the 94110

an urban studies project

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San Francisco Department of Human Services

170 Otis St, San Francisco, CA 94103

To contact the SF Department of Human Services go to: http://www.sfhsa.org/466.htm

Their entire website can be viewed in English, Cantonese and Spanish.

The San Francisco Department of Human Services is a government run and funded center. While it’s technically part in the zip code 94103, and is three blocks north of our zip code, The SF Department of Human Services is the largest and most well funded human services institution in both 94110 and 94103 so it’s essential to include.

The SF Department of Human Services is part of the larger “Human Services Agency”

A look at the leaders and structure of the HSA and Department of Human Services

According to their website:

“HSA is a department of the City and County of San Francisco and the central resource for public assistance in the city. Our mission is to promote well-being and self-sufficiency among individuals, families and communities in San Francisco. HSA was formed in 2004 with the merger of two previously existing city departments, the Department of Human Services and the Department of Aging and Adult Services. The agency retains two commissions and two department heads.”

What does the Department of Human Services help with?

Food Assistance:

Restaurant Meals Program “If you are elderly, disabled, or homeless, you can use your CalFresh EBT card to purchase prepared food from restaurants registered with the CalFresh Restaurant Meals Program.”

Meals for Seniors “This new program for adults 60 or older and their spouse/partners regardless of age, provides healthy and nutritious meals at a designated restaurant.”

Calfresh “CalFresh is a benefit that helps low-income people and families buy food. CalFresh is a federally mandated, state-supervised, and county-operated government program designed to eliminate hunger in the United States.”

Financial Assistance: “If you are an unemployed, underemployed or disabled San Franciscan, there are a variety of cash aid assistance programs that can help you. Which program you qualify for depends on whether you are single or have children living with you, if you are able to work or are disabled, and your citizenship status.”

Housing and Homeless Services:

Eviction Prevention Services ”We provide eviction prevention services that include funds to pay back rent to prevent eviction, one-time rental assistance, security deposit funds to move into permanent housing, legal services, counseling, and other support services.”

Emergency Housing Services

Project Homeless Connect “Project Homeless Connect can connect you with many free services and programs all in the same day.”

Health Care Coverage: “Medi-Cal is a public health insurance program that offers eligible individuals and families access to free or low-cost health care coverage.”

Family and Children Services:

Support for families

Support for children and emancipated youth

Employment and Job Training: “HSA is responsible for providing employment services for San Francisco's public assistance recipients, as well as offering services to the general public through its Career Link Centers. HSA collaborates with many local community agencies to provide specific vocational services, as well as with the City's Office of Economic and Workforce Development.”

One thing the Human Services Agency does that many non-government agencies do is publish its findings in studies, logs of the work it has done, and many other important documents.

Some of its most interesting publications:

A publication about income inequality in San Francisco. This publication compares San Francisco to other cities, and looks at how the difference between 1990, 2000 and 2012. It finds that San Francisco has the highest proportion of very wealthy persons (people with over 30 million dollars) of any other large city along with many other interesting statistics.

A publication on the changing of neighborhoods in San Francisco. This publication looks deeply at the change going on in San Francisco within neighborhoods. It analyzes the racial shifts, age shifts, wealth shifts, and much more from 1990 to 2000 to 2012. This publication also specifically highlights the changes going on in the Mission and has a wealth of statistics regarding the economic/class shift happening in the Mission.

A count of homeless in each neighborhood over the years. This publication looks at how homelessness has increased in specific neighborhoods much more than it has in others. It gives a very good picture of what the different parts of the Mission look like regarding homelessness.

(source) A public housing report. This report looks at how public housing is used in San Francisco, and specifically within each area. While this publication doesn’t talk about 94110 specifically, it reports on the larger area surrounding the Mission. It also gives a very helpful look at who is using public housing, and analyzes the age, race, class, and gender of the people living in public housing.

There are far more helpful publications which can be found here, but these were the most applicable to the Mission.

The San Francisco Department of Human Services is the fix-all human services agency in San Francisco. Its focus is on ensuring all people can live comfortable lives, and it focuses on people of less wealthy classes, providing things like free meals and food stamps. Its location directly above 94110 gives us a picture about the people who most need these services.

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Anecdote:

by Michelle Soledad

Having been through the Mission a couple times, what struck me the most has been the graffiti art and the strong presence of the desire for social and political change in the neighborhood. I remember the first time I walked through Clarion Alley and seeing strong, beautiful and unique images that represent the Mission’s essence of authenticity and individuality. Especially after listening to Paul Flores’ performance after Carnaval and learning about the roots of flamenco dance and music from Danica Sena and Sr. A, it’s clear how visual art and music have been crucial elements in strengthening and preserving the voice of the Latino heritage and community within the Mission. Despite the current issues of gentrification, people in the Mission have found a way to make their opinions heard and to build a stable support system in which people of color are able to empower themselves and others, creating an ally-ship that not only promotes unity among the population but also furthers the value of interconnection.

