Mayor breed and supervisor peskin for their unwavering leadership throughout this entire process without their dedication and support. This project would not have been possible. The diva residence is special for many reasons. Located in the heart of the city. As all of you know who who came here this morning, this afternoon, the diva hotel has actually long been a pillar for the community, providing a safe and welcoming space for visitors and residents alike to lay their heads over the decades, the diva hotel has morphed to meet the demands of the guests that it serves. In the years since the years spent rebuilding, since the 19 1906 earthquake, the diva initially provided housing for long term residents until the 1980s, when San Francisco underwent the first of Many Technology driven transformations. As the city changed so did the diva. Ultimately becoming a boutique tourism hotel, serving an International Clientele of travelers wanting to experience all that San Francisco has to offer. Fast forward to 2020. The world experienced a once in a lifetime Public Health crisis and the diva once again became a haven for the community, providing life saving shelter care to our most vulnerable residents. As this was a shelter in place hotel initially, as i stand before you today, i am thrilled to announce after acquisition in 2020 and two years of rehabilitate ation, the diva is now open and provides 122 stable, dignified, permanent homes for formerly homeless people. All thank you will pause. Yes the majority of this renovation took place during a difficult time, and this project is a beacon and testament to successful collaboration that withstood multiple trials. I want to acknowledge and thank our partners who help restore the diva. The department of homelessness and Supportive Housing. Thank you. Clap clap. Thank you, shereen mcspadden, for your leadership. Thank you so much. And i want to thank the Mayors Office of Housing Community development for their leadership on the Housing Accelerator Fund. Whos in the room with us today . And the California Department of housing and Community Development, who helped provide the funding to acquire this property. Were proud to see that the special building continues to live up to its legacy in service to San Francisco and would like to thank all of you for joining us in this celebration. So thanks. Now, id like to hand it off to you, executive director shereen mcspadden from the department of homelessness and Supportive Housing. Shereen. Thank you so much, beth, and congratulations. This is a really exciting day. You know, when i think about the family members ive had and the friends who ive grown up with in San Francisco who have become homeless this is what i hope for them. I really hope for a safe environment, a beautiful environment like this where people can heal and really heal from the trauma that theyve experienced on the street. So this is wonderful. And i want to thank all of the partners who are involved. Certainly Episcopal CommunityServices Want to thank mayor breed and supervisor peskin for their leadership. The Mayors Office of housing and Community Development and the Housing Accelerator Fund for making this possible with from a financing perspective, it just really takes a lot of partners to make Something Like this work. And i think people dont understand all of the work that goes into providing a home for somebody whos been homeless. So this is a very exciting day. Im looking forward to the tour and i dont want to take too much time because i know the mayor has a has a quick schedule today. I just want to turn it over to mayor breed, whos provided so much leadership for people experiencing homelessness and really has helped spearhead this Acquisition Strategy and really helped us take advantage of things like homekey so that we can so that we can ultimately help end homelessness. So mayor breed, passing it over to you . Well first, let me just thank like beth and Episcopal Community services for their partnership with the city and county of San Francisco. We talk about all of the things that we are trying to do to address homelessness in San Francisco. And we could not do that without partners that know how to do this work because this is very difficult work and we have made extraordinary gains and oftentimes what you constantly here in San Francisco is the problems. And to clean up the city and how are we helping the homeless and what are we doing or what arent we are doing . What are what we are not doing. And today i want to just give us a bigger perspective before i talk about the to make sure people understand the significance of what we have been able to do in this city, despite a global pandemic. So since i took office in 2018, we have been able to help over 10,000 people exit homelessness permanently. Thats 10,000 over 10,000 people who have not reentered our system, who we have not encountered back on the streets, but who have instead been housed in places like the diva. We did this project homekey. I just want to just be clear. The governor stole this idea from me and other big city mayors because during that time, you know, mayors were really leading the way during this global pandemic. And we had to completely empty, empty many of our shelters because of the congregate living situation stations. And it was necessary for us to get more creative and find other ways in which we could help get people housed. We went into a situation where we were able to bring people together and work with our hotels and to house people. It was a process and it was one that we were trying to move quickly on despite our citys bureaucracy. We were able to get a lot of folks housed and more importantly, it was very expensive. And we asked the governor for support it. And thats what we got with project homekey. We got an opportunity to apply for resources and to get the folks who own these buildings to consider selling these projects, to selling these buildings