supervisors. i am the co-founder and executive director of at the crossroads. it is for home y>> i was a membe transitional youth task force and i am here to offer the strongest possible support. during the past 14 years, the need for housing for 18-24 year- old has grown dramatically. it is essential to the health of all san francisco. they can become not just productive members of society, but leaders of the city. this is why city departments, nonprofit organizations, young adults, and concerned citizens have identified housing as the number one priority for this age group. it is not their fault, it is not an indicator of some problem that they have. they're just young people that need a safe home.

some of these kids are fantastic, some are challenging, some are motivated, and some are struggling to find their path. there are without homes because they have broken families or they grew up with no safety net. because they live in an expensive city where many people find it challenging to pay for their housing. they are not bad kids. they adapt to their surroundings and they are influenced by those around them. if they are in a neighborhood with violence or drug use, they have the potential to be turned to those avenues. if adults encourage them to be their best self, that is to they will become. they want safety, stability, and a positive community. i have seen the potential time and time again. we can leave these kids on the streets and say that the only neighborhoods they belong in are the most dangerous and vulnerable areas, or we can make

the statement that all young people deserve the opportunity to build of standing lives. i am also submitting -- [inaudible] president chiu: you can give it to the clerk. thank you. >> i would like to address the residents. it seems to me like -- wow. ok. it seems to me like you guys are fine with having a place to live as long as it is not the community. i wanted to address the problems that you guys and brought up. none of you are footing the bill. when is the problem?

it is a good thing you guys are concerned about where your tax dollars are going. but at the same time, the only people that are actually going to be putting forth money would be the use -- youth. ok. i think that the main reason that youth are at risk is because they don't have a safe or stable place to live. and talking about the committee's or a lack of misinformation from both parties. on the other hand, do i really need your permission to live somewhere?

that is all i really have to say, thank you. >> good evening, members of the board. i am a senior program manager with the corporation for support of housing. it is a nonprofit organization that helps communities across the country create permanent housing with services to prevent homelessness. the support of housing model is a prudent approach for homelessness and reducing the costly and unproductive emergency services. we believe strongly in the research is promising that transition age youth are able to succeed when provided safe and affordable housing and access to relevant and responsive services. we are an enthusiastic supporter for the youth services

effort to create 24 apartments for youth aged 18-244 at risk of homelessness including the aging out of foster care. they both have award winning reputations for their work weather is housing development, management, or support of services. i trust they will bring this work ethic and professionalism to the project. hall at all, it represents a small but meaningful contribution to the transitional aged youth housing plan. each one represents a significant investment in preventing homelessness right now and preventing the emergence of a new generation of homeless adults and families. please support the efforts. the '90s appeals for the conditional use permit. thank you.

>> good evening, president chiu and members of the board. i am here in strong support of the project which takes a 29- unit hotel down to 24 units. the neighborhood outreach that we have conducted has been amazing. there is a website for community meetings, house parties, fires, the males, and door hangers. and it matches those of your political campaigns. sometimes you can't completely overcome through claims and fear that the opposition is putting out there. in this case, it has been the comparison to the bridge hotel. it is a private market rate

building where the owners feel the best way to maximize their profits is to run eighth in the current way it is being run. all of you on the board no for a fact the community housing partnerships that professionally own and operate at were the second, it will not be another bridge hotel. if approved, i am confident that my neighbors will realize that as well. today, i have to wonder how many of my neighbors have signed petitions against that were the second because they are against the bridge hotel. and not because they are against quality projects. they truly lost to those buyers because of the were the second rather than the economy. it is due to the untrue rumors of edward the second being another bridge hotel that nobody would want to live next to. young adults easing out of foster care that have done no wrong to anyone should not be held responsible for these

rumors and unsubstantiated fears. i urge you to support this product that will have no impact on my neighborhood that is already a vibrant part of san francisco. >> my name is barbara, i have been a resident since january of 1985, and i am here to speak in support of the project. i have previously written to the board about my support and i am here today to reiterate my position and feelings that i expressed in those letters. we have an obligation to uphold our promise to the youth of california that find themselves in the foster care system. we tell them if you of pulled your end of the bargain, if you stay in school and are gainfully