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Dolores Park

One of the Mission’s and San Francisco’s most known green spaces is Mission Dolores Park. Nearly taking up 16 acres, many people consider Dolores Park to be the heart of the culturally vibrant and diverse neighborhood. Through providing a huge open space for people to relax and soak in the sun as well as get some exercise at the tennis and basketball courts, Dolores Park serves a gateway to the sense of community and a lighthearted experience perfect for a sunny Sunday afternoon.

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About the Supervisor: David Campos

David Campos (district 9 supervisor) immigrated to the United States from Guatemala at a very young age. He studied Stanford University and Harvard Law School, and chose to work in the public sector out of a feeling of obligation to give back for all that he had received while living in the states. As a politician he describes himself as having a progressive outlook and seeking out creative solutions to difficult problems. 

We were unable to reach Mr. Campos due to a high volume of emails he is currently receiving, but were able to learn a lot about his role as supervisor and his stance on the issues he believes are salient to the Mission and San Francisco as a whole. Here is a summary of information we found in these videos (video 1, video 2, video 3):

Key Issues:

Budget and Economy

Sees a city’s budget as a reflection of their priorities

in an interview (vid. 3) with the supervisor, he emphasized the significance of “best practices” when it comes to all areas of government, but especially city budget

Campos reiterated the importance of many organizations working together to create change, and said that he sees it necessary for the government to work with both businesses and community groups to spur economic development

Public Safety

Campos seemed to be both very concerned with public safety in his district (this video was from 2011 when violent crime rates were still at a record high), and very aware of the fine balance between safety and overuse of law enforcement

Campos served on the police commission before becoming a supervisor

He believes that the police and the community must work together and foster a positive relationship with each other to create mutual feelings of safety

Public Transportation

This seemed to be an area that he was particularly active in

Campos believes that a city is defined (for better or for worse) by the quality of their public transportation, and sees lots of room for improvement

Wants to make public transportation accessible to more people at a more reasonable cost

Campos helped restore 50% of funding cuts that had been made to Muni in 2010

Wants to monitor Muni’s Management through auditing to ensure that it is working for the community effectively

Campos and Social Justice

In a video of a Cesar Chavez Day celebration in 2014 (vid. 2), David Campos demonstrates his active involvement in the Mission’s Latino community through his words of support and encouragement. He praises Chavez’s peaceful social justice work and urges others in the community to fight for change in a similar fashion. Notably, Campos also recognizes the contributions of Latina women in the struggle for equality. As the district supervisor, I expected him to be aware and knowledgeable about the issues in the neighborhood, but in the few videos we found of him speaking it became clear that he was incredibly in touch with the community. In what some could call a sermon (of sorts), he preached to the community that “there is a housing crisis. People are being evicted out of the mission. We have almost a 300% increase in Ellis Act evictions. What we’re fighting for is the soul of the city. Who gets to live in San Francisco?... We want [historic residents, activists, leaders] to stay in the Mission because they built the Mission”. Campos’ progressive and unapologetic stance on the gentrification in the Mission is clearly refreshing to his audiences. When he asked the crowd “are we a city that works for low income people, for working people, for middle-income people? Or are we a city that only works for the rich?” a nearby audience member could be heard shouting “HELL NO!”. It is clear to me - and as it seems much of the community in the Mission - that David Campos wholeheartedly believes that “The city of St. Francis is a city that belongs to all of us. It’s not a city that’s for sale. It’s a city that respects the dignity, the diversity, that has been a part of our community for so long” and is willing to put up a fight towards anyone who challenges that goal. 

As a generally pessimistic person towards national politics, and someone who knows very little about city government, it was incredibly refreshing to see a politician who, not only ethnically and ideologically represented the people in his region, but seemed to genuinely care about the community and its well-being.

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The Mission District in the Media

Words used to describe the Mission:

Run-down

Dangerous

Colorful

Having vitality unlike San Francisco’s old-money neighborhoods

Where real people live and real families do their thing

Edgy

Authentic

Vibrant

Unique

Hipster

The words on this list evoke both very negative and very positive sentiments about the Mission. I also think it is important to note what areas of this neighborhood they are describing. While Mission street itself is described and seen as dirty and dangerous (especially at night), only one block to the west, Valencia street is praised for its uniquely edgy climate and (ironically) authentic cuisine. Other articles noted that the Mission was home to multiple other racial/ethnic groups (Italian, Irish, and Chinese before South/Central American).

