polling, and drafting language with faith leaders, tenant groups, and disability advocates. The result was Proposition G (2024)—the Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund. Passed with 59 percent of the vote, it created a permanent stream of rental subsidies so more than 500 Extremely Low-Income (ELI) seniors, families, and people with disabilities can live in the housing we build.
Today, our focus is ensuring Prop G resources reach those most in need. Looking ahead, we’re committed to building stronger regional connections across communities of color, learning from one another, and advocating for the policies our neighborhoods deserve.
Our North Star remains unchanged: keep families in their homes, bring displaced neighbors back, and confront the policies that push them out in the first place.
Partner Summaries
- Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC): CCDC's mission is to build community and enhance the quality of life for San Francisco residents. The organization fulfills many roles: neighborhood advocates, organizers, and planners, as well as developers and managers of affordable housing. Learn more at www.chinatowncdc.org.
- Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC): Founded in 1981, TNDC builds community and affordable housing for low-income people in the Tenderloin and across San Francisco. The nonprofit owns and operates 50+ properties, provides on-site supportive services, and organizes residents around social justice issues. Learn more at www.tndc.org.
- Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA): Since 1973, MEDA has worked to ensure Latino families can choose where to live, thrive economically, and lead social change. The organization develops and preserves affordable housing, operates a cradle-to-career service hub, and advances community-led policies that combat displacement in the Mission District. Learn more at medasf.org.
- Without Walls Community Development Corporation (WOWCDC): WOWCDC advances affordable housing and anti-displacement strategies primarily in San Francisco's Western Addition and Fillmore neighborhoods. Their current focus is to develop small-site acquisitions, deliver housing-related supports, and lift up long-time African American residents facing gentrification pressures.
- Young Community Developers (YCD): Young Community Developers is a Black-led nonprofit that has served the historically under resourced Black community in San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point for over 50 years. Its blend of career pathways, housing outreach, and civic-leadership programs strengthens individuals, families, and the wider community. Learn more at www.ycdjobs.org.