employed and immerse yourself in job training, we will continue to support you. we should be applauding the determination of these young adults to become self- sufficient. i urge all parents to remember the assistance they gave their children after high school graduation whether they're going to a two-year or four-year college. i think we should all remember the assistance we receive from our parents during that transitional time in two first jobs or careers. but what happens in california is that at the age of 18, children in the foster care system are left on their own. i am thankful that they are here to help with the transition through college and the first jobs. i think we should celebrate the determination and hard work, welcome them to our

neighborhood. please remember the success that they have had with their projects. they are developed for young adults 18-24. i am proud to stand with these agencies and young adults that will live in these 24 units. i am proud to help them fight to have a, and i'll forward to welcoming them to the marina. >> my name is bill campbell. i have lived in different locations within seven blocks of edward the second for 35 years. i was looking through an alumni magazine when i saw one of those articles on faculty research projects. this one began with this sentence. one third half of the girl living in high crime areas are victims of sexual violence.

young women that live in poor neighborhoods face violence is way above what women in other neighborhoods face. we need a citywide solution and all neighborhoods need to step up. i know the track record. one of the reasons why it is so successful is that it has high expectations and it provides a world-class mentoring and support. years ago, there was a mansion and in pacific heights. i never heard of a single incident to the entire time it was there. i think it will be the same way here. i have listened to the opponent's comments. i have heard one person say three times that he was against this project because it is a gold-plated project. i have heard other people say that the rooms are too small and

there is not enough common areas, there is not enough outside space. it is not nice enough. the other person says the young people won't stay there too long. i think it is pretty clear that no project is going to make all the implements happy, no project is perfect. but this project is an exceptionally good one. let's not wait for a perfect project, because i don't think we will see one. we need to offer a safe place to live now to transition to community life. >> i am 21 years old of age and i have been working with them since entering the foster

system in 2004. there are so currently working with them. on behalf of all transition age youth, as a 21-year-old led the divide woman, i have had to face many -- i have been provided with a wide variety of supportive services and forms of membership, case management, and it has allowed me to tackle some of these issues regarding housing. i was able to intern who gained experience as well as plan by next steps around employment. and i was able to get an

educational plan eventually leading to a transfer to san francisco state. so i can continue to advocate for youth in this position. my story is what you will hear over and over again when it comes to the youth services. i believe that is because they are good at what they do. they want to continue to help people. my story still came at a very large price of me dealing with a lot of hard ships and overcoming a lot of struggles. but due to their great track record of meeting people where they are at and meeting people half way, i think they can help the youth and i think they can assist the residents and hope some of their fears. i hope he will support this project, thank you.

>> hon. board members, i live and work in san francisco and i have had the honor of being a board member from the late-1980s until the late 1990's. i watched it grow. when i first started, the budget was $300,000. now i understand that due to success and reputation as over $12 million. that $12 million supports a full continuum of services that i am sure you have heard about. there are very successful, they are known nationally and internationally. i am reminded, and i know you have heard about the populations that the market street youth services, who their clients are. i am reminded that d.c. youth

that are in foster home at age 18, as you heard president of the marina remind us, at age 18, they are turned away. and think about us as parents, us as children, how support of the work of our children once they graduate from high school or for those of you younger than i am, how your parents supported you when you graduated from high school. these foster kids heart and underserved population. when i think about this, i am reminded by something -- a jesuit philosopher reminded me that the society is judged by how it treats in the least of its members. please support this project.

>> supervisors, i feel underdressed. i am here talking on behalf of youth services. i am currently staying at the youth shelter. i recently had a chance to visit the marina district for the first time. it was very beautiful and very clean. i did not understand why there was some much debate about the shelter and the first place. aside from money and building regulations, i understand there is a certain level of fear that comes with homeless activity in such a beautiful district like the marina. no one wants to see the marina look like the tenderloin. i want to reassure anyone with of the concern that you've shelters are nothing like other homeless shelters. all the youth that i have encountered have all been very

motivated individuals whose ultimate goal was to have jobs and go to school. it is my belief that living in an area like the marina would only benefit the homeless youth to continue their pursuit. san francisco is a very iconic city. i believe that what happens here influences what happens elsewhere in this country. i believe that we can really show the rest of the world that caring about youth who don't have a lot of choices in life generally encourage others to do the same. no one tells the youth that they are going to become homeless until it is a done deal. no one told me my mom was going to pass away after i graduated high school. but because of programs, i am out setting up to go to college next year. it is a dream i could not see