The Mission has also become known for artistic cultural flavor and vibrant youth culture. Described as “New Bohemian,” the “new Mission” has created a Space for social empowerment, ownership of art, and preservation of cultural heritage for those who have recently arrived.

Real Estate

Real Estate resources, such as Movoto, has embellished this neighborhood with attractive labels and promises of “art fanatics,” “urban hipsters,” and sunny weather. What I find to be most interesting about the language of the majority of articles, advertisements, and real estate guides is that they highlight how the incoming wealthy tech-boomers is not only increasing the value of the neighborhood, but adding to its rich culture. While almost all of these sources recognize the significance of the Latino/a community in this neighborhood - they all claim that the incoming “transplants” (as they are called by some) are benefitting this community. While this has some weight - in recent years crime has decreased and more people have been drawn to the region - I believe it is safe to say that there is a strong argument (from many) they are doing more harm than good.

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Quick Statistics about crime in San Francisco v. Crime in 94110:

The overall crime rate in San Francisco is 106% higher than the national average.

For every 100,000 people, there are 16.71 daily crimes that occur in San Francisco.

San Francisco is safer than 3% of the cities in the United States.

In San Francisco you have a 1 in 17 chance of becoming a victim of any crime.

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A Tear in the Mission: A Personal Account of life in the Mission

by Trent Hommeyer

Disclaimer: Much of this writing is from personal experience, and while it is accompanied by statistics and research, it is very influenced by my own biases as someone who is living in a gentrified building.

After my parents got divorced at the beginning of Junior year, I began to live in the Mission every other weekend and on mondays and tuesdays. I moved into Vara Apartments, a brand new condominium on 15th St between Mission and Valencia containing over 200 individual apartments. While I never really thought twice about my awesome new apartment, I realized that I was living in a gentrified building when I learned about gentrification in the Mission and its impacts on the residents there. Having lived directly north of the heart of the Mission for two years, I’ve noticed a lot, and I feel it’s helpful to give my account of living in the Mission because it can give a more real and personal look at the Mission.

When my dad and I first moved into the house, it was recommended to us that when we got off Bart at 16th Mission that instead of walking down Mission one block and half a block down 15th, we walk a block on 16th to Valencia, walk down Valencia for one block, and then half a block back down 15th to the house, adding a whole extra block. I never actually listened to the advice, but I knew exactly why it had been recommended: when you walk down Mission Street, you have to pass a large group of up to 20 homeless people, but when you walk down Valencia there are no homeless people at all. I think this advice to “go around Mission Street” encapsulates my idea of what the Mission is.

In my experience, the Mission seems to be split into two major hubs: Mission Street and Valencia Street. Mission Street is full of bright and colorful small shops, often multiple sharing one property; most of the language is in both english and spanish and the goods are very affordable. Valencia, by contrast, is much more clean, matte, and “trendy,” containing larger businesses which more often run by white people.

In my mind, Valencia represents the side of the Mission for the gentrifiers. Anything on or to the west of Valencia street represents the new hipster/tech-startup culture of the Mission. Some places that come to mind are Bi-Rite, an extremely pricey supermarket that only sells organic food and focuses on vegan foods and very luxurious foods, Four Barrel Coffee, the epitome of hipster coffee shop where everyone working there wears a flannel and wire rimmed glasses and has a long beard and short hair, and the Twitter headquarters, which is a giant building further north that frequently hosts hackathons and other tech related events that I’ve been to.

Mission Street, on the other hand, represents the side of the Mission for the hispanic locals, the people who have lived there for years. To me, anything on Mission or to the East of it represents the rich culture of community and helping others. While I initially viewed this side of the Mission as the “dirty” side of the Mission, this year I’ve begun exploring it and have found that while it may look dirty, it has a lot to offer. Some places that come to mind are New Door Ventures, the employment agency by the people for the people that helps underprivileged youth get their hands on a job, Rani Thread Magic, the place I went to get my eyebrows threaded before Winter Formal that’s run by Rani, who has a 10 by 10 space where she threads eyebrows for seven dollars, and the dollar store on 20th that I went into one time looking for a father’s day present and found an extremely affordable set of door mats.

Looking at statistics, my observations seem to be supported. The ten square block area including Valencia, Dolores and Guerrero between 17th and 22nd which we’ll call “The Valencia Side” is very different than “The Mission Side,” or the ten square block area between 17th and 22nd which includes Mission and South Van Ness.

Average Rental Price:

Valencia Side: $2,808

Mission Side: $1,951

Reflecting my idea that the Valencia side is the side for the gentrifiers, the Valencia side’s rent is 43% higher than the Mission side’s.

