COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD
Hailing Li
Hailing Li immigrated to the United States in 2016. Since then, she has lived with her husband and two daughters in a single-room occupancy (SRO) building in San Francisco’s Chinatown. When she first arrived in the U.S., she faced language barriers, cultural differences, and the challenges of raising children in an SRO. Hailing met these obstacles with courage and actively worked to adapt to her new life. As a mother, she balances caring for her family while taking English courses at City College. Over the years, Ms. Li has remained deeply engaged in community advocacy, attending countless rallies and public hearings to raise awareness of the housing challenges faced by SRO families and to advocate before city agencies and elected officials for workforce development opportunities, affordable family housing, housing for extremely low-income seniors, and other critical resources. Beyond public advocacy, Ms. Li demonstrates her commitment through everyday acts of care, providing long-term support to an elderly neighbor in her building. Her dedication and perseverance have helped improve conditions for SRO families and reflect the power of grassroots leadership.