Dear Friends:

It’s been a busy Spring here at TNDC, and I’d like to take a moment to give you an inside look at some recent happenings.

The Big Two Six

We marked our 26th year of working to improve the lives of people in the Tenderloin with our annual shindig at the Hilton Hotel, attended by over 600 people. We celebrated not only the improvements in the neighborhood that have impacted so many San Franciscans, but also the work of Reverend Glenda Hope, an inspiring leader in the Tenderloin for over 30 years.

Mission Critical 2008-2012

Our work over the past five of those years has been guided by our 2003-2007 Strategic Plan. Now, we’re developing the vision, goals and specific strategies that will provide a framework for the next five years. It begins with a focus on five “critical issues” that emerged in discussions and interviews with key stakeholders:

Whom should we house? Today, more than 80% of TNDC’s residents live on low, fixed incomes, nearly 30% are seniors, and almost half have special needs. Given our current pipeline, 25% of our portfolio will be targeted to homeless people by 2012. What directions lie ahead?

What is our vision of the Tenderloin’s future and TNDC’s role in achieving it? When TNDC launched in 1981, gentrification was the chief threat to the Tenderloin. Have public safety concerns eclipsed it in importance? Given that both are important, how can the two be integrated to create a healthy neighborhood that remains affordable for the City’s most vulnerable residents?

What should be the magnitude and nature of our future growth? Because it takes five years to develop an affordable housing project, we already have a clear picture of our portfolio in 2012. Therefore, the strategy we adopt now will shape TNDC in the next five years, and beyond. Should we stop? Or expand beyond the TL?

What infrastructure will we need in order to accomplish our goals? TNDC grew from 100 to 230 employees from 2001-2006; we can envision approaching 300 in the next six years. No strategy will be viable if we can’t develop the systems and infrastructure to keep up with our growth.

How can TNDC finance and sustain itself over the long haul? No money, no mission. We can’t achieve any of our goals if we can’t pay for them. And while we are committed to growth, we are even more committed to preserving the buildings and programs we have already built and developed.

Development Updates

While we are continually looking at the big picture, we also have our noses to the grindstone, developing projects in real time. Here I would like to highlight our growing list of joint ventures. With Community Housing Partnership, we’re developing projects of 83 and 40 homeless units for seniors and families at 650 Eddy Street and 850 Broderick Street. Within a year, we will begin construction of 56 units for homeless individuals at 149 Mason Street with our partner Glide Economic Development Corporation. And design work has just begun with Citizens Housing Corporation for a major family housing project (stay tuned for more details!) at the corner of 10th and Mission Streets.

The Human Factor

Nearly 20 social workers, along with some 150 on-site property management staff, perform the critical, day-to-day work of operating TNDC’s buildings and meeting the needs of our residents. These dedicated staff members counsel people in need, maintain properties, keep residents housed, and organize events to build community. Quietly and relentlessly, they deliver on the promise of TNDC’s mission. Here’s one small example: did you know that the San Francisco Food Bank drops groceries every week at 11 different TNDC buildings?

Also without fanfare, the Tenderloin After School Program is “the Center” for 50-75 kids each day. Among many daily activities, they are about to begin their annual College Tour. This year, 15 high school kids will spend a week in Chicago, where many will travel out of state for the first time and be exposed to new opportunities and futures.

News and Notes

The Board bade fond farewells after six years of service to Chief Legal Officer Ken Odell and tenant member John Burkitt and welcomed John Hamilton and Hydeh Ghaffari. John is an affordable housing financial analyst and Hydeh a CPA who operates her own firm.

Finally, our nascent community organizing program celebrated two major achievements in its first few months of operation. First, it led the transformation of the blighted parking lot adjacent to TNDC’s West Hotel into a place where people can park safely. And the community’s commitment to elevate safety in the Tenderloin in the City’s political consciousness bore fruit with a widely-covered march of 300 people to the May 8th Board of Supervisors meeting.

None of this would be possible without the support of you and many, many others. We thank you sincerely for investing in making the Tenderloin a better place for everyone.

Sincerely,

Donald S. Falk
Executive Director