San Francisco Youth Commission
*Special Meeting*
Minutes
Monday, June 20, 2011
6:30-8:00pm
City Hall, Room 416
There will be public comment on each item.
1. Call to Order
Chair LaCroix called the meeting to order at 6:36pm.
Commissioners present: Zuckerman, Marshall-Fricker, Liang, Joyce, Sun, Hewitt, Perez, Fierro, Hirano, Beaulac, Nauer, Benezra, Herzstein, Kaminsky, Chan, Lin.
Commissioners absent: Yang.
Staff present: Yedidia, Covington (intern), Ruan (intern).
2. Approval of Agenda (Action Item)
Commissioner Marshall-Fricker, seconded by commissioner Kaminsky, moved to approve the meeting’s agenda. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.
3. Public Comment on Items not on Agenda (Discussion Only)
There was none.
4. Youth Commission Business – Housing for Transitional Age Youth (Discussion and Possible Action)
A. Hearing to consider the status of the City’s housing plan for Transitional Age Youth
Presenters: Rachel Antrobus, Transitional Age Youth Initiative—San Francisco; Anne Romero, Mayor’s Office of Housing
Documents A, B
Rachel Antrobus provided the Commission and the assembled members of the public with a PowerPoint presentation that provided some context for the City’s housing plan for Transitional Age Youth. She described the Youth Commission’s advocacy, in the mid 2000s, regarding the unmet needs of disconnected Transitional Aged Youth (TAY)—that is, 16-24 year olds who have been or are currently involved in public systems like foster care, public housing or mental health. This advocacy resulted in a Task Force convened by then Mayor Gavin Newsom, which produced 16 comprehensive recommendations to change the practices of City departments and community social service providers—changes which would improve the lives of these 5,000-8,000 young people. One of these recommendations concerned the severe lack of supportive housing for this population.
Then, Anne Romero, staff person at the Mayor’s Office of Housing, provided the Youth Commission with more detailed information regarding the City’s TAY Housing Plan. In 2008, after the Transitional Youth Task Force released its report, the Mayor’s Office of Housing responded by setting a goal of providing 400 new units of TAY housing by 2013; this was later pushed back two years to 2015.
Ms. Romero went on to explain that in 2009, the Mayor’s Office released a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), which would ultimately result in the City providing a few million dollars to agencies who proposed to build supportive TAY housing. The competitive application process to award this NOFA money favored projects in relatively safe neighborhoods; the NOFA process involved looking at crime data and other statistics regarding neighborhood safety. Currently, the Mayor’s Office of Housing is in the process of awarding funding to 3 projects under the TAY NOFA process: Edward II (at Scott and Lombard streets); Booker T Washington (at Presidio and Sutter streets); and the Aiardi residence. Other TAY projects that are in predevelopment include Phelan Loop and 6600 Third St. Ms. Romero explained that a total of 168 units (the goal being 400 by 2015) were currently in predevelopment. Ms. Romero concluded by noting that San Francisco is one of the only cities that has committed to identifying and providing targeted funding for supportive TAY housing.
Commissioners Benezra, Chan, and LaCroix asked clarifying questions of Ms. Antrobus and Ms. Romero.
B. Public Comment
The following people spoke in support of the City’s TAY Housing plan:
Marquita Jones: an emancipated former foster youth, said that when you’re a young person in foster care, you’re starting very far down in the world; she loves Larkin Street Youth Services, and supports building more supportive TAY units;
Michael O’Brian: he loves Larkin Street Youth Services, and spoke in support of building more supportive TAY units.
Konstantin Chuykov: he was at risk of being homeless, things are better now, he loves Larkin, waited 5 months for transitional housing from emergency housing units. He spoke in support of building more supportive TAY units.
John Chatman: argued that if the City built more housing, a lot of kids will be out of trouble; spoke in support of building more supportive TAY units.
Dominique Dismute: found housing through the Castro Youth Housing Initiative after being homeless and in shelters in San Francisco; she came to the city after being kicked out of her house and abused after her mother found out she was gay.
Dean Bonilla: found housing through the Castro Youth Housing Initiative.
Robin Bonner: an active young person in the Youth Works program, at the Exploratorium, and through various initiatives at the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families, spoke in support of building more supportive TAY units;
Gail Gilman: Executive Director of Community Housing Partnership (CHP), one of San Francisco’s most prominent providers of permanent supportive housing (the organization manages some 800 units); she spoke as a proud sponsor of the Edward II project.
Janae Robinson: a CHP employee, spoke in support of building more supportive TAY units
Joe Mathis: supports Citywide policy prioritizing housing for TAY.
