we commend the efforts to complete the 400 housing units promised for our community and at all -- our last meeting we heard the dire need for affordable housing for this community and finally i would just like to extend my support for this housing initiative not only as a youth commissioner but as an 18-year-old san franciscan in solidarity with my at-risk counterparts. so thank you. >> good afternoon, commissioners. my name is tobias. i don't want to take up too much of your time. i'll be brief and i don't want to be redundant. i don't need to say too much because i don't want to take up too much time. the number of people here today that kind of speaks to why this center should not only be renovated but should include these extra 42 units of

housing. this is an overwhelming population and we don't see the at-risk kids, but it's a small fraction of what was promised in the t.a. task force. so to be brief, i totally support the renovation of the center and the addition of the 42 units. thank you very much. >> thanks, commissioners. my name is mario and i'm the director on staff at the youth commission. i think the commissioners kind of articulated our points pretty well. we are charged bit voters of san francisco with representing young people in this building and in policy and legislative debates. i'm chart -- quoting from the city charter which sar voters voted on in 1995. right? we're supposed to identify the unmet needs of san francisco youth and what you are

considering today, these recommendations are of a piece with that charge. we've all decide we know that the need for housing is exceedingly acute for this population. i think it's been said on the public record, i'm the fourth person to say it but i would like to note that on june 21, 2010, the youth commission voted to support former supervisor-to--to- -- supervisor alioto pier's motion. i understand that has lapsed and a subsequent one was introduced but we are on record supporting that for all the manifest reasons i think public commentors to come about will really bear out. so thank you kindly for your time and note that we support this project as part of and in the context of a commitment we hope the city follows through on. again, we're only at 119 units of 400 with this project so

thank you. bye. thank you. >> good afternoon. my name is barry brown. i live at 2646 post street, which is a building that backs p to the bookie t. washington site. my adjacent neighbors and i support the mission of this project but are very concerned about some of the impacts to our properties. currently the existing gym is housed in a modest one and a half story building 65 feet from my property. the revised building is now a six-story edifice on the done dianahill side at my back yard fence. i would like to get assurances that they have noise, venting, light pollution considerations at the top of their design criteria. frankly i would like to see a green wall or something less

opaque on that side of the building. noise impacts are something you must technically disclose to homebuyers, and some day if i sell my house i would like to tell me buyer that that gym is sound proofed on my building side. the proposed building elevations show a green curtain wall with back yard spaces. the bright sports lighting and noise and cheering from such events as dances, concerts and assemblies will have an evening impact upon us. also we do not want mechanical vents dumping forced air on our back yard porches and back yards. with 50 young adult youth males and females will -- there will be social events, which is fine. i would hope there are at least some controls on curfew, noise,

and some way for the neighbors to have recourse to correct any things that may arise that impact the live ability of our properties. thank you. >> thank you. i'll keep calling names. if you are in the other room just make your way over here and i'll recognize you when you arrive. rose hillson. andrea alfonso. dean anpurn. >> hi, good afternoon. my name is dean pairen and i'm the co-founder of first place for youth. we are a sitewide -- statewide organization committed to providing housing and intense services for youth trancioning out of foster care. we are a partner on this project and i am very proud

today to have a number of young people from our program who will speak. i'd like a -- to take a minute now for them to stand. just so we're clear, foster youth are kids taken out of their homes in cases of abuse, neglect or parental absence. they've done nothing wrong. they've just been dealt a bad hand. we have collectively decided that we're going to bm -- become their parents but we don't do a very good job of it and at the age of 18 they faced ultimate punishment and they're pushed out and forced to live on their own. their out comes are dismal. 65% face imminent homelessness. only 5% will go and graduate from college but first place has worked over the last 13 years to ensure that we can put

an end to these statistics. we help young people become productive, successful, tax paying members of society by combining access to permanent affordable housing and very intense employment services, employment support, educational support, emotional support grounded in the principles of accountability and natural consequences. our program was achieved incredible results. while 65% of kids face homelessness in california, 85% of our young people maintain permanent, safe housing. while 64% of california's foster youth do not complete a high school diploma, 75% of our young people do. this is when i -- what i think i'm most proud of -- [bell ringing] -- >> thank you. >> we're in full supor. >> good afternoon. president olague, commissioners, my name is rose hillson and i live in the jordan park neighborhood. and what i have to say today is

