Kiere’s Story

The new basketball court in Hunters View makes Kiere Garrett proud.

He and his friends were tired of walking past the vacant, weedy lot where the court is now located, just down the hill from his townhouse in the community. They longed for a place to play.

So Kiere, 17, described the problem to people in the San Francisco Mayor’s Office, where he works. They, in turn, said something to Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors.

And, a few months ago, the new basketball court was born.

As HOPE SF redevelops Hunters View and other public housing projects around the city, he has become a spokesperson for the community’s young people. He describes himself as “the voice of public housing.”

Now a senior at City Arts and Technology High School, Kiere has lived in Hunters View for most of his life. He takes his responsibility seriously.

“A lot of kids look up to me,” he said. “I feel like I’m a role model for others.”

It’s not just basketball. Knowing that many kids in the community — himself included — love to write and record music, he requested that the developer include a recording studio in the new community center. That studio opened in March 2019.

Among the other ideas Kiere is championing — a gym and a change in the rules to permit young people to move into their own affordable units.

Over the years, he has witnessed violence, mistrust and systemic marginalization in his community.

“It’s a lot more peaceful now,” he says. “When I was younger, it wasn’t like that.”

But he also has seen the community’s many enduring strengths — people know and support each other. They always say hello.

Kiere first took on an official leadership role when he was just 13. At the time, he was mentoring younger children at the Mayor’s Youth Employment and Education Program. Marquez Gray, now director of community leadership for HOPE SF, asked Kiere if he’d like to come work in the Mayor’s Office.

Working with HOPE SF has provided Kiere with countless leadership opportunities, he says. He helps plan community barbecues, teach-ins and health fairs. He addressed hundreds of people as part of a panel at the Commonwealth Club. When he has a concern, he brings it directly to Mayor London Breed.

Dorian Glover first started working with Kiere when he was a high school freshman — Glover was his basketball coach. Now he’s the program manager for the HOPE SF youth leadership program Kiere participates in. He says Kiere is the epitome of a community-minded individual, working with other young people, speaking out with both courage and a bright smile.

“He’s just at the beginning point of blossoming into a person that’s fully involved in civic and community engagement,” Glover said.

Four years ago, Kiere and his two younger siblings moved into a brand new 3-bedroom townhouse with their grandmother, Lottie Titus — “my rock,” he calls her — and her Maltese poodle, Baby. Family photos line the walls; Titus covers the stairs with plastic to make sure they stay clean.

In their old unit, Kiere said, broken vents would allow in cold air. Rodents would sneak in during winter. Blackouts were common, and rooms were cramped.
By contrast, he describes the new townhouse as “beautiful.” The developers, he says, are much more attentive than they were in the past, and frequently check with the family to ask if everything is working well.

The redevelopment has brought in mixed income housing, which is beginning to change the demographics of the neighborhood. So far, Kiere says, the added diversity is a good thing.

After he graduates this spring, he plans to study political science and criminal justice at Sacramento City College, then transfer to a four-year university. Eventually, he hopes his early leadership skills take him toward politics. Someday, he’d like to become supervisor for District 10, where he lives — so he can continue to give voice to his community’s needs.