to us and San Francisco because of how good we are at paperwork, we were able. To get 212 million for five projects, including the diva. And when i think about not just what weve done with project homekey to purchase these buildings, to make them permanent, Supportive Housing spaces for the city, you know, before the pandemic, we had about 10,000 permanent Supportive Housing units all over San Francisco, and now weve added more than 3000 to that portfolio. So weve seen in over 30 increase in providing those kinds of resources, not to mention what weve invested in vouchers and other things that weve gotten from hud and resources that weve been able to pull together in order to get people into a better place. Our shelter system, i mean, theres so many different layers to this, and im really proud of how weve come together despite what people are trying to say about our city to get to this place because as even though folks are maybe they have a problem with what they see on the streets, we see Success Stories in places like the diva. We see Success Stories in glen lee, who is going to be talking in a moment about their journey and their stories and what happened to them before they found the diva, before they found a safe, affordable, cool place with wraparound, Supportive Services to call home. That is the other side of what San Francisco is doing for thousands of people every single day. That needs to be communicated just as much as everything else. Thats why this project is so significant and i want to really appreciate Shireen Mcspadden for all of her hard work in not just working with the Mayors Office of housing. And eric shaw is here today and trying to deal with the work necessary to apply for the state funding to deal with the tax credits, to provide the long term subsidy that the city has to give to help make sure that we have staff in these particular facilities. All of that work in addition to the vouchers that weve received, as i mentioned from the hud, from the housing and urban development, from the feds like all of the things that were putting together here will lead to a better for San Francisco and better access to Affordable Housing so that we can continue to move in the direction that we have in San Francisco. So we were one of the only counties in the bay area to see an overall reduction in homelessness by 3. 5. And a reduction in unsheltered homelessness by 15. In our last point in time count. So despite what the narrative is, san franciscans are working really hard because of organizations like episcopal family Community Services as well as the Housing Accelerator Fund. I know rebeccas going to say a few things in a moment, but we are always excited when were able to come together and talk about these great projects. But we also need to be reminded of how far weve come because it makes a difference in peoples lives. And i couldnt be more more proud than to be here today to celebrate the diva. I mean, when they said diva, i got excited. I was i was thinking, is that where im supposed to be living . Is that where all the divas go to live . But more importantly, i was just thinking about the 122 units with 126 individuals who are no longer on the streets, who have a safe, affordable place to call home, who have a community. And i want to express my appreciation to all the case managers and the people who work here who are going to be working with the community of folks here to make sure that they have the support and resources necessary to not only hold on to their unit, but to thrive in this city. That is a big part of our permanent Supportive Housing. Wraparound services, because its not as simple as giving somebody a roof over their heads. We know we have a lot of challenges in a major city like San Francisco, but its really about the people who are on the ground who are helping and whether its a doctor appointment or whatever the services, whatever that means. It is so critical that the staff that will be here every single day gets the support and resources they need to do the jobs that are definitely going to be difficult to do. But very rewarding when we see the difference in someones life. So i want to express my appreciation and thank you all so much for being here. And now id like to introduce macy leung, the senior director of Housing Development for Episcopal Community services , as. Good morning. Thank you, mayor breed. And thank you, city and county of San Francisco. My name is macy and its my honor to be here today. I wanted to thank you and celebrate this milestone with all of the incredible partners in this room for this project who have reimagine, ed this hotel into a new permanent Supportive Housing. This 122 new units with Wraparound Services is where our amazing residents can now call home and our residents can also enjoy convenient access in the heart of San Francisco to amenities, services and public transportation. Something that were very excited in this diverse and welcoming city of San Francisco. So i am grateful to be part of this collaborative effort that includes the ability to showcase the unique opportunity to partner with supportive and innovative Funding Sources such as the first homekey project in the city, and to create housing opportunities and to provide welcoming homes for our residents here. I would like to thank our incredible leadership supervisor peskin, mayor breed, as well as the team and city and county of San Francisco. Mcrd, San FranciscoHousing Accelerator Fund and the state of california. Hcd in partnership with Many Community leaders on this project and thank you specifically to our project team, including Housing Development team. Rebecca project manager julia and our architect and contractor garavaglia architecture and fine line construction. Our construction manager, richard dunn, our Services Team and caritas Property Management team and many more Unsung Heroes along the way who have touched this project at the project demonstrates