Acting Mayor London Breed honors Dr. King and reports progress in supporting homeless and immigrant San Franciscans

Martin-Luther-King-says-LAPD-Chief-Wm.-H.-Parker-shd-resign-after-65-Watts-Rebellion-as-Mayor-Sam-Yorty-covers-face-press-conf-LA-City-Hall-081965-by-Larry-Sharkey-LA-Times-300x213, Acting Mayor London Breed honors Dr. King and reports progress in supporting homeless and immigrant San Franciscans, Local News & Views
Dr. King comes to California: At a press conference in Los Angeles City Hall on Aug. 19, 1965, only three days after the Watts Rebellion, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called for the resignation of LAPD Chief William H. Parker as Mayor Sam Yorty hides his face in his hand. – Photo: Larry Sharkey, LA Times

San Francisco – Acting Mayor London Breed, San Francisco’s first Black woman mayor, issued the following statement on Jan. 15, the birthday and federal holiday of Martin Luther King Jr.:

“Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a time for solemn reflection and commemoration of the life and legacy of one of our country’s most distinguished leaders. It is a time for us to remember and think critically about the values he stood for: social and racial justice, service and equality.

“Although a half-century has passed since he left us, his pursuit of a more equitable, inclusive and compassionate America is as urgent as ever.

“These are difficult times for our immigrants, our communities of color and our disenfranchised residents. The President spent his first year in office attacking the civil rights of our residents, pursuing discriminatory policies and refusing to condemn the racist rhetoric and actions of extremist hate groups.

“Dr. King spent his life devoted to opposing such intolerance and hatred, we honor him not only today, but continue to honor his memory by speaking out against bigotry and hatred. He once said that ‘our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.’

“San Francisco will not be silent. We will not be deterred by the hate coming from Washington, D.C. We will not back down against threats to our values. We will not forget the message of hope celebrated each year on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We will continue to be a city that celebrates love, compassion and empathy for everyone – the same ideals championed by Dr. King.”

“Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a time for solemn reflection and commemoration of the life and legacy of one of our country’s most distinguished leaders. It is a time for us to remember and think critically about the values he stood for: social and racial justice, service and equality.”

Acting Mayor Breed and the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing announce $41.4 million in federal grants to address homelessness, a 29 percent increase from last year’s total

Acting Mayor London Breed and the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing today announced the City will receive $41.4 million in federal grants to support homelessness initiatives in San Francisco.

“Across our nation, cities are struggling with the crisis of homelessness,” said acting Mayor Breed. “If we are to solve this complex issue, we can’t do it alone. We need a sustained commitment from all levels of government. This federal funding will help us expand on solutions proven to be effective, such as creating more permanent supportive housing units and strengthening our rapid rehousing programs.”

The funding is being awarded as part of the Continuum of Care (CoC) program supported by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The $41.4 million allocated to San Francisco represents a 29 percent increase from last year’s $32.2 million total.

“Across our nation, cities are struggling with the crisis of homelessness,” said acting Mayor Breed. “If we are to solve this complex issue, we can’t do it alone. We need a sustained commitment from all levels of government.”

“HUD’s Continuum of Care funding provides vital resources to a wide range of programs and projects that are effective in the fight to end homelessness in our community,” said Jeff Kositsky, director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. “This year’s record funding level recognizes the great work that our city and nonprofit partners are engaged in and a welcome investment in our work to make significant and sustained reductions in homelessness over the next five years.”

Acting-Mayor-London-Breed-announces-mayoral-candidacy-010518-by-KTVU-300x169, Acting Mayor London Breed honors Dr. King and reports progress in supporting homeless and immigrant San Franciscans, Local News & Views
On Jan. 5, announcing her candidacy for mayor in the June special election, acting Mayor London Breed tweeted: “I’m proud to announce I am running for Mayor to lead the City I was born + raised in. I’m not a partisan. I’m not an ideologue. I believe in a San Francisco where we succeed as one. Together there is no problem we can’t solve.”

The HUD Continuum of Care grant will support 57 initiatives in San Francisco, with the funds primarily going toward permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing efforts. The grant will support three expansion projects in San Francisco, funding a total of 31 new permanent supportive housing units to sites in the Tenderloin, SoMa District and Mission Bay neighborhoods.

