they should be held accountable to the general public. this is no more than we would ask from any other business operating in this city. so for the record, i'm specifically asking that as a condition of the conditional use permit, the names of the financial beneficiaries of this project, including the individuals, limited partners, corporations and other organizations receive a financial benefit from this project be made a part of the record. i request that the financial records of this project be maintained on site. thank you. president olague: thank you. >> members of the commission, brad paul speaking as an individual. i can address the last gentleman's questions. the investors are low-income housing investors. they are passive investors. they have nothing to do with the day-to-day operations. i say that as the former director of the mayor's office of housing. and that leads me to my

testimony about the strength and experience of these particular project sponsors, the quality of their management, their operations and their programming. i'm actually old enough to have been around when c.h.p. was founded and i was director of the mayor's office of housing at the time. so i remember what they went through to create the model that was described earlier. i was also, from 2000 to 2008, a senior program off thers at the evelyn and walter junior funds and we funded c.h.p. so i every year had to read their financial statements and program statements. they met and exceeded their program objectives here after year. that is why they are a national model of best practices. i'm equally familiar with larkin street youth services. i was around when they were founded and they are a national model. so i think having heard from the foster youth that are going to be served -- these are not people that walk into a homeless shelter and walk into this building. having heard from them -- those youth themselves, about what it means to be served and knowing how competent both c.h.p. and larkin street are, i hope

you'll support the s.u.d. request and the conditional use request. i also want to associate myself with reverend norman fong's remarks earlier. i hope three and four years from now and the neighbors get to know the programs, the organization that is are running them and the youth themselves, they will not only support this project with their donations, but with their time, provide mentoring to these youth, take them on trips, help train them, help them practice their job interviewing skills. and i've seen dozens of projects like this around the city, and in my experience, that is what happens three or four years after they open. thank you. >> thank you, commissioners. i'm charles dickie. i'm a cal hollow resident. i'm a san francisco small business owner. i'm past cal hollow association board member and a current larkin street youth services board member, as well as the father of two teenaged youth in the area. i support the c.h.p.-larkin

street project in district 2. i believe the granting, the increased densities from 16 to 24 unit will promote the general welfare of san francisco as it provides much-needed support for transitional-aged youth. i was pleased actually to see today that lori brook, the president of the c.h.a., was quoted in the "examiner" as saying that c. chmplet a. was not against the project, they were just against the city making a precedent of changing zoning rules. i was heartened to see that, and that gives us a way to move forward and accept the project in the area. although it's a little different in the c.h.a.-cal hollow association's letter written by their attorney, which follows a different tact and brings up numerous issues outside of that, among them being issues of crime. he brings up anecdotal evidence of crime at 864 ellis. i actually went on crime stat

website and over the last six months at that location, there were 283 crimes reported. if you move two blocks over to 564, or three blocks over to 554 ellis, you actually have 564 crimes. there's actually less crime. if you go to 3155 scott, you have 66 crimes in that same time period. obviously a great place for these youth to be. the letter addresses economic costs of the project. in fact, the increased density is what we need to keep the costs down of this project. we need to be able to help 24 youth instead of 16 and the ongoing costs of running the programs. all these -- it's surprising that all these people are here today. over eight youth in our neighborhood. i welcome the youth to our neighborhood. i believe that it will enhance our neighborhood. i take my children -- president olague: thank you, sir. >> thank you. president olague: jennifer tate, followed by charles -- thank you. [laughter]

anita fieger, and jennifer heiler, and then jennifer smith. >> hello. my name is jennifer tate. i've been a marina residents for more than 15 years and i support the project. larkin street and community president buell: has demonstrated their desire to reach out to neighbors and allow dialogue over this project, which is important to me as a neighbor. there will be 24-hour staffing, a security system and lobby services for the residents. this project cannot and should not be compared to other hotels in the neighborhood. after having met and interacted with larkin street team, i'm comfortable with their ability to manage and provide support to the youth residents. i believe this is an opportunity the community should take to help these youth continue turning their lives around through its stable housing situation. these are young adults that are holding jobs or attending

school. an on-site staff will be available to support them in these efforts. the ability to pay their own rent through affordable housing allows residents to build the skills they will need to graduate from this program and lead successful lives in the community. i respect the right of neighborhood associations to have their opinions, but they do not speak for all residents of the marina. i feel that san francisco and the marina district should take this opportunity to create a supportive transition-aged housing at edward ii. thank you. >> president olague and fellow commissioners, i'm chuck. i am a pediatrician, a physician in adolescent medicine here in san francisco. as a member of the board of directors of larkin street youth services, i come here today on behalf of the thousands of teens and young adults in san francisco who are homeless, often due to rejection by their families. offering shelter in the form of a warm bed and a supportive environment of counseling, education and job placement

offers these youth a second chance at succeeding in life. every year 5,000 youth take their own life in the u.s. and over 1/3 of these adolescents are sexual minority youth who have been rejected by their families and pierce. as a resident of the neighborhood -- i live there -- and form are president of the san francisco medical society, also located in the presidio, this location for youth will not change the quality of life in this location. indeed, having the community residents as a model of healthy lifestyles may even improve a neighborhood in which multiple drinking establishments with intoxicated patrons on the streets at night should be a hire priority of concern for the welfare and safety of the marina neighborhood. i want to close by saying removing the golden gate bridge will not prevent suicide. offering a place to live and shelter may save their lives. i see 24 patients in a day, so i don't think 24 in this setting would be too much, thank you. >> thank you.

