It's been 4 years since the Latino Cultural District (LCD) was formally recognized by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. I was fortunate enough to participate in the early planning stages of Calle 24 and the LCD, culminating in this report back in 2014.
However, as this recent San Francisco Chronicle article points out - gentrification in the Mission District has not let up and remains an ongoing struggle for this historically Latino community. "According to the mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, the Latino population of San Francisco has grown 26 percent between 1990 and 2014 — yet at the same time, an estimated 8,000 Latino residents of the Mission have left the neighborhood, now making up just 15 percent of the neighborhood’s population."
What's the role of local government in all of this? "After dozens of community meetings and focus groups, the city has identified six unique characteristics of the Latino Cultural District that it will support, including small storefronts and murals, Latino arts and crafts, legacy businesses, affordable goods, and work opportunities for Mission residents...The Office of Economic and Workforce Development says it has designated staff to mentor 24th Street business owners and help negotiate leases, and has provided funding for local festivals, murals and street flags."
To learn more about the grassroots, community mobilizing efforts of Calle 24, visit https://www.calle24sf.org/