The San Francisco’s Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development provide critical investments to support the city’s most vulnerable residents to provide much needs services, strengthen civil society and create opportunity to realize individual and collective opportunity.  It is an imperative of the office to be intentional in meeting its goal to reduce to reduce racial disparities in housing and economic opportunity within San Francisco.

This year Mayor London Breed launched the Dream Keeper Initiative with the goal to improve outcomes for San Francisco’s Black and African American youth and their families.  As part of this initiative, the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community will be leading efforts to increase African American homeownership, build the capacity of African American housing developers, support cultural district planning through the lens of intersectionality with and within the African American community, and targeting engagement to African American residents.

HOPE SF, through the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) and in partnership with the Human Rights commission, is seeking a Policy Lab Associate. This mid-level position will support the development of reparative and ani-racist policy and legislation to advance the HOPE SF’s initiative vision of building holistic wealth across four communities--Alice Griffith (“Double Rock”), Hunters View (“West Point”), Potrero Terrace and Annex, and Sunnydale. The role includes the following key items:

•  Work with the Human Rights Commission to launch and support the implementation of the Black Policy Lab.
• Support HRC and MOHCD with resident-centered participatory based research, which may include training residents, convening town halls, developing data collection protocols, working with HOPE SF’s research & evaluation team.
• Support community narrative development and cultural storytelling
• Research federal and state policies and the implications on HOPE SF
• Conduct research on initiative-driven topics in partnership with residents
• Collect and analyze data, and draft policy briefs with recommendations for practice.

Who We Want

We want talented individuals who will honor and learn from the stories and experiences of HOPE SF residents, community organizations, and cross-agency service providers and who will strengthen our residents’ abilities to support the health, education, economic mobility and overall well-being of their families. They will understand the urgency of the issues facing communities with low-incomes and will be committed to getting results while working in a fast-paced environment. This position is excellent for a candidate looking to build real community power and play a key role in organizing some of the most consequential neighborhood transformation in the Bay Area. 

Who We Are

HOPE SF has a vision of a San Francisco where race and place are not barriers to economic prosperity and social mobility. Out of a historical legacy of racial segregation, neighborhood disinvestment, and economic isolation in Sunnydale, Potrero Hill, Alice Griffith and Hunters View, HOPE SF was created as the nation’s first large-scale public housing transformation initiative aimed at connecting community to power through the combination of housing, networks, and healing-centered supportive services. Our learnings have advanced HOPE SF – first, as a “reparations initiative,” explicitly and relentlessly acknowledging the harm done to low-income communities of color through policy structures; secondly, as a movement ground in the non-displacement of legacy families, or original public housing households; and lastly, operationalized through a collective impact model that seeks inclusive community development through mutually reinforcing activities of a broad cross-sector of stakeholders.

HOPE SF is expanding, seeking talented people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, who are inspired by our mission steeped in equity, and who are motivated to repair and transform the lives and neighborhoods of underserved communities of color. We want people with excellent judgement, who are strong collaborators, skilled communicators, and problem solvers, and who are comfortable in the fast-paced community of continuous learning. Particularly, the HOPE SF backbone team housed in the Mayor’s Office is strengthening our organizational structure and creating systems of collaboration to strategically deploy our resources and staff.

What It Means to Work Here

When you join our HOPE SF team, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, intellectually demanding, entrepreneurial and equity-focused initiative that approaches neighborhood revitalization as a social justice movement requiring relentless collaboration across an array of stakeholders. Our partnership is organized around the following operating principles for reparations:

• Radical Love of Residents. Understanding the historical and institutional harm done on our communities, we prioritize durable, consistent and compassionate healing ground in a persistent commitment to acknowledging the power, history and resilience of our residents.
• Accountability to Equity through Results. We use data to advance racial equity, address disproportionality, and inform decision making, assessing resource allocations and strategic interventions according to results-based accountability.
•  Healing-Centered Transformation. Based on the belief that “if we don’t transform trauma, we transmit it,”[1] we hold ourselves and our partners accountable to help heal pain across systems, communities and individuals
• Trusted Community Collaboration through Collective Impact. We build community capacity through partnerships that leverage trusted relationships, center power in the neighborhood, and durably serve.
• Public System Transformation for Families. We advance a coordinated and holistic system of care that is organized around the needs of families, and holds our public system accountable.

Currently, HOPE SF aims to operationalize the above principles through four interlocking strategies- create pathways supportive of individual and household mobility and well-being (“People”); disrupt existing systems of decision-making and resource allocation by supporting resident influence and leadership (“Power”); advance social cohesion and stewardship for sustaining long-term community development (“Community”); all, while equitably transforming the built environment of communities of disinvestment without displacement (“Place”).

What We Offer

HOPE SF Benefits offers a salary commensurate with experience, and a comprehensive benefits package including dental and vision plans, disability, life insurance, flexible spending account options and vacation time. We also offer an inclusive and equity-centered environment where we encourage staff to bring their whole selves to work.

The City and County of San Francisco is an equal employment opportunity employer committed to maintaining a non-discriminatory work environment. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

1.       Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university AND one (1) year of administrative/professional experience in community development, housing and/or housing development, finance, education, social work, children/youth work, criminal justice, or elections related work; OR

2.       Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in public or business administration, urban planning, government, social work, education, finance, criminal justice, or related field.

SUBSTITUTION:

Verifiable administrative/professional experience involving community development, housing and/or housing development, finance, education, social work, children/youth work, criminal justice, and/or elections may substitute for the educational requirement in Minimum Qualification #1 on a year-for-year basis.

In line with the Official Public Health Order to slow the spread of COVID-19, “shelter-in-place” has been issued for all San Francisco residents that is expected to be in effect until further notice. As a result, Department of Human Resources (DHR)’s office (located at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103) is currently closed to the general public. If you have any questions, please feel free to email the Exam Analyst listed at the end this job ad.

Specific information regarding this recruitment process are listed below:

Classification - 9770 - Community Development Assistant

Status - Temporary Exempt Position

Application Opening: Friday, April 22, 2022

Filing Deadline - May 20, 2022 - 12:01 am

Salary - $67,886 - $82,550

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About The Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

All City and County of San Francisco employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the City requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment.  For details on how it is applicable to your employment, please click here.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.