In quick response to the catastrophic fire at Mission and 22nd streets on January 28th, 2015, MEDA is helping the low-income residents and community-serving microbusinesses that have been displaced.
DISPLACED TENANTS
COMPLETED TASKS
Intake and Assessment of Displaced Tenants
Provided additional capacity to disaster-relief teams for client intake, assessment, benefits eligibility and documentation-replacement assistance for displaced residents, who have been temporarily relocated to the Salvation Army emergency shelter on Valencia Street.
Participated in a community meeting on tenants rights with Supervisor Campos (who represents the Mission), Supervisor Kim (who represents the Tenderloin) and OEWD. There was additional assistance for employment and other supportive services intake for fire victims of the Mission Street fire.
Created social media campaign to help identify available spaces for residential relocation, advertising the “Good Samaritan Law.”
Fundraising
Began coordinating with Zachary Crockett, who started a Mission Fire Fund GoFundMe campaign, to serve as fiscal agent in the creation of the Mission Fire Victims Fund as a means to pass through funding to affected residents. The campaign raised about $180,000 for the victims of this fire and remains open for future such catastrophes. MEDA has set up an internal fund to manage these monies and expedite distribution to tenants, per IRS guidelines governing 501(c)(3) organizations. MEDA will administer this fund at zero cost. The goal is to have funds to resident fire victims by February 27th, with Mr. Crockett’s agreement.
NEXT STEPS
Fundraising
MEDA will work with individual households to set up campaigns on HandUp to fundraise for individual needs.
Coordination with Schools
Mission Promise Neighborhood team is working to determine which of our students were victims of the Mission Street fire, so that speedy coordination of services can occur in conjunction with the four schools.
Intake and financial assessment
MEDA will perform a full intake and financial-needs assessment with fire victims to process applications for emergency funds from the Mission Fire Victims Fund, a process that was started on February 11th when Zack Crockett and MEDA staff met with families at the Red Cross shelter.
Policy
MEDA will support the positions of Supervisor Campos and Supervisor Kim in pushing forth policy changes that promote code compliance, improved enforcement of such code compliance, safety in rent-controlled buildings and incentives for property owners to rehabilitate buildings for a more expeditious return of previous tenants, invoking right of first refusal for these tenants.
DISPLACED BUSINESSES
COMPLETED TASKS
Business Needs Assessments
Coordinated with Supervisor Campos’s office and OEWD in an emergency meeting to complete the Estimated Disaster Economic Injury Worksheet for businesses, complemented by MEDA’s internal Business Relocation Information Assessment for 26 businesses. Information compiled included business name, owner, contact information, estimated economic impact, number of employees, square footage, rent, lease terms, insurance and credit status.
Relocation Spaces
Completed initial assessment of available business space in the neighborhood as follows:
- Identified eight affordable business spaces (six within MEDA’s Plaza Adelante and two Mission District storefronts).
- Identified potential spaces at the Tenderloin Mercado (335 Jones Street), which is managed by MEDA.
- Conducted tours of five business locations for that number of displaced businesses that were interested.
Worker Needs Assessments
Participated at a business workshop to perform intakes and assessments for workers of displaced businesses.
Fundraising/Financing Needs
On February 19th, MEDA launched a relocation-assistance emergency capital fund, the Mission Fire Business Fund: Unite and Restore, for displaced businesses and their employees who are victims of fires in the neighborhood. There was a benefit concert held at The Make-Out Room on March 22nd, with all donations ate the door and 15 percent of the bar tab going to the fire victims.
NEXT STEPS
Relocation
MEDA will facilitate relocation, for interested businesses, into spaces owned/managed by MEDA and others within the neighborhood.
Space Identification
MEDA will continue to identify vacant commercial spaces in the neighborhood for prospective relocation of displaced businesses.
Business Outreach & Technical Assistance
MEDA will outreach to remaining businesses who yet to express an interest in relocation, with the aim to perform a more in-depth needs assessment of such businesses.
Workforce Placement
MEDA has begun outreach to local businesses to assist in securing employment for displaced workers.
