Our Story:
There’s a lot that can be said about the Tenderloin.
One, which may be surprising to some, is the strong value placed on the youth who call the community home. From calls on the sidewalk, “kids coming through” to the community organizing that created the Safe Passage routes, and more than two dozen programs serving ages cradle through transitional age youth, the Tenderloin community has long prioritized the well being of its youngest residents.
Yet, challenges have persisted and opportunities remain to create a neighborhood where all can thrive.
Tenderloin Community Action Plan:
Following the 2021 declared 90-Day State of Emergency in the Tenderloin, the Mayor’s Office dedicated $4 million in 2022 to fund community sponsored projects to improve living conditions in the Tenderloin.
Four strategic priorities were identified:
Enhance public spaces.
Promote cultural events.
Support youth.
Enhance wellness and access to essential needs.
Throughout 2023 and 2024 community selected projects were funded by the Tenderloin Community Action Plan (TCAP). Youth priorities were informed by the Tenderloin Youth Services Gap Analysis, including:
Dedicated staffing and resources for a Youth Services Collaboration and Coordination Program, focusing on the Tenderloin.
Alongside the youth priorities emerged a concept called the Youth Safety Zone. This proposed zone would cover approximately 12 square blocks of the neighborhood with a focus on:
Community Safety: a coordinated strategy prioritizing deterrence, prevention, and care.
Public Space Enhancements: strategic improvements to parks, play areas, and sidewalks to support a child-friendly environment.
Youth Services Expansion: target investments to address identified service gaps in youth support.
Youth Safety Zone:
Building on the strong history of collaboration in the Tenderloin, from the Children, Youth and Families Coalition to the Youth Access Network and TCAP Partners, The Tenderloin Youth Safety Zone is moving from vision to reality.
Supported by both SF Planning's Community Equity Office and SEED Impact’s SEEDing Stronger Together initiative, the Youth Safety Zone has piloted projects in one square block and is expanding the zone in a four-phased plan. This zone involves multi-agency coordination including the Mayor’s Office, San Francisco Police Department, and the District Attorney’s Office.
What’s Different / Why Now?
The TLYSZ is built on a collective impact framework, or as we like to call it, collaborative impact:
The Youth Safety Zone is blending both a systems level approach with community organizing, with backbone support that prioritizes measuring social change. This approach honors the rich history of the Tenderloin while addressing the systemic inequities that created the “containment zone.” Practicing sustained collaboration with a long-term strategy that measures what matters most is transformative.
One civic leader recently observed:
“I’ve never seen this level of interest and coordination in getting things done.”