Tenderloin Community Action Plan

In 2022, Mayor Breed’s approved $4 million for community-driven projects in the Tenderloin, an unprecedented dedication of resources resulting from years of community organizing. San Francisco Planning led a first-of-its-kind participatory budgeting process to program these funds with 1,400 residents and workers voting on community-sponsored proposals. The selected Community Action Projects aim to enhance public spaces, promote cultural events, support youth, and enhance wellness and access to essential needs in the Tenderloin. As of October 2023, Community Action Projects have either started services or will start popping up in the neighborhood this Fall 2023.  

The implementation of these projects is made possible by interagency and cross-sector collaboration that includes San Francisco Planning, Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, Office of Economic Workforce Development, Department of Public Health, Human Services Agency, United Way Bay Area, as well as community leaders and entrepreneurs in the Tenderloin.

A detailed timeline of project implementation and services can be found in the Timeline tab. A full detailed description of the participatory budgeting process including various steps of outreach and engagement is documented here. The results of the process were first announced in February 2023. A comprehensive brochure of the selected projects is also available here. 

As a community-driven effort, the TCAP has relied on a variety of outreach and engagement tools and approaches, ranging from most intensive engagement tools to empower community leadership and self-determination, targeted community collaboration on strategic priorities, community consultations and listening sessions; to less intensive outreach tools to inform the community on resources and initiatives. Below are some of the major themes of outreach and engagement as part of our work. 

TCAP Outreach – Aligned with TCAP’s mission to bring Tenderloin community's voice into action, a portion of the mayor allocated $4 million was a dedicated $300,000 for sustained community engagement that is community informed and driven. The Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC) was awarded the RFP for this opportunity. To maintain a diversity of voices in leading outreach and engagement in the Tenderloin, TNDC has brought on four community partner organizations including Glide, Chinatown Community Development Center, Tenderloin Community Benefit District, and St. Anthony's. Together the TCAP Outreach Partners will: 

• assist in developing a leadership framework, 
• provide additional community engagement and outreach 
• support the development of a community leadership framework. 

These partners may undertake various tasks based on their capacities, including hosting meetings and fostering leadership development.

TCAP Partners the Planning Department currently meet bi-weekly to inform progress on the Tenderloin Community Action Plan (TCAP). They are currently conducting a thorough analysis of existing organized groups within the Tenderloin to help develop a leadership framework for resident outreach. 

This effort is pursuing San Francisco Planning’s community stakeholder group discussions in the Fall of 2022. After the first few meetings of a Community Stakeholder Group (see Get Involved! tab), key stakeholders requested a re-thinking of its purpose and goals. The goals and structure of the Community Stakeholder Group (CSG) were grounded in an initial framework developed in Fall 2022. As a result of feedback on the CSG through several community discussions, San Francisco Planning developed a new, draft framework for a reconstitution of the CSG early in 2023. 

Community voice landscape – Our team participates in many community-led meetings and events to continuously maintain the pulse of needs and issues in the neighborhood. These conversations helped shape the four strategic priorities and will continue to help identify areas where the community needs further interventions.  

Participatory engagement – The TCAP implemented a community-driven participatory budgeting process in Fall 2022 to inform programing the $4 million of Tenderloin funds. This first of its kind process relied on community sponsored and designed projects, and community votes to select projects to be implemented in the neighborhood. A full detailed description of the participatory budgeting process including various steps of outreach and engagement is documented here. 

Focus Groups – Our team formed and hosted focus groups conversations for two strategic priorities of small business support and youth services. The unique expertise or lived experience needed to shape the recommendations under these two priorities required bringing together a diverse set of stakeholders and community members under each of these topics. For a more detailed description of these focus groups please see the Strategic Priorities Tab.  

Work Groups – TCAP Public Space Working Group was formed for the Open Space Activation strategic priority. 16 participants, including 2 youths, were selected from the Tenderloin with diverse lived experience and expertise. For more information about the work of the working group please see the Strategic Priorities Tab.  

Open House – The Fall 2023 Update community event is the inaugural lunch of our broader report back to the community. The open house forum will provide a detailed update of our work, along with interactive information boards where community members can provide input on our progress. Stay informed about our next community open house by subscribing to our newsletter.

Years of engagement and outreach within the Tenderloin toward the development of the Tenderloin Community Action Plan enabled clear communication about community priorities for actions and investments in the neighborhood. These priorities have been distilled into four main strategic priorities: small business support, youth investments, public space and pedestrian improvements, and housing.

Small business

This priority reflects the community’s voting results during the Tenderloin participatory budgeting process, as part of the Tenderloin Community Action Plan, to build upon the diversity of the community and increase resources for small businesses.