very hard for me because i realize this project is very important to the youth. i've worked a lot in the public schools and i know that a lot of students there also need a lot of help because they don't have parents at home and it's sort is of like that in this situation. but as far as looking at the design element, we've met, i went to the coalition of san francisco neighborhoods meeting and i had discussions with supervisor farrell and they're all still talking and this last iteration that counsell -- counsel barkley has shown is, i had not seen the indentation on the sutter street side, but when you look eau -- at it from the front on presidio you can see across the street, as i noticed on one of these posters here now, the building across is about 43 feet high. if the number of units is in question, there's 21 parking spaces and if we're going toward less parking i'm not sure how these pashing spaces are going to be used but maybe

some of the units could be switched around with the square footage of the parking. at the top level it really is sticking out. i guess it's called the parapet. the conversations we've had we're just kind of trying to see both sides and see if we could compromise and get the parapet off. thank you. president olague: thank you. >> hello, commissioners. my name is andrea. i represent 2646 post street. this property backs up to the rear yard of the proposed project. i recognize the need for affordable housing in san francisco. i'm not opposed to the goals of the booker t. washington project. providing housing and structure for the youth. but i just feel like the project is misplaced. it makes no sense in this location. i mean i'm a little annoyed that the other speakers have

said that project sponsors have compromised in bringing the building down. the current zoning in this area is low density residential, 40 feet high. why would you even conceive a project that way in this location if you were envisioning such a large building and up needed such a large building? there's plenty of abandoned buildings in san francisco that could house this program. other speakers have talked about the muni barn and it being on a dense street, i mean a busy street as being a reason to put it here. i say that's not a reason to put it here. it's already very impacted by the muni barn. the muni barn is a very bad neighbor. the employees come early, it starts up early. they idle. coming home in the evening they

honk at people trying to pass them as they are idling. there is dire traffic congestion going on in this block. i just feel badly that we have been shamed to accept this overlarge building, you know, just because of the youth and we, all the things i have heard is that the neighbors oppose the size of the building and the scale and it coming outside of the planning nfl -- envelope as it is. we would jut like to keep it within the planning envelope and we don't have a problem with the youth. i feel like the architectal fees that have been spent -- >> thank you. thank you. >> have been wasted. it's not right. president olague: sherwin adams. jacinda, jaclyn. if your names have been called, please come up to the mike.

oh, thank you. >> good evening, commissioners. i'll cherilin adams, co-chair of the san francisco tay steering committee so i'm going to speak in both my roles gust -- just about the need for supportive and affordable housing for young people as part of my role as a tay steering committee chair it really is to make sure that the housing recommendations in particular get implemented. as already said, there -- we have a goal of 400 units and we're making some headway with the project being at full capacity for having -- but the 24 units for kids aging out of the foster care system is critical. we estimate there are 5,6000 -- 5,600 young people every year who are at risk in youth in san francisco.

larkin street is served 4,500 youth last year that that -- who were in the foster system or aged out of the foster system. the booker t. center will do a -- an excellent job with these. it is critical we have the full number of housing units just so we can begin to tap the needs. thank you. >> hi, thanks for this opportunity. i'm the executive director with youth radio in downtown oakland, california and i want to express full support for this amazing community center that will be a national model and youth radio just finished a capital campaign a few years ago and since we've been in downtown oakland we've seen amazing community transformation. our board of directors said they were tired of poor toys for poor kids, which means these absolutely well behaved

and amazing students who are probably bored out of their minds right now deserve the best. they come from schools that don't have toilet paper, from homes are where the parents have to work late and they need a place that treats them with respect, that is professional feeling and that has a variety of offerings and services. so what pat scott was -- has assembled are some of the most amazing youth development organizations that have more than a 20-year track record. youth radio for one, youth first is another one. as you can see, i mean the practitioners have them doing their homework and that's why they're so quiet. i'm very impressed. are we talking about a building or are we talking about the kids in it? i keep hearing this is not about the kids, but i think it might be about the kids. we had a lot of problems in berkeley renting a store front. people just didn't want teenagers um coming from east