Vacancy Rate:

Valencia Side: 3.0% (lower than 90% of cities in the US)

Mission Side: 9.0% (roughly average for the US)

The Valencia side’s vacancy rate is far lower than the Mission side’s, hinting that the housing supply is much more tight in the Valencia side. This makes me think about how the Valencia side is the super hipster and trendy place to be, so people are flocking from other neighborhoods to get in.

Percent of Workforce that’s an Executive, Manager or Professional

Valencia Side: 77.5%

Mission Side: 39.2%

The Valencia side is majority Executives, Managers and Professionals, while the Mission side is one 19.2%. This statistic really backs up my idea that the Valencia side is occupied by the tech people, as tech jobs are inherently more professional, and the tech workers are very often highly skilled workers.

Ethnicity (from most to least common):

Valencia Side: 12.5% German, 11.6% Asian, 9.3% Irish, 8.6% Italian, <8% Mexican

Mission Side:  36.4% Mexican, 13.1% Asian, 7.8% Irish, 5.0% German, 3.5% English

The ethnicity data is extremely telling. It helps explain the idea I have about the Mission side being the hispanic side and the Valencia side being the white side. The Mission side has vastly more Mexican people than the Valencia side (at least 4 times higher proportion). The extremely white nature of the Valencia side also helps explain my perception that it’s the side for the white entrepreneurs.

Percent of English speaking Homes:

Valencia Side: 78.5%

Mission Side: 46.5%

This again supports the idea that Valencia is the “white side” of the Mission.

Other notable statistics:

Valencia Side:

7.1% of households are same sex, higher than 99.9% of US neighborhoods

78.2% of adult residents have at least a bachelor’s degree, higher than 98.5% of US neighborhoods

Wealthier than 96.3% of US neighborhoods

Mission Side:

48.6% of residents were born in another country, higher than 97.3% of US neighborhoods

31.0% of residents don’t own a car, higher than 96.9% of US neighborhoods

31.6% of children are below the federal poverty line, higher than 74.2% of US neighborhoods

The notable statistics about the Valencia side tend to have to do with things often associated with wealth and higher class while the notable statistics about the Mission side have to do with things generally associated with poverty. I think these statistics really speak to the economic divide. They speak to the “dirtiness” I first associated with Mission Street, and they help explain why shops are often very small and sell very cheap goods.

All statistics were found here.

Valencia Side:

This is the exterior of a restaurant on Valencia, it has uniform stools, is built to look rustic, and is a very modern way of seating customers.

This is some art in my apartment, it highlights the Valencia style of art. It’s pixelated and clean cut, highlighting both the tech on Valencia, but also the clean and pristine feel.

This is Tartine, a cafe on Guerrero that serves artisanal everything. It’s extremely hipster, the pastries are beautiful but taste pretty normal, and the coffee is $4.50. It’s representative of the wealthier residents that have money to spare to spend on expensive treats.

Mission Side:

This is a picture of some of the businesses on Mission Street. These Businesses are run by people, not corporations, and are very colorful and individual. They don’t look as “clean” as the stores on the Valencia side, but in my experience they definitely know what they’re doing.  

This is the Women’s Center. It’s extremely colorful and is an example of the rich culture of the Mission. It’s also an example of how the Mission Street side has a strong community and works very hard to help each other out. For further reading see here.

This is a picture of one of the many people selling random goods to you on the sidewalk. I still have no idea whether it’s legal to sell things like they do, but it’s very common practice on Mission and shows that people are simply making money how they can. This contrasts Valencia because in Valencia people often work in far-off locations and don’t end up contributing to the neighborhood.

To me, both sides have their own benefits: The Valencia Side has a lot of really good pricey food, nice looking houses and businesses, and innovation while the Mission side has delicious affordable tacos, colorful vibrant storefronts, and community.

Moving into the Mission has been an odd process for me, but discovering these two boroughs on either side of me has been a very fulfilling experience for me.

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Employment Statistics

Below are screenshots (taken from a city data website) of different areas in the Mission District and their correspondent percentages of unemployment. As shown in the images, the percentage of unemployment shifts throughout the district along with the percentage of race. It’s especially interesting to note the differences between sections of the district, such as the section hitting the corner of 24th and Dolores and the section hitting 21st and San Carlos. While the section hitting 24th and Dolores consists of 4.46% of its population being unemployed with a larger number of Hispanics and Whites, the section hitting 21st and San Carlos has an unemployment rate of 12.4% with a much bigger Asian population and almost no Hispanics. Therefore, race definitely plays a crucial role in how jobs are distributed in the Mission District, as there’s more or less consistently a lower percentage of unemployment in sections with more dominant Hispanic and White populations.