In collaboration with Office of Economic And workforce Development, in the short term, this work aims to program $380,000 voted by Tenderloin community during the participatory budgeting process. Since summer 2023, Planning and OEWD staff have been collaborating with various community partners*. Through a series of constructive conversations and workshops, staff sought valuable guidance on shaping the City's resources towards making a positive impact in the Tenderloin community. Staff also engaged with business owners directly by participating in an event organized by Tenderloin Business Coalition, and by interviewing Vietnamese and Cantonese-speaking business owners with the support of SEACC, to ensure that our work addresses the concerns of business owners from diverse cultural backgrounds. Building upon the community voice, the stakeholder group asked for a focused investment for a more significant collective impact, and identified Larkin Street as a corridor that needs this focused investment to once again serve as a vibrant corridor for the TL.

In collaboration with OEWD and New Community Leadership Foundation (NCLF), and other community partners, SF Planning rolled out the first small business support grant – TL Business Training Grant. Seven businesses on Larkin Street were selected to receive specialized business training and individual grants of $15,000 each, totaling $105,000 in support. These businesses include Saigon Sandwich, Pho 2000, Golden Kim Tar Restaurant, Golden Lotus, J & D Hair Studio, Quong Hoa Duong Ginseng Co, and Allstar Donuts and Burgers. They represent a range of diverse services including restaurants, personal services, and an herbal store.

In tandem with the business training grant initiative mentioned above, SF Planning is collaborating with OEWD to craft two other TL specific programs to improve existing storefronts and fill vacancies along Larkin Street, with both grant programs slated for launch in the fall.

These grant programs underscore our commitment to building community capacity to support small businesses within the Tenderloin, especially on Larkin Street corridor. They complement several projects funded by OEWD and SF Planning on Larkin Street. These include: 

• Improve public space to create an inviting and welcoming environment for residents and visitors. 
• Activate public space including alley and streets by offering music and cultural experiences to residents and visitors.

SF Planning and OEWD are also engaging in conversations within the city and community stakeholders to seek further support and resources for Larkin Revitalization and have written a Draft of the Larkin Street Revitalization Strategy. Stay tuned for more updates on these initiatives.

Small Business Support Stakeholders that SF Planning has been collaborating include Tenderloin Community Benefit District, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation, South-east Asian Community Center, New Community Leadership Foundation, Tenderloin Merchant Association, Arab Grocers Association.

More detailed information of our work in this area can be found here.

Youth investments

The Tenderloin has one of the highest concentrations of children and youth in San Francisco, especially from immigrant families. The open-air drug market and use on the streets of the Tenderloin leave youth more vulnerable and exposed to the drug scene at the margins. In conversations with youth providers and experts, we have learned that investing in youth, and especially disconnected youth, in the Tenderloin may require elevating certain priorities.

The Department of Children, Youth, and their families (DCYF) launched a request for proposals for the 2024-2029 five-year funding cycle for children, youth, transitional age youth (TAY) and their families in August of 2023, which identified an opportunity for TCAP to elevate certain youth needs.

In a partnership with DCYF, our team conducted a neighborhood-specific analysis of gaps and priorities for youth investments. In addition to DCYF’s Community Needs Assessment, these results informed DCYF in decision-making for program grants awarded to serve Tenderloin children, youth, TAY, and their families. Ahead of DCYF’s decisions, this analysis elevates the voices of Tenderloin youths and their families, especially those from immigrant households, and ensure their direct input help shape investment decisions that affect their lives and well-being.

In April 2024, the Department of Children, Youth and their Families (DCYF), released their Request for Proposals (RFP) recipients for their 2024 2029 budget cycle, which includes over $460 million in new grant funding to support children, youth and their families in San Francisco. 

These efforts helped identify the following 6 key challenges for Tenderloin Youth. Each of these challenges informed a recommendation for DCYF.

The TCAP team will continue to engage with youth service providers and the community to elevate youth needs and identify collaborative approaches to addressing any gaps in services.

The Tenderloin Youth Services Analysis can be found here.

Public Space Improvements and Activation

TCAP has made a Public Announcement on the launch of the Tenderloin Public Space Initiative Working Group! 

The application for this working group received an impressive pool of 31 applicants. The selection process aimed to assemble a cohort with a wide range of perspectives and life experiences, enriched by passion and interest in Public Space. TCAP sought candidates from various racial, ethnic, and LGBTQ+ backgrounds, as well as spanning different age groups and educational and professional backgrounds. Additionally, it was important to ensure representation from individuals less commonly engaged in other TCAP-related initiatives as a means of building capacity and bringing additional voices to the table. As a part of the selection process, we targeted specific groups within the community, including youth, seniors, frequent public space users, artists, cultural leaders, street ambassadors, people with disabilities and those engaged with unhoused communities.   
The TCAP Public Space Working Group had their first meeting on May 30, 2024. This pilot working group is comprised of 16 participants, including 2 youths, and will focus on the following, 

• A revitalization of the neighborhood alleys – Transform alleys into open space and recreational opportunities. 
• The design of neighborhood gateways – to mark and celebrate the identity and strengths of the Tenderloin.
• Placemaking on commercial corridors and public safety hot spots – to support Tenderloin residents and local businesses. 
• Activation of underutilized lots for recreation – to increase open space and recreational access.