oakland to berkeley and it was a problem. i do they we need to look at it and it could be an amazing, amazing national model. it could bring media attention and bring tech skills to the people in the center and i jut -- want to express that youth radio is very excited to start a san francisco bureau. it's time, and it would be at booker t. washington center. so thank you. >> thank you. >> good afternoon, president olague and members of the san francisco planning commission. my name is jaclyn grant and i'm here on behalf of the john burton foundation for children without homes to express our support for the booker t. washington community center and affordable housing project. the john burton center is dedicated to alleviating homelessness among children in california with particular focus on children leaving our child welfare system. we are particularly

enthusiastic about the booker t. washington probably because it will create 24 units of much-needed affordable housing for transitional age youth in san francisco. access to such housing is critical. without support in their transition to adulthood, think face tremendous challenges in employment, housing, education and more. one in five become homeless within 18 months of leaving the foster system. over half experience unemployment in that amount of time and less than half the youths that exit the foster care system have a high school diploma or g.e.d. when they leave and are on their own. last fiscal year, 182 youths aged out of the san francisco youth foster system and given the challenges they face it is critical to provide support so

they can work toward their personal goes. we have seen across california that providing supportive, affordable housing can make a difference to transitional youth. last year for example youth that participated in similar programs across the state made substantial gains in educational achievement, income and housing stability. 63% of youth across the state who participated in supportive housing exited the programs with a high school diploma compared with only 57% when they entered and 43% were employed when they left the program. with housing and support, young people can move beyond barriers. thank you so much. president olague: steven schum, arnold townsend, richard wu. followed by julia sullivan. >> thank you. president olague, members, my name is arnold townsend,

reverend arnold townsend. tonight as first vice president i'm representing the san francisco naacp and president of the board of the san francisco economic opportunity counsel. this one i believe i can do in two means -- minutes because it's a no-brainer. oning of the most important projects that will come before you, because of the great need exhibited by all that goes on there now and we need to continue that too because the amazing and brilliant legacy it has in nurturing the lives of some very accomplished and talented people that came through there and we want to have the opportunity to continue to nurture brilliant and amazing young people who are coming through that center now and will come in the future. thirdly, i just want to bring to your attention that i believe that the people who oppose this are good people. i believe that every one of them has sat and watched the news stories about children transitioning and aging out of foster care and i bet you every

one of them has said somebody needs to do something. the problem was they didn't nope the somebody would be them. it falls on them this time to be the somebody is and we're just asking you and them to trust your compassion that you have for people in this condition and to remember foster children haven't done anything wrong. on the contrary, wrong has been done to them. and we have an opportunity and an obligation to right that wrong. this is your opportunity right here. please take it and approve this project. thank you very much for my two minutes almost. [laughter] >> good afternoon, planning commissioners. i'm steve unschum. i'm a senior program manager with the corporation for supportive housing, c.f.h., a

national nonprofit that works in communities across the country to create permanent housing to prevent homelessness we strongly believe thatnd -- and the evidence is promising that when providing with decent housing along with access to relevant services, transitional youth can heal past traumas, access the services they need and building -- build stable lives and achieve progress toward reaching their potential. we have been for these reasons an enthusiastic supporter of the booker trvings washington project with 24 units of housing for transitional youth. we are looking ford to providing additional support for the project to move forward. booker t. washington

development represents a small but significant contribution to the stay -- city's planned goal of 400 units by 2015 but each unit reps a significant investment in preventing the emergence of a new generation of homeless adults and families. thank you. >> thank you. >> hi, committee and staff. my name is richard wu. i'm the executive director of tech skills center, a nonprofit state wide to help people that want to transition to the i. trves world and give them job placement. the reason i'm here and passionate about booker t. is that i am one of the examples who grew up in san francisco as a native. my family and i came to the city pretty poor and went through booker t. and automatic the other programs. i went to school, went to lowe, u.c. berkeley and today i'm a

senior software engineer for a company called nimbus, a global company. we will be working with booker t. to help them even the challenge if given the opportunity with more housing, afterschool programs and jobs. they are also the gateway of silicon valley. there are so many opportunities for them to show that they are our future. they need to have a good opportunity like i did through education and opportunity to access the job market. and with the right education and right environment to do that i think they will be successful. i was also a san francisco native and a taxpayer. these are the programs that i fund, i love to see to be inspired and i love to pay more taxes if these are the programs that are going to be on the ballot. [laughter] that's it. thank you.

