HOPE SF
 (What HOPE SF IS SUPPOSED TO BE)
Vision Statement:
Rebuild our most distressed public housing sites, while increasing affordable housing and ownership opportunities, and improving the quality of life for existing residents and the surrounding communities.

HOPE SF Principles:
1.    Ensure no loss of public housing – One for one replacement of public housing units; Make every unit modern and of high quality; Commit to minimize displacement of existing residents; Phase the rebuilding of the sites; Emphasize on-site relocation
2.    Create an economically integrated community – Build a housing ladder that includes public housing, affordable housing, and market rate housing; Emphasis on the priority needs of family housing
3.    Maximize the creation of new affordable housing – in addition to one for one replacement of public housing, create as much affordable rental and ownership housing as possible on the sites; fund the rebuilding of the public housing using profits from the market-rate housing
4.    Involve residents in the highest levels of participation in entire project – Resident engagement in planning and implementation; Develop mechanisms for residents to engage in the process; Resident-driven occupancy criteria
5.    Provide economic opportunities through the rebuilding process – Connect appropriate job training and service strategies such as City Build and Communities of Opportunity to the development process; Create viable employment opportunities (jobs) for existing residents through the development process; Take advantage of contracting opportunities, existing residents, local entrepreneurs, small and disadvantage businesses
6.    Integrate process with neighborhood improvement plans – school improvement and reform, park improvements, improved transportation, enhanced public safety, neighborhood economic development
7.    Create environmentally sustainable and accessible communities – incorporate green building principles, include design elements that meet long-term accessibility needs
8.    Build a strong sense of community – solicit input from entire community in planning and development process; Include current and prospective residents; Reach out to and engage neighbors

Additional:
•    All the public housing will be built on-site
•    Rebuilding would occur in phases so that relocation could occur on-site
•    Market rate housing would cross subsidize the rebuilding of the public housing
•    The redevelopments would be rebuilt to 40 units per acre or more depending on the density of the surrounding neighborhood
•    The final mix of housing on the sites would be approximately 40% public housing, 40% Market rate and 20% affordable rental and ownership housing

Next Steps:
1.    Expand the outreach and education process with public housing residents and other stakeholders – include resident involvement and inform the public of plans
2.    Seek $100 to $200 million in new local funding for an aggressive first phase of HOPE SF – 2/3 of funding should go to rebuilding public housing (900-2000 units), 1/3 should fund modernization of other public housing sites (300-500 units) and new affordable homeownership and rental housing on the HOPE SF site (200-400 units); HOPE SF should fund sites with resident-endorsed development plans; Ensure future funding for HOPE SF sites
3.    Secure funding for services, outreach, job training, and school improvement independently of individual project financing


Due to the continued decrease in funding resulting in the poor conditions of San Francisco’s public housing, Mayor Gavin Newsom, along with Supervisor Maxwell created a task force to look into the deteriorating conditions in the city’s 6,400 units of public housing.  HOPE SF is San Francisco’s response to the current conditions of its public housing and the counter response to the reduction of federal funding for public housing.  HOPE SF is set in place with the goal to not lose any of the public housing units/buildings in the city.  

The funding needed versus what is given to San Francisco for the physical needs of public housing is severely lopsided in a negative way.  The lack of funding is placing the cities lowest income earners at risk of safety and health.  High concentrations of poverty prove to limit the growth of the community in regards to education and employment opportunities.  SFHA has stated that they have an obligation to not only improve the conditions experiencing in public housing but also to create a climate that provides economic opportunity and more supportive family environments.  

San Francisco’s response has been the leveraged use the funding from the HOPE VI program and additional local resources to rebuild 2,500 distressed units and add 3,500 new market rate and affordable homes.  San Francisco has formed partnerships with private and non-profit developers to revitalize six public housing projects throughout the city.  The newly designed buildings are built to blend into the surrounding neighborhood and include mixed income residents to deter the concentration of poverty.