what is possible and represent the variety of the important roles that everyone plays and exemplify the best. When we Work Together to create holistic, transit oriented and Service Enriched Housing that doesnt just provide a house to live, but the means to live well. So on behalf of housing developer and team, thank you. And it is my pleasure to introduce you to rebecca foster, the ceo of the San FranciscoHousing Accelerator Fund. Thank you very much. Thanks macy. So i wanted to take us back to july 20th, 20, when everyone here was all hands on deck in response to the pandemic. And that was when, as folks have mentioned, the state issued its first homekey nofa. For 600 million for our cities and nonprofit partners to apply to buy buildings, to provide housing for the most vulnerable residents, at risk of homelessness and experience homelessness. A ton of people here got together and put in an application for this building. That application went in on august 12th and we were waitlisted on october ninth. So yesterday, a few years back, we received the notice that this project was awarded the max amount of funds from homekey 26 million for acquisition and rehab and another 3 million in an operating subsidy. But these are federal funds. And the condition was we had to close by december 2nd to get those funds. So less than 60 days and as you can imagine, this beautiful building which was built in 1912, has all of these amazing characteristics about it. And it was built in 1912 and closing in 60 days with a Purchase Agreement to close in 60 days, not full access. We knew and the team knew the city knew that there were going to be challenges that we had not yet foreseen and the building had been being operated as the mayor mentioned, as one of the cities in credible responses as a roomkey hotel. And so it was already serving our our most vulnerable neighbors in the building. And we had less than 60 days to get to that finish line so we could get these funds and as you all know, this Incredible Team did it. And it took everybody at and after this acquisition in the city has successfully purchased nine buildings. So eight more buildings after this providing permanent Supportive Housing for 1400 residents built on the model that the sprint required here. And what i wanted to highlight about this is the leadership that is required to take risk. And this was a big risk for everybody involved. It was a really big risk for the city. It was a really big risk for us. It was a risk for the half at all different levels. I mean, beth and her Incredible Team and their amazing board had to make a decision to take on tens of millions of dollars of debt because im a developer in the most difficult way possible and acquisition rehab of buildings built in the early 1900s and half had to convince our board to commit to a giant loan that we didnt have the money for. And when we said we will raise the money in the next two months because we cant not do this and the city also had to say we will streamline, we will cut the red tape. We will get on board, well commit the funding and that is leadership. And it doesnt come without cost. And its been hard and it will continue to be hard. But the cost of not doing it is so much more significant. So i just want to say thank you in partnership for taking on this incredible risk. This is what we need to be. Keep doing and we are doing together. And yes, thank you so much. Thank you. I am going to introduce the board president , supervisor peskin. So welcome. Thank you. Beth most of it has been said, but let me just say that this is government at the local and state and federal level working at its best. If theres a Silver Lining out of the entire covid 19 experience, this is part of it. The government got out of its own way. Rebecca just described how it happened in record time. And i want to contextualize it, which is this is only one. We did the exact same thing just a few blocks away with over 230 units at the granada around the corner at the post hotel, all being run by ecs and all of them very challenging, not only from a financial risk perspective, not only from what macy emails my office about all the time relative to the adaptive reuse and bringing them into the dawn of the 21st century, but also relative to the challenges of a new population moving into a neighborhood which is the bread and butter of a district super visor. And lets be clear, it doesnt come. Alex and i were just having this conversation without its hiccups, but the notion, the underlying notion of supportive is the Wraparound Services is the fact that there are case managers on a 1 to 2 ratio. Thank you, shereen, that are helping navigate these people that are the new residents and our commitment as a city is to make sure that all of these places fit in seamlessly. And i want to acknowledge the neighborhood. They have not been thanked. I want to thank the neighborhood of union square, Marissa Rodriguez and the union square alliance, the Lower Nob HillNeighborhood Association for their willingness to work with the city, to work through those hiccups and to hold the city accountable. To put it in a perspective relative to the home key money that has been a boon for San Francisco. The vast majority of that money has been spent within a few blocks of where were standing with real impacts on the neighborhood. All of which the Mayors Office and my office have been working to address, and that we are working through. And just to put that in perspective, of over 700 units, the granada at some 230, this at 122. The post hotel, the navigation center, and the 711 post street shelter, over 700 units within a few blocks of where we sit. We should be proud. Weve got work to do. That is my commitment. Thank you, supervisor. It is my honor to introduce mr. Glenn lee, who is a resident of the diva. Mr. Lee, thanks for being here. Good morning. Mayor breed, supervisor peskin, distinguished guests, thank you for your visit this