happen otherwise. i believe rules have been banned for worse reasons. >> i have a resident avenue independence. the marina district doesn't release support of -- support a lot of what is going on. i am starting to see them take a tour. and as a resident, i work for the department and the environment. i clean up a lot of the murals down there. and we were down their cleaning up some graffiti. they have given me an opportunity with the department of the environment to start pilot programs to implement

energy efficiency and a zero waste program along with orchard and garden projects. hopefully, they can implement the same projects. without a lot of opportunities, i am looking forward to going to uc-berkeley for architecture. i give all my thanks. >> i am a resident of district 2, and i am asking for your support in converting the edward the second into a traditional house for young adults. i have been volunteering for over a year in dallas. once a week, i go to the house and i concur.

help them with homework or we play chess, checkers, or we talk. i have been doing this for over a year because i am so impressed with the youth that i get to talk to. they are smart, they are driven, no matter what hand they have been dealt, they say that they will put forth the effort to be a contributing member of society. they do that because of the services of the street and the house where they get to live. it is similar to when the second would be as well. >> i used to be a [unintelligible] the reason i am here is that on thanksgiving, i had a chance to

meet the kids. i used to serve dinner to the kids. i had a chance to mentor one of the kids, and native american. this kid had a hard time coming out from arizona. not only did he have a hard time coming out, he had hiv. he feels like everyone is against him. i was happy to be his sponsor. i have been clean and sober for 20 years. i am a member of 12 staff, and i had a chance to see this kid because i was a former homeless kids. i was a former gang member and i am a former drug addict.

in my generation, we never had anything what they have today. if i was given a chance like this, they could become a police officer, they could become a supervisor, so to me, it is a project for future generations. >> i am a resident in live about six blocks from the edward too. i am a former board member of the youth services and also a real estate professional. ceqa is an important law that has contributed to the environment. it has become a tool for anyone that wants to construct a project no matter what size or

actual impact. the planning department has appropriately determined that it should be reviewed. i urge you to a hold of the determination and denied the appeal. conditional use permit are designed to provide flexibility in the planning code to achieve public code. out -- and always be improved. this is a well conceived project, please support the hotel project for transition aged youth.

>> thank you for the opportunity to speak briefly with you tonight about the edward the second project. i am a resident of the richmond district. i am here in my professional capacity tonight, i am the program director of the court- appointed advocates for children. what i really want to talk about tonight, there are a lot of practical issues that need to be considered, however she eighth heard that it is complex. i am trying to be another reminder of the big picture. what i consider not to be just an important issue, but a critical issue. as someone that has worked the last 12 years, watch many youth leave foster care without much more than a simple plan for their lives, sometimes those plans fall apart.

i really see this as one step towards addressing the crisis. and i think based on the experience we have had, we really need to see many more projects like this, and maybe we will make a dent in what i call the crisis of housing. the youth are amazing. they are called at risk a lot. i don't know anybody who as a teenager that doesn't have risk. i know i had risen and i have many privileges and support in my life. i want you to consider the big picture of getting these youth into a safe and affordable -- and have a leg up in their lives. >> i am coming to speak on

behalf of the san francisco democratic county central committee. this came out before us and it passed. we want to see this bill. i was a teacher for 40 years. they are at risk of succeeding. they are at risk of becoming wonderful citizens if they can get the hell. without help, they can fall through the cracks. if they can get health, they can make it in this world. my son was one of those.

my son was so at risk because he was learning disabled, but very bright. my son became very abusive because he was so frightened at school. if it had not been for help outside of the home that he got, he would not have made it through school. he would not be a teacher of severely handicapped students. each of these people has had a hard life. this will help them. this is the kind of housing that is important for everybody here. this will make these children, good citizens, good parents, good jobholders. it is important that you vote on this matter.

>> i am very glad for the opportunity to be off the streets and to get my life back in a stable path going forward. i think that the adults in this room have forgotten that at one time, we passed through the 18- 25 year category. there may be somebody who reached 17 in a skiff to 26, but that was a miracle. everybody probably said there were going to run away from home because they don't like the way they were being treated. this is an opportunity for the board to go forward with a small space