Dear Signatories,

We appreciate your continuing support and commitment to our shared cause. We have been hard at work following up on your concerns about the proposed conversion of 1174-1178 Folsom Street. There have been significant updates, and we want to keep you informed.

Firstly, it has come to light that a restaurant recently opened within the same building. The owner has expressed shock and dismay, as he was led to believe that multiple restaurants and luxury establishments would be opening in the neighboring units. He was not informed about the plan to convert these units into permanent housing for young adults exiting homelessness. This misinformation only adds to our concerns about the transparency and fairness of the decision-making process regarding this project.

Our repeated attempts to engage with city officials on this issue have so far been met with silence. Emails and other forms of communication sent to multiple city offices, including Matt Dorsey's, have received no response as of yet. We are disappointed by this lack of engagement and will continue to push for open dialogue and communication with our elected representatives.

In other news, Martha Bridegam, a homeless activist and attorney, made a controversial statement at the SFBOS budget finance committee meeting on 5.17.23. Regarding the Folsom acquisition, she stated that "Folsom St is not too fragile to provide apartments for young people in trouble" and "when young people come out of small towns, they come to SF/SOMA expecting to find refuge." We believe such remarks grossly oversimplify the situation and misconstrue our genuine concerns about safety, community well-being, and fair distribution of support services.

As committed community members, we know that our concerns are not about the fragility of our neighborhood but about the unbalanced distribution of supportive housing and the lack of comprehensive support systems in place. We also believe in the necessity for proper community involvement and transparency in decision-making processes.

We wish to reiterate that our community is willing and eager to support effective, well-planned solutions to homelessness. However, we believe that a more equitable approach is needed, one that distributes resources and facilities across the city and does not disproportionately burden individual neighborhoods.

We are undeterred by the challenges so far and will continue our efforts. We are currently exploring further actions, including rallying more support, engaging with local media, and potentially seeking legal counsel. We will keep you updated on these developments and welcome any suggestions you may have.

We urge each one of you to share this petition among your networks. Word of mouth is powerful, and your voice can help us reach more people who might be affected by this issue but are unaware of it. More signatures would make our collective voice stronger and help us in engaging with the city officials in a more impactful way.

Thank you for your continued support and involvement. Your commitment to our community is invaluable and deeply appreciated.