S
ixty years after San Francisco officials attempted to erase ethnic enclaves like the Fillmore and Manilatown, City Hall is now helping community members reclaim downtown areas. The Bayanihan Equity Center, a nonprofit serving Asian American and Pacific Islander seniors in SoMa and the Tenderloin, has taken advantage of a city program called the API Equity Fund to purchase an office building at 616 Minna St. as its new headquarters.

    The fund, established by Supervisor Connie Chan in 2022, uses unspent federal and state Covid relief funds to subsidize real estate acquisitions and facility improvements for nonprofits in one of the most expensive cities in the US. The Bayanihan Equity Center bought the property on October 10 for $1.75 million, a discount from its previous sale price of $2 million in 2012. The Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development contributed $1.487 million to the purchase, leaving the nonprofit with a cost of just $262,500.

    The API Equity Fund has awarded $29.5 million this year to 11 nonprofits serving San Francisco's Asian American and Pacific Islander population. Founded in 1999, the Bayanihan Equity Center provides services such as food distribution, housing case management, and recreational activities for low-income and immigrant residents citywide. Executive Director Luisa Antonio said that without the city's help, it would have been impossible for the organization to acquire a space for its services.

    The location of the new headquarters is significant, situated in the heart of the Filipino Heritage District, also known as SOMA Pilipinas. The neighborhood was once a tight-knit community serving Filipinos after Manilatown was demolished, but as the tech boom reshaped the area, more Filipinos were pushed south to Daly City and beyond.

    Assemblymember Phil Ting said that the Filipino community is "taking SoMa back, block by block, cultural institution by cultural institution." Since pandemic shutdowns, San Francisco's commercial real estate market has been hit hard, leading to plummeting property values and retail closures. However, a new wave of tenants, including nonprofits and startups, has taken advantage of discounted rents.

    District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey said that the Bayanihan Equity Center's acquisition is "a testament to the enduring strength and resilience of our Filipino and API communities." The API Nonprofit Acquisition Fund reaffirms City Hall's commitment to ensuring that South of Market remains a place where everyone can live and flourish.