>> thank you for the opportunities to speak. i'm evelyn stieevers. i work for the housing. we build affordable housing throughout northern california, primarily in the suburban districts that traditionally discriminate against affordable housing. i'm pleased to be able to clear up misconception that is have been talked about about affordable housing. with the issue of the cost of this development, it's true, affordable housing can -- the price tag can seem shocking. $9 million. but think about what you're getting. it's a huge investment in both the community and in the lives of the individuals that will be benefiting from that housing. but also, you're paying for community benefits that go along with the development of that building. you're paying for prevailing wage. you're paying for community space that can be used by the neighbors and for the whole community. you're paying for a.d.a. compliance. so there are other -- there are benefits that cost money, that

are worth paying for that go along with this building. the second thing is my understanding is the project is going to be financed through tax credits. i know tax credits is one of the most confusing financial tools ever developed, but it's also been one of the most effective. according to the u.s. department of housing and urban development, the low-income housing tax credit is the most important resource nationally and it has created over 2 million units of affordable housing nationally. so it's not a program where the individual investor vests in the development as a profit-making venture. it's a way for them to defer their taxes through investing in the affordable housing. so for every dollar that they invest in the tax-credit program, they get to write off a dollar of their federal taxes. it's a great opportunity for the city of san francisco to

get increased money and investment for an important project. thank you. president olague: thank you. >> good afternoon, i'm anita fieger, vice chair of the board of larkin street. over 27 years larkin street has succeeded in helping thousands of youth exit street life through a coordinated program of proven social services. the 24 hand-picked rent-paying youth who would be housed in this facility would be involved in this program and either working or attending school. they're being taught at the same time some lifelong skills of hard work and self-discipline, community involvement and tolerance for other people and their ways. the program can only succeed if we can provide safe, secure affordable housing in one of

the most expensive cities in the world. i urge you to support this project and the 24 youth who will come off of san francisco streets and have a better chance at a successful life. thank you. president olague: good afternoon, commissioners. my name is jennifer smith and i'm here today to represent the john burton foundation for children without homes. i do have a letter from mr. john burton, who was, unfortunately, unable to make it today. but i wanted to be here myself to establish our support of this project. on a personal note, i spend my days quantifying the need for programs like this, as well as studying the successful outcomes, and i can speak to the fact that there is a great, great need for programs such as this in our city, as well as speak to the fact that programs similar to these have tremendous successful outcomes for these youth. so i just want to thank you for the opportunity to speak on behalf of my organization as

well as in the hopes that you will support this project and the youth that it will benefit. thank you. president olague: thank you. if i've called your name, please, you can come to the mic. >> hi. my name is rod giden, the co-founder and executive director of at the crossroads, a street outreach and counseling organization for street youth in san francisco. i've been running it for 14 years. i was a member of the transition an aged tach force and a member of the steering commit. i'm here to offer the strongest support possible for edward ii. i want to talk about the kinds of kids who are going to be in this housing. the youth are not bad kids. it is not their fault that they're not housed. and it's not an indicator of some problem that they have. they're just young people who need a safe home. i've worked with these kids for 24 years. some of them are amazing, some are challenging, some are incredibilitybly motivated and some are struggling to find

their life paths. they sound like most kids, don't they? they have broken families and that's why they're without home, they grew up poor with no safety net and because they live in an expensive city because it's challenging to find housing. they are nod bat kids. they adapt to their sournedsing and are influenced by who is around them. if they're in a neighborhood where there is a lot of violence and drug use, they have the pro tension to be steered in those directionings. if they're in a safe, healthy environment and neighborhood and have caring adults who encourage them to be their best selves, that is who they will become. they want what they've lacked their whole lives -- safety, stability and a positive community. given these things, their pro tension will be unlocked and they will do amazing things. i've seen it time and time again. we all have a choice. we can leave these kids on the street or resign them to saying that they can only be in neighborhoods that are among the most -- the city's most dangerous and vulnerable, or we can give them a loving home in a safe, vibrant community and make the statement that all young people, all young people