Additionally, one transitional housing project will be funded, along with the city’s Coordinated Entry efforts and three Homeless Management Information System projects. The award also includes a non-renewable $944,592 planning grant.

This year’s CoC funding is the highest amount San Francisco has ever received. The city has seen a 105 percent increase in HUD CoC funding since 2011, when San Francisco received $20.1 million in grant funds.

“I would like to recognize the hard work of the City for its creative projects to address the plight of those San Francisco residents who endure the worst of times on our streets and in our shelters,” said Del Seymour, co-chair of the Local Homeless Coordinating Board. “The recent increase in our CoC funding is a testament to the caliber of work that our local service providers play in this effort to provide superior management of the needy.”

The CoC program is designed to promote communitywide commitment to ending homelessness by providing funding for efforts by nonprofit providers and state and local governments to quickly rehouse individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

“HUD is committed to ending homelessness in California,” said Regional Administrator Jimmy Stracner. “On this issue, partnership trumps partisanship. Homelessness is a national problem with local solutions and HUD is partnering to fund 57 housing and services programs in San Francisco. These interventions are critical to getting to results on an issue that affects any and every community.”

Acting Mayor Breed and community groups celebrate opening of new family resource center for immigrant communities, El Centro Bayview

Acting Mayor London Breed, advocacy groups and community members recently celebrated the opening of El Centro Bayview Family Resource Center, a new facility that will assist local residents and Latino and immigrant families.

“While the federal government launches an unprecedented assault against our immigrant communities, we will stand strong and support our residents in San Francisco,” said acting Mayor Breed. “El Centro Bayview will provide critical services for families in the Bayview while acting as a reminder that we stand by our most vulnerable communities during these difficult times.”

Office-of-the-Mayor-w-San-Francisco-seal, Acting Mayor London Breed honors Dr. King and reports progress in supporting homeless and immigrant San Franciscans, Local News & Views
For the first time, the San Francisco Mayor’s Office belongs to a young Black woman, London Breed. Blacks and women and San Franciscans of all stripes are pressing to keep her there.

El Centro Bayview was opened with the help of $1 million in funding support from the city, including $500,000 in this year’s budget and an additional $500,000 in next year’s budget. The funding was awarded after a Request for Proposals (RFP) process and followed collaborative consultation with the San Francisco Latino Parity and Equity Coalition (SFLPEC), an organization that makes city policy recommendations to better address the needs of the low-income Latino community.

“El Centro Bayview will provide critical, dynamic support to local families in need,” said Supervisor Malia Cohen. “I worked with the Latino Parity and Equity Coalition to secure money for this during last year’s budget process and I’m honored to host this in District 10.”

The new center, located at 1341 Evans Ave., will feature workshops and classes for Bayview parents, including instructional courses related to nutrition, health, family economic success and youth development. It will also provide case management and advocacy services and host community events. Additionally, the center will deliver referrals to other support services and offer volunteer and leadership opportunities through its Parent Advisory Council.

The center will be managed and operated by three nonprofit organizations that specialize in supportive services for Latino families: Mission Neighborhood Centers, Good Samaritan Family Resource Center and the Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA).

“While the federal government launches an unprecedented assault against our immigrant communities, we will stand strong and support our residents in San Francisco,” said acting Mayor Breed.

“Gentrification has severely affected our Latino working and poor families, adding additional economic stressors to our displaced families,” said Santiago Ruiz, executive director of Mission Neighborhood Centers. “Our San Francisco Latino Parity and Equity Coalition, in an effort to mitigate these disparities is partnering with the city government to prioritize safety net support services in the five San Francisco neighborhoods, which as a direct result of displacement now have a high concentration of Latino residents, with Bayview now at 24 percent. The advocacy from the SFLPEC funded the creation of El Centro Bayview, a partnership among Mission Neighborhood Centers, MEDA and Good Samaritan Family Resource Center.”

El Centro Bayview is one of 26 Family Resource Centers (FRCs) operating in San Francisco. The FRC initiative, founded in 2009, is a collaborative effort between City agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide family services based on unique community needs.

Acting Mayor London Breed can be reached at City Hall, Room 200, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102, 415-554-6141 or London.Breed@sfgov.org.