Unemployment Percentages of Different Regions in the Mission District

Population by Race Color Map:

Lavender -- White Population

Red -- Hispanic Population

Yellow -- Asian Population

Green -- Black Population

Blue/Orange -- Multi-Racial

The chart on the United States Census Bureau below clearly displays the several gender dynamics within the categories of occupation. From a 5-year estimate, 55.3% of the working population is male and 44.7% is female, with males earning around $12,000 more than females. Within the working population, males make up 54.7% of the management, business, and financial occupations with significantly higher earnings, while women make up 45.3%. Under computer engineering and science, 28.7% is female and 71.3% is male. Although women take on a larger presence in the education, legal, community service, and arts/media occupations (53.6%), they still earn around $30,000 less than males. Similarly under the health care occupation, although 72.2% of that population is female, they’re still earning quite less than the average male in the healthcare profession, clearly showing the bias against women on an economic and skill-based standpoint. Furthermore, males make up 93.8% of the construction and maintenance occupation.

These statistics start to raise the questions: What’s being reflected back at men and women in terms of the types of occupations they should have? How do the types of occupations portray certain stereotypical characteristics of both men and women? How are the expectations of income and economic success for men and women different? What can be done to change the lack of female presence in the computer science and engineering professions, and the income divide within the healthcare profession?

Occupation by Sex and Median Earnings in the past 12 Months (in 2014 inflation-adjusted dollars) for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and Over

2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

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Crime, Safety, and Language

When I began looking at the way crime is talked/written about in the Mission I noticed that a lot of the most recent commentary came from 2010. Not only were there forums that had comment threads about crime all dated back to 2010, but a lot of the articles (separate from news/crime reports) that wrote about issues with crime in this neighborhood were all from 2010. I think this largely has to do with two things.

1) 2008 saw a peak in “gang” activity and other violent crimes, which contributed to a worsened reputation for the neighborhood (about 2 years may account for the trickle down of information to forums and other tertiary news sites)

2) The increased popularity of this neighborhood in recent years may be suppressing the previous dialogue because it is being advertised as an up-and-coming trendy place to live.

What I did find from about six years ago, however, is riddled with layers of race and class. When I started doing research for this section, I wanted to look for forums - places where people speak their uninhibited minds with little to no editing. The apparent anonymity of these platforms also allows for stronger opinions. Most of the comment threads started like this: “Is the Mission a safe place to live” or “Is it safe to walk in the Mission alone at night” or “What is crime like in the Mission”. Many of the responses to these questions cited reputable sounding news articles or statistic, however many of them had language such as this:

“[Mission street] has a lot of junkies and drug dealers”

“[Mission street] plenty of poor people and drug/gang problems”

“[Look out for] the occasional crazy/intimidating crackhead or bum”

While these people were giving their honest opinions and experiences (maybe), their language also eludes to a particular frame of thinking around who is causing the Mission to be a dangerous place. This language, for the most part, brings to mind POC, and given the demographics of the Mission - Latino people. Junkies, drug dealers, gangs, and crackheads are also all very loaded words and don’t speak to an individual's experience. This language is overgeneralizing what may have been seen in a few specific conflicts and posing a danger to the minority communities it is labeling who may now be viewed that way be other residents and/or law enforcement.

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Dolores Street Community Services

As a multi-faceted organization, Dolores Street focuses on improvement both on an individual level and on a level of broader social change by engaging in advocacy and community organizing efforts to address the roots of suffering and injustice. The organization works on a wide range of issues, from homelessness to housing to immigration and employment, while valuing the interconnection and diversity of these issues.

Mission Statement: “Dolores Street Community Services nurtures individual wellness and cultivates collective power among low-income and immigrant communities to create a more just society.”

Vision: “We envision a vibrant and diverse San Francisco where multiple cultures, life experiences and contributions are honored, and all people live with dignity and hope. Our vision is of a just and sustainable community where all residents – regardless of income, immigration or health status – have equal rights and access to resources, and are empowered to fully participate in shaping the City’s future.”

