with 2 types of illnesses, one that can kill quicker than the other and then in 2011 i got out of jail and i have been trying to live my life. i ended up being in a transitional hotel and that kind of changed everything just a little bit for everything because i was going through a lot. i got tired of being homeless. and things started to turn around also but it was all for better roses. i had some heart aches while i was there and then i

came to kelly. it was very important. the people that came all the way up to everybody here, they have been very helpful and supportive in everything i did and doing here. and i'm just -- i [ applause ] >> i'm just so grateful that i have this opportunity to finally have a place that i can really lay my head. at 47 right now, i really haven't had a place to call my own. this is

my first real place that i can really say is mine. and every time i wake up in the middle of the night and i still do it now and i look around the place, and i'm just taken back to where i was and where i have been and also where i'm at today and it still blows me away because i didn't think i would have this opportunity. right now i would like to thank the people that made this move possible for me. my case manager. christian and i --

they were there when i needed them. and the people here, they are dynamite. [ applause ] when i feel down or even if i just need a smile, i see the person at the front desk for that. and if i need any kind of support or anything, with my meds or anything that i need, they are here for me. you know with no questions asked. so it's very rare that you can come to a place where people

really care about you. thank you, everybody. [ applause ] >> welcome to the stage our supervisor jane kim. [ applause ] >> good morning. it's hard to follow after shawn and the mayor. about a year ago, for the first time, the mayor appointed me as acting mayor when he went on a trip. my office said, one thing about these 3 days of acting mayor of san francisco and we decided on my behalf that i would spend

the night in the shelter. i went through the process throughout the day and ended up at the shelter that evening. i didn't think it was going to be hard for me, it wasn't hard for the reason i thought it would be. i thought it would be sad that i would see people at rock bottom where they would need to find shelter for the night because so many of the support systems they needed weren't in place for them. what i think what was difficult for a different set of reasons and because i experienced that love and compassion and generosity and people reached out to me all evening asking me if i needed help and if i needed this and if i needed anything.

i was truly touched by people who wanted to offer me the most. i want to combat homelessness. i say this is something in organizations like cnbc and back and forth discussions. these are the ways that we worked to combat homelessness and about supporting an incredible institution here in this neighborhood. [ applause ] >> what i can say when we are here as you read the opening, i would make the call at the tenderloin a couple weeks ago, we did the ribbon cutting at

the arlington hotel in 1908 in the city of san francisco. we have all the units in that building as well. one of the reasons i'm so honored to represent the district is that i believe we have the best residents and advocates and service providers and organizers. this is an amazing opportunity. this has allowed for projects like this to happen today. i'm honored to be part of that legacy and will continue to fight for more stable housing in the neighborhood. thank you. [ applause ] one of the people who has been a part of this project -- since the day we hired her,

supervisor -- [ applause ] this is fun, one of the historic ymca's that we have had reconstructed. i'm really happy to be here today to thank many of you in this room and some that were able to join us today. there are hundreds, literally hundreds of people here to join us and i don't think we could have asked for a better partner. specifically i want to ask the team. please raise your hand. so many

wonderful people and partners. and also the programs -- [inaudible]. [ applause ] the construction engineer gilbert chan. the designing construction team took a building and made it sparkle. we also made the building adorable. at the same time meeting the high standards of the fire department, the mayor's office, and all the corners. [inaudible].

>> construction and legal council to be here. [ applause ] we needed to rethink our entire approach to this problem. thank you. the mission of san francisco and financial support for renovation is truly remarkable. just the opportunity to provide supportive housing to the homeless. the added benefit and house of the opponents. when the city with so many people it's -- [inaudible] mark, and

the entire job. [ applause ] long time support is exciting. another way to call affordable housing. it's designed to help people who face the complex life -- to allow non-profits like cnbc to offer housing for homeless. we are demonstrating to people who live here, they are deserving. [ applause ] >> with the staff has also been

amazing and i'm grateful to them. i want to thank the partners, and everybody. especially dana and thank you all very much. [ applause ] we would like to thank the community for your support. we want to encourage everyone. thank you. [ applause ]

>> i believe in the housing development and the biggest affordable house is renovation ever taken by the city of san francisco. the credits roll and roll. hundreds of people, that's what it takes. everybody contributed and everybody played an important role and we were all led by marlin -- [ applause ] everybody working with project knows how complicated it was and how difficult it was. the development team and activities staff, i have a gift to offer tomorrow. [ applause ]

there are so many green -- to the building. [ applause ] this building, this project what's happening here is so exemplifies for that many of you knew him. before i introduce our former board member to share a few words. i want to address your attention to this screen where we put

together a small tribute.