deserve the opportunity to build outstanding lives, regardless of the hands that they've been dealt. thank you for your consideration. president olague: thank you. jeff schoenfeld, holly hayes, steve hammond, lori brook, alan silverman. >> good afternoon, commissioners. my name is jeff schoenfeld. i am the director of clinical and community services for larkin street. i'd like to point out just about the same things everyone else has pointed out to you so far, which is the youth that will be occupying this residence are homeless not of their own fault. 20% of youth coming out of foster care are the youth that are on the streets. that the youth who have been rejected by their families are the youth that are on the streets. so we would love the opportunity and cherish the opportunity to work with these youths and house them and set

them on the road to recovery around all the issues that are necessary. not all of them are in recovery or need to be thought of as in recovery. they are our children. they are our brothers. they are our sisters. and we have the responsibility and the joy and privilege of caring for them. so i really support this project and hope that you do, too. thank you. president olague: thank you. >> hello, my name is holly hayes. i'm an employee in the finance department of larkin street youth services. before i worked for them, i was their neighbor. for a little over two years -- i live less than two blocks from larkin street's main hub on sutter street. like any neighborhood, the neighborhood had its problems. but the problems didn't ever come from larkin street or the youth that were served there. in fact, i felt that the presence of larkin street

programming made this neighborhood better and also safer, both for us neighbors and for the youth that were served there. by giving youth a place to go for the support and positive activity that all people need and deserve, especially those young people who have been rejected by their families or marginalized in their home communities, as so many of the clients at larkin street have been. larkin street helps its client tap into the resiliency and potential that are a hallmark of the young, alounge them to be independent adults and contributing members of society. larkin street programs create opportunities for youth to become valuable members of their communities, which are our communities also. and although i now live in a different part of the city, i would always still welcome larkin street and the exceptional young people that the organization serves as my neighbors at any time. and i hope that residents of the area surrounding the edward ii can do the same. thank you. president olague: thank you.

>> commissioners, my name is steve hammond with the cal ha low association. to be clear, the cal hollow association does not object to this project, and in fact understands the need for housing facilities. they have concerns about the number of units, and to the extent that the commission supports the housing level at 24 units, it's fair to ask that there are -- that the conditional use authorization and the s.u.d. provisions memorialize the promises made, promises that are in the best interest of the kids and the community. that would include restricting housing to single occupancy per unit, to have -- to bar felons and to have a screening process in place. also, those on probation to require that an on-site adult supervisor actually live in the

manager's unit, and that that manager's unit is reserved for a proper supervisor. to require that there are two adult supervisors on site at all times, as promised. to have a transition plan that grapples with the complexities of eviction control and meaningfully reserves this site for housing. create a community oversight and enforcement mcnism and make sure that we don't -- mechanism and make sure that we don't end up with a site that's not good for the kids and not good for the community. we do believe that this application is inconsistent with proposition m. we believe that as the mayor's office of housing required in its note, that it should be

fully a.d.a. compliant. we believe that the fact that it's unclear how many folks will live in this unit -- president olague: thank you. >> -- is inadequate notice. thank you for your time today. >> good afternoon, commissioners. i'll the president of the cal hollow association. i want to begin by refuting an inaccurate perception that we do not want affordable housing in our area. we have said from the start that we agree there is a need for those services, and larkin street has done a fine job in transitioning youth. all i've listened to today i feel we're preaching to the choir. we're not here to denounce the affordable housing, we're here to support it. all the children, our youth, that have stood up, we welcome you. we would love for you to be in our community. and the other gentleman said things we'd like to do, such as go a job training, we will do that. all we're asking is that you don't make exception to the zoning laws to do so because

the price tag is so large. there should be some oversight for this type of mechanism. bring in 16. start it tomorrow. in fact, they could have already started building if they had moved forward with the existing zoning laws. i also want to mention that we have spoken to our supervisor about formulating a lombard street master plan as a gateway to san francisco. as visitors exit the presidio parkway they are met with struggling motels and businesses and billboards. we are fortunate that there is consistent zoning that would help facilitate a master plan, but precedences much spot zoning will complicate these efforts. we also provided you with over 425 signatures of residents and merchants that live and work in the area that oppose the special use district but do not oppose affordable houses. we hope you lean with us in asking community housing partnership to sharpen their pencil and find a way to move in with the 16 units of housing. allowing an increase in density beyond the current zoning laws to accommodate affordable

housing initiatives without sufficient vetting of a price tag or program is an unssable policy inconsistent with neighborhood character and a bass precedence along lombard street. thank you for your time. president olague: thank you. >> good afternoon, commissioners. i am alan silverman from the marina community association, and i'd like toly emphasize some of the things that lori just said. the marina community association is not against this project. the marina community association would welcome a project like this in our neighborhood. we are supportive of the people who need this kind of housing. we are supportive of the great work that lark ip treat is doing. and if you are supportive of those things, you will vote against this special use district, because it is a complete waste of money. and the reason that it has to

