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Pelosi Remarks at Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation’s (TNDC) Grand Reopening of Sala Burton Manor

August 21, 2018

Contact: Taylor Griffin, 202-604-7735

San Francisco – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi joined San Francisco Mayor London Breed and community advocates for a tour of the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation's Sala Burton Manor and a press conference honoring its grand reopening. Below are the Leader's remarks:

Leader Pelosi. Thank you very much Don [Falk] for your great leadership. Today is a very special day for us personally and officially because of what it means to the residents here. And what it means to the residents here is that they have been treated with dignity and respect having a say in how this place, this wonderful Sala Burton Manor has been developed.

I want to recognize the leadership of dearly departed Mayor Lee with the RAD program working with the then-President of the Board of Supervisors and now our distinguished Mayor London Breed to bring this to fruition.

There are many factors and you hear from folks like Maria [Barry] from Bank of America because there is a private sector role. Beverly [Saba] will talk to us about her experience here. I just want to talk for a moment about Sala Burton.

What an honor it is for us that John Burton, former Member of Congress, President of the California State Senate and California Democratic Party – so many titles – so much commitment to our country and to this great state of California.

The Sala Burton Manor, as Don [Falk] said earlier, ‘I had not the pleasure to meet her.' Sala Burton served in Congress over thirty years ago but she was a force in our community for a long time. As a member of the team, Sala Burton and Phil Burton – Phil Burton served in Congress for a long time along with his brother John – Sala Burton cared so much about, again, the dignity and worth of every person and was always saying that it really matters that people have the dignity of a home, that the respect we give them, the decency and the dignity of where they live is a sign of how much we connect with them and their aspirations and then they can do anything.

And Sala Burton, again, was a force in our community and a person of deep principles and values who would be so happy – wouldn't she John? – to see this beautiful place. I just met the Colonel and he showed us his apartment. It was lively and he told us he was his own personal decorator there.

[Laughter]

And it was an advantage to him that when these apartment were being rehabbed that he moved to a different floor then moved back. One of the goals we all share is that we would have recognition of people of the neighborhood to have access to facilities and just keeping some people in the building helped to facilitate that. That is about the personal side, about the official side, about having this is a priority.

On the private sector side, it's really important to note that much of the housing in San Francisco, affordable housing, has been developed because we had a tax code that enabled us to take advantage of the low-income tax credit. Thank you, Bank of America for doing that, and being so much a part of this.

You can ask any of our non-profits and certainly the Tenderloin folks would subscribe to the fact that that public-private partnership has been essential. I have to say sadly, that much of that has been diminished in the tax bill that was passed last year in the Congress of the United States, signed by the President. And we really have to reverse that, because it is – not only – has been an impetus for us to have more affordable housing. Now, that is being diminished.

But thank you to Bank of America for participating, up until now, to make today's ribbon cutting possible.

So, thank all of you who have had anything to do with it officially, non-profit wise, for-profit wise, in every way. And again, as one who succeeded Sala Burton in the Congress, knew her values, knew how important our seniors and people with physical challenges are to our community and how proud she would be to have this facility dedicated to their health, well-being and just the dignity of it all. Sala Burton would be very proud.

Thank you for the opportunity to participate.

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Issues:Housing