Alethia Johnson:

After having that stroke, I couldn’t… pull the gate back, open the door, push the button on this old pulley elevator. That’s not a good feeling to be just trapped like that. 

[gentle music]

I’ve been exploring because I can get out.

[giggles]

Because I’m not trapped, I can get out. I have other neighbors around me. I have a neighbor that brings me flowers. And then I have a lady and her wheelchair isn’t working, so I had to bring her some food. So it’s like, you know, busy. Something— I have a cat. So, you know, sometimes it’s, you know, our play space and… I don’t know, space is a commodity around here. And to have, like, your own space is real meaningful. If these walls could talk, it would say, “It’s my sanctuary. It’s my safe space.”

END

Cynthia Wilbur:

Hana means family and kau kau means food. 

[bright music]

I like that it comes all the time, every week. And I like the delivery people, they’re really good. It has different cultural foods, too. If you’re open to trying new, you can learn and enjoy a lot from different countries. If these walls could talk, it would say, “Food and family.”

END

[bright music]

Crew:

Delbra Taylor, take one.

[clapperboard snaps]

Delbra Taylor:

OK. I, at one time, was homeless. So, therefore, being in your own place makes a difference. You can’t imagine, you know, once you’ve been in a place, and then you’re not there, you appreciate it much more when you get back there. And you don’t realize how tired your body can be. And, when I go into my bedroom, I can stretch out. That lets me know, I have transitioned from homeless to being in my home. If these walls could talk, it would say "Freedom."

END

The statistic I think about is that for people who are homeless, their average life expectancy is, like, 20 years less than the general public. 20 years. 

[bright music]

We are an affordable housing provider. Then we house about 500 people. One of the things that makes us really special is we have social workers on staff. We also have community organizers on our team. And I appreciate how much I’ve learned from people working those disciplines, really, around the needs of people, how to connect with people, and also really how to reframe what is our accountability as a society to create conditions that allow people to thrive?

If these walls could talk, they would say, “You belong.”

END

[bright music]

Crew:

Say “Take one.”

Rebecca Foster:

Take one.

[clapperboard snaps]

We’re a lender and investor, we’re a partner, we’re a problem solver. We really like to work with public sector partners, community-based organizations, and corporate and philanthropic partners to accelerate the production and preservation of affordable housing in the Bay Area. We’re not just investing in this building. It’s equally important that we’re investing in the sustainability of these community-serving organizations as these critical institutions in their communities.

END