Sherilyn Adams: Executive Director of Larkin Street Youth Services, spoke of her work on the Transitional Youth Task Force and the long Larkin waiting list for supportive housing—the demand for TAY supportive housing far outweighs the supply
Kathy Andersen: works with the Coalition on Homelessness, suggested that the Youth Commission’s resolution (item 4C on the evening’s meeting agenda), include a call for community oversight of the TAY housing process
Pat Scott: Executive Director of the Booker T. Washington Community Service Center, invited everyone to the Board of Supervisors’ hearing regarding that organization’s attempt to rebuild its community center and in the process construct 24 new units of supportive housing for TAY, set for tomorrow, Tuesday, June 21 at 4:00pm.
James Tracy: a community organizer and CHP employee, urged the Youth Commission to be vigilant, commenting that in the meetings to come regarding the pending you will hear lots of people trying to be reasonable—don’t listen!
Tobi Eastman: Chief of Programs at Larkin Street Youth Services, spoke to the details and diversity of the kind of programming known by the shorthand of “supportive housing”; Ms. Eastman and how housing is referred to youth (and which youth get it referred to them)
C. Resolution urging the Mayor and Board of Supervisors to prioritize providing more affordable housing for transitionally aged youth, particularly their support of the goal set forth by the Mayor’s Office of Housing of building 400 new units of low-income housing for this population by the year 2015. (2nd Reading)
Presenter and sponsor: Commissioner Benezra
Document C
By way of introduction, commissioner Benezra stated that the discussion that lead to the resolution currently before the Youth Commission (i.e., the resolution of which she way the author), came out of the work the Youth Commission was doing in support of TAY youth some 5 years ago. Commissioner Benezra then read the resolution into the public record.
Commissioner LaCroix asked to be added as a cosponsor.
Commissioner Kaminsky, seconded by Marshall-Fricker moved to adopt this resolution. This motion was approved unanimously by acclamation.
5. Announcements
Commissioner LaCroix announced that some members of the Youth Commission would attend the hearing on June 21, 2011 at the Board of Supervisors Legislative Chamber (room 250 of City Hall), to speak in support of TAY housing.
6. Adjournment
Chair LaCroix adjourned the meeting at 7:41pm.
Supplemental documents for agenda items are available for review at City Hall Room 345. Minutes are also available on the Youth Commission Website at www.sfgov.org/youth_commission.
ACCESSIBLE MEETING POLICY
The Youth Commission meeting will be held in City Hall Room 416. The formal address of City Hall is 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA. The closest accessible BART station is the Civic Center Station at the United Nations Plaza and Market Street. Accessible MUNI lines serving this location are: MUNI Metro Lines J-Church, K-Ingleside, L-Taraval, M-Oceanview, N-Judah, and T-Third Street at Van Ness and Civic Center Stations; 9-San Bruno, 19-Polk, 47-VanNess, and 71-Haight Noriega. For information about MUNI accessible services call 923-6142.
The Commission meeting room is wheelchair accessible. Accessible curbside parking spaces have been designated on the corners of McAllister and Polk, and Grove and Polk. There is accessible parking available within the Civic Center Underground Parking Garage at the corner of McAllister and Polk Streets, and within the Performing Arts Parking Garage at Grove and Franklin Streets.
If you require the use of an American sign language interpreter, a sound enhancement system, or a reader during the meeting, calendars and minutes of the meeting in alternative formats; such arrangements can be made by calling Mario Yedidia at (415) 554-6446, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting. Late requests will be honored if possible.
Individuals with severe allergies, environmental illness, multiple chemical sensitivity or related disabilities should call our accessibility hotline at (415) 554-8925 to discuss meeting accessibility. In order to assist the City’s efforts to accommodate such people, attendees at public meetings are reminded that other attendees may be sensitive to various chemical based products. Please help the City to accommodate these individuals.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE SUNSHINE ORDINANCE
(Chapter 67 of the San Francisco Administrative Code)
Government’s duty is to serve the public, reaching its decisions in full view of the public. Commissions, boards, councils and other agencies of the City and County exist to conduct the people’s business. This ordinance assures that deliberations are conducted before the people and that City operations are open to the people’s review.
For more information on your rights under the Sunshine Ordinance, or to report a violation of the ordinance, contact by mail: Administrator, Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, City Hall Room 224, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102; by phone at (415) 554-7724; by fax at (415) 554-7854; or by e-mail at sotf@sfgov.org.
Citizens interested in obtaining a free copy of the Sunshine Ordinance can request a copy from the Administrator, Sunshine Ordinance Task Force or by printing Chapter 67 of the San Francisco Administrative Code on the internet, at http://www.sfbos.org/index.aspx?page=4459.
The ringing of and use of cell phones, pagers, and similar sound-producing electronic devices are prohibited at this meeting. Please be advised that the Chair may order the removal from the meeting room of any person(s) responsible for the ringing or use of a cell phone, pager, or other similar sound-producing electronic device. (Admin. Code § 67A.1).
In order to assist the City’s efforts to accommodate persons with severe allergies, environmental illnesses, multiple chemical sensitivity or related disabilities, attendees at public meetings are reminded that other attendees may be sensitive to various chemical- based products. Please help the City accommodate these individuals.