Housing Resources:

Dolores Shelter Program

Began in 1982 as a sanctuary for refugees

Provides emergency shelter, meal service, on-site medical care, English classes, and work assistance to men

Specifically arranged to meet the needs of Latino working homeless

Aims to move guests into more permanent housing and prevent newly-arrived immigrants from falling into the cycle of homelessness

Richard M. Cohen Residence

10-unit residential care facility for formerly homeless men and women affected by HIV/AIDS

Provides services such as nursing and social work case management, 24-hour attendant care, meal services, social activities designed to better the mental health of residents

Casa Quezada

52-unit housing site for formerly homeless individuals with special needs

Especially caters to monolingual Spanish-speaking immigrants with limited access to subsidized housing in San Francisco

Provides on-site clinical and case management services, daily meal service, and community-building activities to all residents

Mission SRO Collaborative (MSROC)

Works on protecting SRO housing stock, improving living conditions, and fighting for housing justice

Community Planning and Development Program:

Functions towards providing quality housing options for the community and helping to build/maintain an economically diverse and integrated neighborhood in the Mission District

Conducts land-use advocacy for more equitable development and more affordable housing

Immigration and Employment Resources:

San Francisco Immigrant Legal and Education Network (SFILEN)

Collaboration of 13 organizations in the city

Provides outreach, community education, and free/low-cost legal services to immigrants in SF

Deportation Defense and Legal Advocacy Program

Provides legal services to immigrants, specifically complex removal defense cases

African Advocacy Network (AAN)

Exclusively offers legal services, case management, and social integration services to African and Afro-Caribbean immigrants

San Francisco Day Labor Program and Women’s Collective

Comprised of day laborers and domestic workers who defend their rights to fair paying jobs and who work to provide a positive hiring environment for employers

Community-Serving Facilities:

Valencia Community Center

Provides low cost and free meeting space to a variety of groups working on issues such as tenant rights, land use advocacy, to immigrant legal services

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Employment Agencies

There are two large employment agencies in 94110, New Door Ventures, an employment agency by the people for young people, and Labor Ready, an employment agency that specializes in getting companies the people they want, for the time they want. These two employment agencies have two very distinct purposes. New Door Ventures focuses on giving underprivileged youth access to internships and long term jobs that can help to put them on their way to a prosperous life. Labor Ready is part of a large corporation called True Blue, the largest employment agency in the US, and it seems to focus on making sure companies that need part time workers can have access to workers, without having to go through the hassle of training/background checking each and every person.

New Door Ventures:

3221 20th St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Geographically, New Door Ventures is in equidistant to 16th St. Mission and 24th St. Mission, and is a few blocks East of Mission St, and the heart of the Mission.

Mission Statement:

“New Door Ventures prepares disconnected youth for work and life. We provide skill-building, individual support and jobs that enable our youth to discover and achieve their potential. Our work is integral to their successful transition to healthy, sustainable adulthood. We aim to transform individuals who will in turn transform their communities.”

New Door Ventures was founded in 1881 by a religious organization. Thought they’re religiously affiliated they don’t have any faith based requirements and do not reject people based on things like race, class, gender, sexual orientation etc.

They specialize in YOUTH. They’re devoted to ensuring that youth get the start that they need to put them in the right direction. They also strive to help people who lack education, like high school dropouts. They work really hard to make sure youth who have committed crimes don’t end up back in prison.

New Door Ventures helps youth with job-readiness and internships. They offer three and a half month internships to their applicants, and use these to give their applicants both work experience, and a window into a long term job.

According to Grace Reinhalter, the Youth Development Intake & Program Coordinator at New Door, whom we met when we visited New Door on May 10th, they are funded primarily by the government and donations.

New Door Ventures is an extremely fun place. When we visited as a group on May 10th, we weren’t really sure what to expect. We had done a lot of research beforehand about their mission and what they do to help their community, but we had no idea what it would actually look like.

The exterior of New Door Ventures is very simple, and we even walked by it accidentally when we visited.

It’s directly across from John O’Connel High School, which has large fences and spiked walls all around it.

New Door Ventures was a place that was truly for the people, and its interior reflected that. When we walked in, we were taken aback by how casual and fun of a place it seemed like. There were young adults playing pool in the main room, bicycles hung up below a small deck, bean bags everywhere, and people were simply hanging out and having a good time.

On the wall there were hundreds of colorful photos of people that New Door had helped, each one picturing a smiling young adult along with hand drawn name tags and descriptions.

The people there were extremely welcoming, and they were very welcoming to us even though we just walked in without an appointment trying to see what we could find out. They willingly gave out information on their Mission, and gave us their contact information in case we wanted to ask more questions.

New Door Ventures really reflected the genuine and community-driven nature of the Mission. While we often hear from people from the Mission that the Mission is extremely community-driven, seeing New Door Ventures really showed us the extent to which the people are willing to stand up and work together for justice.

The other large employment agency in 94110 is Labor Ready:

3379 26th St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Mission Statement:

“Connecting people and work. We take pride in quickly matching the right worker to the right job, with a focus on getting to know both our workers and our customers.”

Labor Ready is run by “True Blue” one of the nation’s largest staffing agencies, with branches in San Jose, Reno, Santa Rosa, and many more locations nationwide.

