Inspiring Native Contractors for a Higher Bayview Hunters Level -The San Francisco Basis

On Tuesday, January 24, 2017, the San Francisco Foundation, in collaboration with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), hosted an information session on community benefit opportunities for local and national developers. The SFPUC is about to launch a citywide $8 billion sewer system improvement program (SSIP). The first step toward SSIP is the completion of a $2.9 billion renovation and retrofit of the Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant in Bayview Hunters Point, a historically neglected San Francisco neighborhood.

Through the SFPUC's Community Benefits Program, all contractors applying for a project must demonstrate their commitment to partnering with the SFPUC and local community-based organizations. The goal is to create a significant, positive community impact in communities and neighborhoods throughout SFPUC's service area. The $2.9 billion renovation of the Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant will result in approximately $9 million in community benefits over 10 years.

Most contractors submitting bids to the SFPUC for these projects have no local context to neighborhoods like Bayview Hunters Point. The SFPUC and the San Francisco Foundation have partnered to provide contractors with more information and resources to help them develop their strategies for impactful community empowerment opportunities.

During the information session, the San Francisco Foundation presented its regional equity strategy and direction the SFPUC's Community Benefits Program. The San Francisco Foundation led contractors through a brief history of Bayview Hunters Point and presented demographic information to give contractors more context about the affected area and the obstacles residents face. We have outlined our investment strategies in Bayview Hunters Point and provided examples of some of our key community partners in Bayview Hunters Point. We led the contractors through an in-depth discussion of community-based organizations in Bayview Hunters Point to help them shape their investment strategies.

All contractors appreciated the partnership between the SFPUC and the San Francisco Foundation and indicated that they had not seen this type of partnership when working with previous public agencies. Many participants were inspired to develop holistic strategies for their investments and asked to have the San Francisco Foundation as an ongoing resource.

The San Francisco Foundation and SFPUC will continue to work together to expand access to good jobs and career opportunities for San Franciscans in these impacted areas.