Preserving Affordable Housing in the Excelsior

The Excelsior district is one of the last remaining neighborhoods in San Francisco that has a large concentration of working-class Filipino and Latino families. Despite the current challenges of gentrification and displacement, there are ways to mitigate these ongoing threats and stabilize vulnerable populations. One such way is through the City of San Francisco’s Small Sites Program, in which a nonprofit organization purchases a residential building in efforts to keep current tenants in their units. In July 2018, the Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) successfully purchased the building at 4830 Mission Street, thus marking the first property in the Excelsior district to be acquired under the Small Sites program.

Built in 1990, 4830 Mission Street has 6 commercial spaces and 21 residential units, which are mostly occupied by Latino and Filipino families. Among the Filipino tenants that reside there are Ely Jardeleza and his mother, Paz Jardeleza. The Jardelezas migrated to San Francisco in 1996 through a petition filed by a family member and initially settled in the Tenderloin district.

The migration story of the Jardeleza family is one that is emblematic of tens of thousands of Filipinos. Whether it was through forced migration due to economic, political, and social stressors, or searching for a better life for themselves and their families, many Filipinos found their beginnings in the Bay Area, specifically in San Francisco, with a large influx concentrated in the South of Market. The South of Market has long been regarded as both a welcoming neighborhood for Filipinos and as the gateway for Filipinos entering the United States before putting down roots in other neighborhoods in San Francisco (like the Excelsior district) or other parts of the Bay Area. The Jardeleza family’s story is just one small part of the larger shared history of Filipino migration and the Filipino diaspora.

After spending five years in the Tenderloin, in 2001, the Jardelezas were able to secure a two-bedroom unit in their current building in the Excelsior, because Ely’s brother was the former tenant. Since then, the Jardelezas have lived in the same unit and have enjoyed the accessibility to public transportation and the vicinity to stores and Filipino restaurants, as well as the sense of community felt among other Filipinos living in the Excelsior. Ely even stated that the Excelsior’s tight-knit Filipino community sometimes makes him feel “like he never left the Philippines.”

In late April, the Jardeleza family was informed that their building was being put up for sale. They expressed their initial worries, especially because their building was not covered under rent control. Furthermore, Ely discussed their concerns regarding the new housing developments in the neighborhood: “It’s scary because nearby, they’re developing a new residential [complex]... Do you know how much [per] unit? It’s like $3,500 for one bedroom… If they’re selling this, where will we go?” With their non-rent-controlled building on the market and the lack of affordable units in the vicinity, the housing situations of Paz, Ely, and the additional 60+ tenants were placed in jeopardy.

On the first week of May, MEDA acquired a loan from the San Francisco Housing Accelerator Fund and approached the previous landlord to purchase the property through the Small Sites Program. While negotiations were underway, staff members from MEDA, PODER, and SOMCAN held a general meeting with the tenants about the acquisition process through the Small Sites Program. SOMCAN’s Tenant Counselor, Gene Alejo, met individually with the Jardelezas and the four other Filipino tenant families to inform them on their rights and to address any lingering questions or concerns about the transition. Gene reassured them that this strategy would enable their families to stay in their current units at affordable rents and remain part of the neighborhood.

Prior to the general meeting, the Jardelezas were unfamiliar with MEDA, but they felt relieved to know that their prospective landlord was a nonprofit organization. According to Ely, “[the] transition [between landlords] was very transparent because MEDA disclosed every detail, including having pets such as turtles and snakes. MEDA showed a draft of the contract and it seemed fair and just.” With approval from the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD), MEDA successfully purchased the site, marking the 22nd building to be included in their Small Sites Program. On July 18, 2018, the Jardelezas along with their neighbors signed a new lease effective August 1, 2018.

MEDA’s purchase of 4830 Mission Street is a significant victory not only for its current tenants, but also for the Excelsior community and the city of San Francisco as a whole. Since the beginnings of the dot-com era and the tech boom, the city has served as the stomping grounds for real-estate speculators and luxury developers. The perverse impacts of urban development have displaced longtime city residents from their homes, especially in the vibrant communities of the Mission, South of Market, Bayview, and Excelsior. The acquisition of 4830 Mission Street serves as a powerful example of the work that can be accomplished when tenants and community organizations join forces to fight for tenants’ rights and challenge real estate speculation, luxury development, and displacement.