[ applause ] .♪ i'm here to talk about kelly. i served on the board for many years. i saw these pictures. [inaudible]. my favorite story -- [inaudible] he is -- he selected them. he called them

pennies from heaven. now when i find pennies, i say, it's for kelly because i know they are coming from him. when you find pennies from heaven you know kelly is watching. kelly firmly believes that home matters. it was granted to him. [inaudible]. with i came on the -- so i watched this and i think if this is an honor that we can -- the fact that we are continuing to do what -- it does so well. who would have

thought we would be doing this today. who would have thought we are making such a difference. home matters. it's so important. howard is very enthusiastic and contagious. [ applause ] so, if you met him and you wanted to be around him and you were doing this you wanted to be with him. you should try it. that's how -- because it was fun and we were doing good work. it was kelly's calling to work with housing. he really believed if he could stabilize

a person they would grow. everybody in this room is a tribute to that and this is really especially in incredibly wonderful. i didn't know this -- we were traveling in another country and i found a bunch of american pennies on the ground. i realized people telling me -- pennies are very special and it takes a lot of pennies to do something like this. it starts with one penny to make something wonderful like this for a lot of people. thank the staff because every single

person makes a different. thank you very much. >> i would like to thank you for good afternoon and thank you for coming. i'm delighted to announce that our first effort is unleashed upon the world. [ applause ] . it's only been two-and-a-half years since the moment of

conception of this idea. it's an amazing tribute to our community. it reached three levels of impossibility, of getting a permit and designing it and putting it on this structure and the impossibility of getting it funded. it really is a tribute to so many and a lot of faces that i'm looking at this room tonight. it comes down to as always people. i'm going through a few moments here to give a real thanks to people who made this night and the next two years possible. i'm going to list a couple of company names, but i want to think of them as members of our community that made this project possible. that

included, bloomberg, guchie, it includes the partners, magazine, california home and design, magazine, aluminum illuminary sponsors and the folks tonight. and, you know that first level of impossibility. i'm going to list some agency names. it comes down to a lot of people in this room to make it possible. my first phone call in this project was to cal trans. in cal trans working together with the bay area with the mayor's office here in the county of san francisco and

coast guard, official wild life, all of these came together to find a way when typically the system is designed to say no, people found a way to say yes to this project. the arts commission, this collusion support from the san franciscmuseum of modern art. i apologize for the folks i will be missing because this is a cast of a thousand that made this happen. we certainly love our lawyers in this process. morrison who helped it become a very established and professional way in getting the contract involved in getting this project to an amazing legal footing. the technology

network in san jose who made this a crucial project. i want to call out a thanks to or tactical team. we know how to make it small, not over 150 feet in the air. we have a studio, zone engineering and i have to say thanks to hmr who has been a rock star and directly one of the reasons this is happening. an extremely talented project. thank you all. i also want to just take a moment to really acknowledge that while leo and i have done a lot of things m in this world, we would not be able to do it alone. there is only one person responsible for this project and that is executive

director of the arts. luminarias. i can go on and on. i think i will throughout the night. do know that she's a special person and this entire community owes her a debt of gratitude. i want to thank leo and his family for bringing the level of artistic integrity for this work that somehow slipped through the progress of a work of contemporary art parallel in art history. it has everything to do with leo and our interpretations with our discussion and that one minute

that transformed how people will be receiving this project and how i can make this happen and lieutenant governor will join us at the ceremony at the bay light.org. i really want to thank our mayor who is a visionary in his own right and common good and who i had the pleasure of working with other projects and he's making this city better every single day. people should know that mayor embraced this team, this project ma way that had nothing to do with really -- even, it was a matter of passion, a personal desire to see the work of art radiant and shine in our