Dear Friends- 

In two weeks, on April 2nd, I will step down as Director of HOPE SF, following nearly 7 years of service in the Office of the Mayor.

Leading this extraordinary public-private Partnership for HOPE SF has been the greatest and most all-encompassing professional honor of my life. Together, on the shoulders of residents and with support from committed leaders and institutions, we worked relentlessly to acknowledge the harm of generations of racialized inequality on families in public housing in San Francisco. And we remained intentional on chipping away for restitution desired by residents for their communities – Alice Griffith, Potrero Hill, Sunnydale, and Hunters View.

When first appointed by the late Mayor Edwin M. Lee, we observed only one, new 100-unit development phase up in Hunters View, knowing that another 2,200 households painfully waited for the plans and promises for “equity” and “inclusion” for decades. 

Our partnership consists now of dozens of committed non-profits, developers and philanthropic partners, several City agencies engaged in our struggle for racial justice, hundreds of resident champions who continue to hold us accountable and lead the way, all led by Mayor London N. Breed. Through the leadership of the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, the San Francisco Housing Authority,  and our mission-driven developers, all four of our communities have either substantially completed the replacement of public housing with high quality affordable housing, or they are noticeably on their way, with each community having legacy residents now living in new homes in their own neighborhoods, including seniors at the historic George W. Davis Center. With return and retention rates unparalleled across the nation, we continue to demonstrate evidence of our commitment to the non-displacement of former public housing communities of color in San Francisco.

Second, building on the targeted philanthropic investments in education, community health, and economic advancement, our public sector has sustained, expanded, and shifted previously absent community-driven investments in high-quality social services to our neighborhoods, safely confronting a global pandemic along the way. And thanks to the organizing efforts of resident champions, particularly our longstanding legacy families, and Black and Pacific Islander leaders, our communities are now protected by public policies that grant permanent and inheritable rights of return and non-displacement in HOPE SF.

While so much work remains to fulfill community promises and repair the harm caused by public and private policy, it is clear – the work will remain a priority.

In the coming weeks, before I transition to learning from and collaborating with national public-private partnerships and leaders, who like us, are addressing some of society’s most challenging racial justice issues, I will provide support to the Mayor’s Office, Supervisor Walton, and our philanthropic partners to help ensure that the HOPE SF commitment remains robust and transitions are smooth. I’m grateful above all to the community of elders, young people, and civic servants who I was able to follow during these seven years, and I remain permanently indebted to and in solidarity with the people and partners of HOPE SF.

Best regards,  Theo 

Immediately following Theo’s departure, the City will engage in a collaborative process to identify a new director, reporting to Eric Shaw, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. Mayor Breed’s vision for accountability to racial and social justice will continue to drive the next phase of HOPE SF, including through its longstanding partnership with the Human Rights Commission.

“Theo has provided an extraordinary vision and leadership of community partnership during his tenure,” says Sheryl Davis, Director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission. “Our steadfast priority to support HOPE SF and its residents remains unchanged, and I look forward to building on a strong foundation to deliver even more impact to the community in the years to come.”

“Friends, it is with great appreciation that we honor the legacy of Theo Miller’s leadership Theo has advanced a vision of racial justice, systems accountability, and community leadership that has led the field nationally and locally. As a lead partner for ten years, the San Francisco Foundation is excited for the next chapter, and together with our philanthropic partners, we remain committed to the public-private partnership for HOPE SF. I am confident that HOPE SF will continue to keep its promise of lifting up the voices of the residents as the City invests in high quality homes and neighborhoods without displacement.” —Fred Blackwell, CEO of San Francisco Foundation.