The agency finds you a job but takes a certain percent of your paycheck (in most situations)

They pre-screen people and advertise that they get companies workers “only when they need workers”

While we did not visit Labor Ready, we learned a lot about it from talking to the people at New Door Ventures and from the True Blue website.

From what we can tell, Labor Ready isn’t as much for the people as it is for the companies who need workers. On their website they talk claim that “What really sets us apart is our ability to respond quickly – on demand – to our customers.” Unlike New Door Ventures, Labor ready considers their customers to be the people who need the workers, rather than the other way around. While this isn’t anything negative, as there’s always a need for an agency that can get people jobs quickly, based on what we heard from New Door, this kind of employment agency is very hard on the people. It provides little job security, and takes a cut of what its workers make in order to turn a profit.

Labor Ready is closer to 24th St Mission, and it seems to be the typical “corporation,” as while they do fill a niche that’s necessary in the area, they are self-funded and therefore have to focus on making money in any way they can. Because they do not get funding from the government, they focus on the place where the money is: the people who need to hire workers.

Labor Ready seems to be a “standard” employment agency, focusing on helping companies who need workers get workers quickly and easily while New Door Ventures focuses specifically on helping out the people in the neighborhood who need it the most.

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Business Demographics

Business and employment in the Mission has changed drastically over the last 10 years. Both the concentration and type of businesses shifted with recent demographic changes due to the dotcom boom. A 2015 UC Berkeley study found that since the 1990s, business has increased around 16th and Mission, while stores have closed in the 24th and Mission Area [see figure 18]. Furthermore, this study found that as a whole, business in the Mission neighborhood serves more of the non-local community, meaning that the neighborhood and its businesses are attracting more visitors from outside of the immediate area. Along with these changes, their research found that nearly 50% of the businesses closed in recent years have belonged to Hispanic people, while this group only accounts for 38% of businesses opened in that same time frame.

Below is a list of some of the Mission district businesses that show up near the top of the list in Google and Yelp:

Retail:

Therapy

Mission Bicycle

Mission Thrift

Good Vibration

Good Will

Paxton Gate’s Curiosity for Kids

Buffalo Exchange

Dog Ear Books

Other Expensive boutiques

Restaurants/cafe’s:

Samovar Tea

La Taqueria

Lolò

20 Spot

Stuffed

Borderland’s Cafe

Philz Coffee

Ritual Coffee Roasters

Craftsman and Wolves

Four Barrel Coffee

Stanza Coffee

Sightglass Coffee

Bi-Rite Creamery

CREAM

The majority of these businesses are high-end, chic, retail stores (clothes/accessories, furniture, beauty products, etc.), relatively expensive restaurants, and “hipster” cafes selling overpriced coffee. This list is in no way representative of the full array of businesses in the Mission neighborhood, however, it does demonstrate what businesses are heavily advertised in places that draw consumers to the neighborhood. Primarily, what is left out is the wealth of Latino owned/operated stores, bakeries, and restaurants.

(bonus: for a good laugh look at what restaurants are listed as the Mission’s most **authentic** cuisine here)

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Women’s Building

Summary of Primary Services:

CalFresh & Food Pantry

Bilingual services available (English, Spanish, Cantonese)

Food Pantry in collaboration w SF food bank

Computer Lab

Free computer use

Printer/photocopier

Scanner

Computer use assistance (tech tutoring)

Information & Referrals

Helps women/men/families find organizations/non-profits and resources that can assist them

Help with housing, domestic violence services, jobs and training, women-owned businesses, legal services, etc

Job Search Help

Resume/cover letter writing assistanceInterview preparation and practiceFinding jobsSetting up email and filling out online applicationsLegal Help

Free assistance from an immigration attorney (bilingual service) legal advice for $1/hourTaxes

Free tax preparation for people making less than $54k/yearElectronic tax filing

Wellness

Narcotics anonymous

Yoga/meditation

Dance

Non-Profits within the Women’s Building:

Cooperative Restraining Order Clinic

Helps domestic violence survivors get restraining orders against their abusers

Girls on the Run

Mission statement: “We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.”

GirlVentures

Mission statement: “GirlVentures’ mission is to empower adolescent girls to develop and express their strengths.”

Immigration Center for Women and Children

Mission Statement: “The Immigration Center for Women and Children (ICWC) is a non-profit legal organization providing affordable immigration services to underrepresented immigrants in California. ICWC strives to provide security and stability for children who are abused, abandoned or neglected and for immigrants who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and other violent crimes.”

Lava Mae

Repurposes transportation vehicles into showers and toilets to deliver hygiene to homeless people

Mission Neighborhood Centers Inc.

