>> 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 in the big city of san francisco and help the youth. each of us needs to remember, if not for the help that we have, how many would make it to where we are today? >> i am a transitional age youth.
it is appalling that people are opposing this project, no matter how the concerns are framed, it doesn't make sense to a young person like myself that would benefit greatly from this housing project. i don't understand how people can be opposed to helping to create safe and affordable housing for the city's most marginalized youth. rather than respond to the issues, i would like to remind you all that the initial goal was to create 400 units for the transitional age youth by 2012. that goal has already been delayed. and this is a very urgent matter and ask that you not further delay this project. affordable housing is one of the most critical needs. please support the project. thank you.
refugee from el salvador that makes a living out of her house. she is barely making ends meet, she consistently taking in youth and young families that are struggling with housing from her local church. that is my grandmother. not only does she take in those folks, she supported myself, my sister, and my mother. if this elderly woman who made ends meet by clipping coupons, only shopping when there was a sale, could support some many people that i used to see growing up, why can't the city and county of san francisco support this project and provide housing for transitional aid used? i urge you to make the right decision and the support and move forward the edward the second.
family, many of my friends. there is concern -- i can promise you that they will have much more space than students have in the dorms. these are young people that are asking for a hand up and not a hand out. please vote to pass the project, thank you. >> members of the board of supervisors, my name is richard spring water. why may district to resident and a supporter of that were the second. my day job involves real estate.
in support of housing buildings , they serve 238 formerly homeless adults and 48 formerly homeless families. in addition, i am a member of the san francisco local homeless coordinating board where i have served for the past 10 years. the board is charged with overseeing in the continuum of care. the proposed project by community housing partnership, if approved, will play a vital role in the continuum of care. the solution to homelessness is a home. support was developed 20 years ago. research has shown the support of housing pays for itself through savings in other public resources. they are otherwise consumed by the homeless.
formerly friends of the children for eight years. and i work with foster youth and at risk youth. i understand the concerns and the fear, i support this project. the biggest concern is safety, but i have seen the youth services performed very well, internationally known to be a successful program. selecting people that want to be stable adults. they need help and deserve a real chance. i feel san francisco should allow this. we have a moral obligation to protect our most vulnerable population, our youth. we have a social responsibility to provide housing opportunities for those trying to uplift themselves. san francisco has been about community and that is why i have moved here.