These efforts will focus on a placemaking approach which could be a powerful complement to enforcement and health services interventions by creating positive experiences, deterring drug dealing, and use on the sidewalks, and improving public safety, and quality of life. We aim to coordinate placemaking interventions with increased public safety enforcement from various agencies, as a neighborhood recovery strategy. In this way, we could replace drug related activities with positive neighborhood serving events and improvements. 

More detailed information of our work in this area can be found here.

Housing

Building on the Housing Element process and Home by the Bay Plan, the Tenderloin team identified community priorities from past outreach events, the Tenderloin Community Survey, and through conversations with community organizations and housing providers. These priorities are:

1. Improve and maintain conditions of existing deeply affordable housing assets. The existing stock of deeply affordable units is at varying degrees of quality. Poor unit quality is one reason unhoused individuals reject housing offers or eventually exit their housing units back to homelessness.
2. Protect vulnerable residents at most risk of homelessness. There is a high concentration of vulnerable residents, such as seniors, youth, individuals living with disabilities, and families with children, living in the Tenderloin. Tenderloin residents are the lowest wage earners in comparison to other San Francisco residents, therefore have a higher likelihood of facing eviction and require more protections and subsidies to stabilize them.
3. Preserve affordability of existing assets through acquisition. Tenderloin’s housing stock consists of SROs and multifamily buildings that have lower price points compared to the rest of the city. The City’s acquisition strategy, including State investments such as Project Homekey, has intended to distribute these assets throughout the city and avoid concentrating these resources further in the Tenderloin. Tenderloin also is home to many SRO units in master leased properties in state of disrepair due to the ownership and operations structure.
4. Expand on-site case management services, especially behavioral health and substance use. A large portion of PSH and SRO residents struggle with mental health issues and increasingly substance use disorders. Formerly unhoused individuals also require intensive care to be able to live indoors. The ratios of service providers to residents are currently low at many of these units which results in many incidents, damages, and challenges in the PSH buildings.
5. Improve access to affordable housing suitable for families with children and Transitional Aged Youth. The Tenderloin's diverse population is uniquely comprised of special populations, which include families with children and Transitional Aged Youth, populations that are generally ignored when building housing.
6. Reduce vacancies in existing permanent supportive housing addressing vacancies in supportive housing. High vacancy rates in PSH have been a highly discussed multi-faceted issue. Poor unit conditions are one of the main reasons for high vacancy as discussed under Priority 1. Other factors include long processing delays from the Coordinated Entry System as well as high staff turnover. Street conditions also play a major role in high vacancies.

More detailed information of our work in this area can be found here. 

Street Conditions

The City provides various street outreach and response efforts throughout the City, with some efforts specific to the Tenderloin.

The Joint Field Operations (JFO) is a multi-departmental effort to improve street conditions in the Tenderloin. The JFO began in January of 2022 in response to the Tenderloin Emergency Initiative. At the time, the JFO was intended to be a short-term approach to supporting individuals experiencing homelessness or struggling with substance use disorders to access resources and treatment and the Tenderloin Center (TLC). Upon the closure of the TLC, the JFO became an ongoing approach to service-linkage with a continuing component of street cleaning. The JFO functions seven days per week from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and is staffed by many city departments including the San Francisco Fire Department, SF Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, Department of Public Health, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, San Francisco Public Works, San Francisco Police Department, and the Department of Emergency Management.

You can learn more about the geography of JFO activity and view the monthly calendar listed below.

For more information on San Francisco’s array of street response efforts and what to do when you observe someone in distress on the street, please go to the city’s Okay to call/ SF Coordinated Street Response Program website.

In March 2023, the Department of Public Health launched a reconfigured neighborhood-based street response team called Bridge Engagement Services Team (BEST) Neighborhoods. The team provides trauma-informed behavioral health assessment, engagement, and community-based therapeutic interventions 7 days a week, with a focus on clients who are unhoused, diagnosed with serious mental illness and/or substance use disorder, and who are disconnected from the health care system. BEST Neighborhoods currently has two teams working primarily in the Tenderloin, SoMa, Mission, Castro, and Haight Ashbury areas.

San Francisco Planning’s Tenderloin team is committed to serving as a stronger conduit to elevate community priorities in addressing the street conditions in the neighborhood.

Community planning has the best outcomes when people with a broad range of perspectives and experiences contribute to the conversation. 

The Tenderloin team will be working with community partners to host community conversations to engage Tenderloin residents and neighborhood groups in ongoing initiatives.  

To receive the Tenderloin Team newsletter, please sign up for email delivery. Past Newsletters can be found below:

• June 2023 Newsletter