morning and thank you for the opportunity to be a welcome part of the diva to together we celebrate what is the achievement of the diva and its recognized that not only from the larger perspective, but from all of us who live here and some who may not be able to articulate it, know that. Mayor reed, as you know and as you all well know here, finding stable housing is a big challenge. Personally it has been a very difficult one and one is caused quite a bit of despair for the emotional scars of which remain to this day. But for the efforts of the many who out of their hearts work tirelessly to give themselves from all walks of life, from all levels of society, from all different professions and skills, who came together, work tirelessly and compassionately. To bring together solution to this problem. There are many lessons in life learned here and much appreciation for that. The travel to the diva has been a long one, but but again, for the efforts of the many, this has been made possible. So all this to say that the diva is a blessing and its a blessing not only because of the four walls and the and the roof and the bed, as important as all that is, its a blessing because. Cause its an opportunity d and a and a and a way to receive the goodness of the staff and Episcopal Community service, even caritas Property Management , who give themselves to, to not only bring a safe environment, but also to build a home and a community for the people that live here. For me, maam, the success of the diva rest primarily in the efforts of Episcopal Community services in turn, the success of the Episcopal Community services rests on their are four key tenets the principles that define their mission, which is dignity, respect, integrity and compassion. Those those four components and guide their mission, their mode, their manner. And it is this mission that allows them to face the challenges of building a community and allowing those challenges in their community to find some way, some measure of recovery, stability and forward development. This is no understatement. Its a big its a big step in changing the lives of people on a daily basis. And for that safe environment, for that community, for that home, for all the efforts, for the hearts that are exchanged. I can only say that that a blessing that it is. I hope that and i respectfully submit to you, mayor and to supervisor peskin, that you would consider the diva as a role model for what Supportive Housing can be and should be. And i would further respectfully submit that the Episcopal Community services and the diva carry on the vision in the future of what Supportive Housing can and should be and i hope that we can all be a part of this working together in that effort. Thank you very much for all your time and your efforts this morning. So i want to thank everyone for joining us. And we are going to do a ribbon cutting. Good ready . Five, four, im rebecca and im a violinist and violin teacher. I was born here in San Francisco to a family of cellists, professional cellists, so i grew up surrounded by a bunch of musical rehearsals an lessons. All types of activities happened in my house. I began playing piano when i was 4. I really enjoyed musical activities in general. So when i was 10, i began studying violin in San Francisco. And from there, i pretty much never stopped and went on to study in college as well. Thats the only thing ive ever known is to have music playing all the time, whether it is someone actually playing next to you or someone listening to a recording. I think that i actually originally wanted to play flute and we didnt have a flute. Its always been a way of life. I didnt know that it could be any other way. Could you give me an e over here. Great. When you teach and youre seeing a student who has a problem, you have to think on your feet to solve that problem. And that same kind of of thinking that you do to fix it applies to your own practice as well. So if im teaching a student and they are having a hard time getting a certain note, they cant find the right note. And i have to think of a digestible way to explain it to them. Ee, d, d, e. Yes. Then, when i go on to do my own practice for a performance, those words are echoing back in my head. Okay. Why am i missing this . I just told somebody that they needed to do this. Maybe i should try the same thing. I feel a lot of pressure when im teaching young kids. You might think that there is less pressure if they are going on to study music or in college that it is more relaxing. I actually find that the opposite is true. If i know im sending a High School Student to some great music program, theyre going to get so much more instruction. What i have told them is only the beginning. If i am teaching a student who i know is going to completely change gears when they go to college and they never will pick up a violin again there is so much that i need to tell them. In plain violin, it is so difficult. There is so much more information to give. Every day i think, oh, my gosh. I havent gotten to this technique or we havent studies they meese and they have so much more to do. We only have 45 minutes a week. I have taught a few students in some capacity who has gone on to study music. That feels anaysing. It is incredible to watch how they grow. Somebody can make amazing project from you know, age 15 to 17 if they put their mind to it. I think i have 18 students now. These more than ive had in the past. Im hoping to build up more of a studio. There will be a pee ono, lots of bookshelves and lots of great music. The students will come to my house and take their lessons there. My schedule changes a lot on a daytoday basis and that kind of keeps it exciting. Think that music is just my favorite thing that there is, whether its listening to it or playing it or teaching it. All that really matters to me is that im surrounded by the sounds, so im going top keep doing what im doing to keep my life in that direction