>> hello. eye -- my name is julia sullivan and i'm the program manager of the san francisco housing action coalition. on behalf of our organization i respectfully urge you to support this important project. we understand that there has been neighborhood opposition to the project on the grounds that it threatens the neighborhood's character. we ask you to consider the following about this proposal. first, the proposed project is locate add cross the street from a muni bus parking lot and is an excellent location for affordable housing. second are the project design team has already made significant changes to dreats neighborhood concerns, legitimate concerns regarding height and massing the these concession -- concessions come at the spevens the project viability. no more should be asked of them. third, this site presents an

enormous opportunity to provide affordable housing to young people at risk and must not be beasted -- wasted. lastly, the project has low levels of parknd -- parking and this is precisely the sort of design we should oup -- support in our neighborhoods. we do not believe any public purpose is served by delaying approval of this outstanding proposal. please support the project. thank you. >> donald clark, mildred simmons. >> hello. my name is donald clark. i was a foster youth. i was in foster care from age 11 to 19 and i was living with my grandmath -- grandmother but she had passed away. my experience was very unstable. i didn't have the emotional or

social support that i needed and as a result i dealt with a lot of feels of abandonment and uncertainty. my transition from foster care was pretty good because i didn't like being in foster care. it was very liberating for me. foster youth and my social worker helped me transition to housing. i got involved. now i'm in the process of moving out and graduating from mike's first place and i see what it would have been like if i haven't had any guidance from a youth advocate and an employment and education special lift to teach me how to talk to employers, find school programs and get connected with other community resources, budgeting and life planning. it would have been difficult for me to find a place to live and a job and i possibly would have been homeless. i felt great to have a place of

my own. it gave me a sense of independence. my youth advocate was very helpful. she helped with the rent, she's bain good listener and helped me with personal issues. in addition, first place has given me food and transition assistant and at the end of five years i was playing a sport and working for a theater company. if i had not found the support i would be back at my former guardian's house and i wouldn't like that because i don't like being dependent on anyone else. that's the best thing first place offered me was that sense of independence with transitional housing so if anything this would be a great opportunity for foster youth. thank you. president olague: thank you. you can come up to the mike, ma'am. sorry about that. we're just -- i don't think

it's automatic. i think you have to -- >> good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. my name is ruth clay. i'm a san francisco former foster youth. i had no place to live. i was sleeping from house to house with college put on hold. however, things changed when independent living skills referred me to first place for youth housing program. at the place, with my first apartment. my life changed forever. first place taught me how to manage money, pay my bills on time, write checks and get a job. it also furthered by -- my education. without first place, school would be the last thing on my

mind. if first place was in san francisco it would be easier for youth to get to and from their appointment and youth don't have to be placed in other cities. since being in the program i have accomplished many gomez -- goals. i finished two years of college, starting in the fall this year and starting my own new family. first place was a great place to achieve the goals. >> good afternoon. my name is mildred simmons. >> can you speak into the mike, ma'am? >> my name is mildred simmons and i had a beautiful experience at booker t. washington. he i went there at age 16 coming out of high school. at that time i said i would never go back there because they were too strict and take too much care of us. and now i'm still back there at

booker t. and scoon will be -- soon will be 74. but in the meantime i've been there and seen the experience of how they he did. i would like to see booker t. continue going forward because i've seen many that came through there and went forward because i was one. i was also a mother of four. raised 22 foster kids and they turned out to be, some of the foster kids turned out better than mine. turned out two of the girls are already in nursing. they went to nursing school and all. i was able to go to nursing school as well. i worked at san francisco general 22 1/2 years and ride -- right now i'm volunteering at booker t. washington square. i would loove -- love to see booker t. washington keep going strong because it's going to be there for the kids. please help them to go forward. and the things we have