On Saturday, February 26, HANC and co-sponsors (Coalition for a Complete Community, Senior Working Group, Cole Valley Haight Allies, Coalition on Homelessness, Homeless Youth Alliance, Larkin Street Youth Services, Acrosports, Booksmith, and Institute on Aging) held an event at 730 Stanyan to demonstrate that the space can and should be used pending the start of construction of permanent affordable housing.
Since 2017 community residents and organizations have urged the City to make the 730 Stanyan site available for a variety of “interim uses” like Saturday’s uses while plans for the development of permanent affordable housing are finalized.
Last year Mayor Breed abruptly halted an 18 month community planning process; Breed demanded that the final project to be two stories taller than originally planned. This restart added another 18 months to the process ensuring nothing will happen until early 2023, fully five years from the public purchase of the site. The site, with two brief exceptions, has stood empty all this time.
Saturday’s event shows how our community – young people, seniors and families – could make the site work for all of us until construction begins on permanent housing. Saturday’s event was organized by your neighbors, using the skills and services available in our community. We proved how we can make this site work for all of us.
Saturday’s event was organized by members of The Senior Working Group, the Coalition for a Complete Community (CCC), Cole Valley Haight Allies (CVHA), The Coalition on Homelessness (COH) and the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council (HANC). Services were provided by Homeless Youth Alliance (HYA), Larkin Street Youth Services, and Acrosports.
HOW THE 730 STANYAN SITE CAME TO BE VACANT FOR +4 YEARS
Time and again the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD)—which controls the site—has committed to such interim uses. Yet time and again M0HCD has failed to follow through on their promises. From its first neighborhood meeting in April 2018, MOHCD committed to making the site available for community serving interim uses. Finally, in early 2019, MOHCD announced its plan to move forward with a series of interim uses – services for seniors and kids, a community garden, etc. – that would address community needs. Then in August 2019, the plan was abruptly suspended because of “changed financial conditions“ that were never defined. In December 2019, the site was opened for parking for Christmas shoppers on Haight Street and then closed after the holidays.
Then in May 2020, the Haight Ashbury Homeless Youth Alliance (HYA), together with Larkin Street Youth Services, relocated scores of tents from our neighborhood’s sidewalks to the 730 Stanyan location. A Safe Sleeping Village called CAMP was created at the site. Until it closed in June 20 21, H YA & L Larkin S St. assisted some 70 peoples’ transition from the streets into permanent housing. An agreement had been made between Supervisor Preston and MOHCD to continue services at the site to address the needs of unhoused people, but late last year Mayor Breed again preempted the commitment. AND NOW THE SITE IS VACANT AGAIN!!
WHAT YOU CAN DO
1. Contact M O HCD and tell them you support interim uses @ 730 Stanyan for that provide much-needed services for unhoused youth, seniors and families with children.
MOHCD: Call: Lidia Ely 415-701-5519
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
2. Stay in touch. Ask to join CCC’s mailing list for updates and developments on 730 Stanyan.
Email: 730 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.