go from the 16 youth to the 24 youth and maybe even more is because the community housing partnership cannot make this work financially for their private investors, who want the 9% tax credit. this project -- when i came into the building this afternoon i noticed that french flag was flying over the building, because today is july 14, and in 1789 the people in france were complaining about some things their government were doing. i can tell you, this project has the same kind of smell about it as came from the bastille on that day. it started out as a statement by the mayor's office of housing that we've got $2 million available. and suddenly it was over $4 million to buy a building. and now it's over $9 million. it's going to cost over $370,000 per unit to build this. we could put these young people in the rhythms carlton for that price. president olague: we should. >> at $9,000 per year, as was

quoted -- $9,000 a year to support young people like this, one of these units at $360,000, you could support 40 people for a year. we're not against housing young people who have these needs in our district. we're against this project and the special-use district, which makes it bad. thank you. president olague: thank you. i've called a few names. i'll call a few more. gabriel holland, dr. amy vakrak, gabriel la bruce, followed by ann cochran. >> good afternoon, commissioners. i am with the san francisco women's political committee and i am also an expert in juvenile delintcy and human trafficking.

i strongly support this project. i would like for everyone to imagine being taken as a child from your home and being cycled through the foster care system, and then coming home after school, the last day of school after your 18th birthday and finding a trash bag with your things sitting on the porch for you to be on your own and do nothing. and then to be living on the street. these kids who come on to the street are at most risk of human trafficking, which unfortunately is a hub in san francisco. they're also the most at risk at becoming substance abusers, engaging in survival sex and all of these other things that we are trying to prevent. by having this kind of housing -- oh, i should also say that half of these at-risk kids are girls, who are more at risk. somebody asked earlier how this

project benefits them, and i would challenge somebody to ask a child how -- who has been living on the street how this will benefit. i'd challenge somebody to ask a child who would otherwise be living under a bridge if they would rather be housed with one or two people in the room, if they care whether it's 24 or 48 kids. the bottom line is it's not the tenderloin's responsibility, it's not the bayview's responsibility. these youth -- these young adults are our collective responsibility and only by providing them with the services that they need and enabling them to become productive citizens will we achieve those goals. and perhaps if we provide them with the services now, they can even become homeowners in the marina district later on and then help other children later. thank you. president olague: thank you. >> commissioners, my name is gabriel holland. i'm the political coordinator for s.i.u. 1021.

i'm here on behalf of sciu to testify for the project and also to let you know that we have endorsed it, as has the labor council. happy to speak to it in numerous ways, one of which is we represent the workers at c.h.p. who are doing amazing work around this area. on a personal note i want to say as someone who was booted out of my home as a young person for being queer, it's challenging to move to san francisco and find housing. i moved here in 1984 and was -- it was challenging then in 1984. so imagine how challenging it is for a young person who's -- you know, my father was not excited that i was queer and as are 40% of our youth, as you probably know, are lgbt, many of whom have been literally pushed out of their homes and come here because it's a haven, it's a safe space. so i just want to say thank you to the providers who provide

space for people like me, who had nowhere to go. so thank you. >> good afternoon, commissioners. my name is ann cochran. i'm the executive director of the san francisco conservation corps. we provide job readiness, education and career development services for over 100 low-income young people ages 18 to 25 annually, and we've been doing it since 1983. we have partnered with both larkin street services and community housing partnership for many years and find them to be an excellent partner. the young people that join sfcc to gain job skills, their high school diploma and access to jobs, training or post-secondary education do so because they want to make their lives better and that of their

families. one of the reasons, one of the primary reasons that the young people leave or fail in our program is a lack of affordable and stable housing. there is not enough housing to support this population who are facing many challenges and working very hard to become self-sufficient young adults. please support edward ii transition youth housing, trank you. president olague: thank you. patricia, followed by maria gonzalez, mark sledskin, marsha chernak. >> actually, that card was for the last one. this is for the new one, but that's fine. i've got two more for you. >> patricia voy. we've had students in our program since 1978. we've never been against this project. what bothers me about this project is we've asked, what is the plan and how are you going to facilitate it? no answer.

trust us. we'll just do it. i want to know what the qualifications are for the managers. i want to know what happened to one of my kids in the last year who tried to commit suicide? i want to know what their mitigations for the emotional upheaval to have with the people -- these young adults that have been dumped twice and have extra emotional problems that other people don't have. i've had everything. one of my kids has asperger's. i have to work with that. i asked my kids about a year ago before this happened if they lost their housing if they would like to live on lombard for a day or two, just to give them a place to live, and they said, why don't you just send us to the tenderloin. i asked them about this project. bedroom-bath. no place to congregate. no kitchen. well, everybody will have a refrigerator. sounds like a correctional sounds like a correctional institution to