Mission statement: “MNC delivers culturally sensitive, multi-generational, community-based services focused on low-income families. We develop and promote leadership skills that empower families to build strong, healthy and vibrant neighborhoods.”

Mujeres Unidas Y Activas

Mission Statement: “Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA) is a grassroots organization of Latina immigrant women with a double mission of promoting personal transformation and building community power for social and economic justice.”

Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco

Vision/Mission Statement: “We help families navigate San Francisco's public schools. Since 1999 we’ve worked with over 275,000 families, offering enrollment advice and encouraging parents to take on leadership roles within their schools so that each child in every family has access to an excellent public education.”

SFWAR

From website: “San Francisco Women Against Rape provides resources, support, advocacy and education to strengthen the work of all individuals, and communities in San Francisco that are responding to, healing from, and struggling to end sexual violence.”

We reached out to to this agency via voice message but did not receive a reply, however the Women’s Building website addresses many questions regarding race, class, and (obviously) gender. The Women’s Building’s mission is to provide “a women-led community space that advocates self-determination, gender equality and social justice.” Since its creation it has housed many other small non-profits while they incubated into larger organizations (La Casa de las Madres and LYRIC). This organization’s commitment to multicultural/multiethnic support is evident in their bilingual services, and even just by looking at the wide array of faces on the mural outside of the building. Furthermore, this organization provides many free and cost services to its community, that not only provide life-sustaining necessities - such as food - but resources and knowledge (legal services, tax help, computer access) to help lift the community out of poverty and oppression. 

Personal Commentary - by Lauren Murray: I have been to events that were held at the Women’s Building a couple times in the past year or so - one of which was an SAT practice test (10/10 would not recommend) - and the most noticeable thing about this organization was how friendly and generous the people who worked/volunteered there were (according to the website, volunteers contribute over $40,000 worth of work for free each year). Kate and Samuel did an internship at LYRIC which cumulated in a big dance that was thrown for queer youth and allies at the Women’s Building. Walking around the different floors of the building during that party it was incredibly clear how much work the different non-profits (and organization as a whole) were doing for the greater community. It was a beautiful, and sadly rare, thing to see women empowering other women in such a concrete way. This was one of the main reasons I was drawn to researching this organization for our project. Beyond the striking mural on the outside of the building, this organization does not fail to display many, many examples of strong female leaders (for example: a room named after Audre Lorde!). As an old-ish teenager, I can only image how much of a positive impact these present-day, and historical role models are making on the women (young and old) who engage with this space.

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Community Assets:

Although much of the other material on this website highlights positive elements, people, and organizations in the Mission District, it also makes sense to compile some of this neighborhood’s strengths into one place.

As of now, many people see the shifting of demographics and gentrification in this area as a negative change, however I believe that some good can always come out trying situations. Although many people have been bought out of the Mission, and it seems that much of this neighborhood’s unique culture is leaving with them, I believe that this clash of races, socioeconomic classes, and ideological interests is providing a platform for social change. Social activists and political leaders (like David Campos) have been drawn out of their offices, or classrooms, or bedrooms (wherever it is activists hangout) to fight for the survival of one of San Francisco’s richest communities. This collaborative effort has not only made a statement and demonstrated (to the greater public) that the Mission community believes that they deserve a place in the heart of SF, but it has shown that community that there are people who believe they are worth fighting for. With that, I believe that (however slow it may seem) this pushback against the rising cost of living may begin to help the new Mission transplants understand and check their own privilege. I sincerely hope, that the community in the Mission continues to put up a fight and demand the space they have held for many generations.

Beyond the social change that is happening in the Mission right now, this region is home to many wonderful community organizations that truly demonstrate a sense of cohesion and group mentality amongst this community. Organizations like the Women’s Building, New Door Ventures, and the Dolores Street Community Center are led by members of the community, for members of the community. I find it admirable how many social services are available in this area (we only highlighted a few, but there were countless to choose from). From what I have seen, there is no other area in San Francisco that has so many resources devoted to empowering and uplifting the whole community. It seems that these invaluable community assets are often looked past, and the Mission is only seen as a dangerous and crime ridden neighborhood, or an up-and-coming hipster oasis that’s slowly displacing its “former” inhabitants. Both of these perspectives are detrimental. On one hand, the local community is portrayed as a social burden, while on the other they are seen as a helpless group that can easily pushed around. From the research we have done on this neighborhood and community, it is clear that both of these are painfully incorrect. What I find most admirable about this community is the strength it holds and creates through active awareness, and support systems. 

While people may try to take the community out of the Mission, it seems nearly impossible that anyone could take this mission out of the community.