2021 Annual Report
We believe that everyone deserves a home.
Dear Friends,
In 2021, DISH celebrated 15 years of welcoming people home! We are honored to have supported over 1,000 San Franciscans in their recovery from homelessness. This past year alone, DISH gave 84 new residents their key to a home.
Our work remains guided by the clarity that systemic racism fuels the necessity of our work. Internal leadership changes in 2021 provided the opportunity to advance our equity goals to diversify our executive leadership and invest in professional development opportunities. Staff promoted this past year reflect the community we serve, with 65% representing communities of color.
For DISH residents, we focused on breaking down barriers to access support for housing stability and wellness. In partnership with our Community Advisory Board, we launched a pilot co-locating home care services in collaboration with the City’s In-Home Supportive Services. We formed a partnership with UCSF’s DeLIVER to provide free, in-house access to HepC testing and treatment. We increased our direct support for the transition to housing with rent reductions and increased personal amenities and sustained our daily meal program. We further invested in overdose prevention to address the risk of isolation that can arise when moving into housing.
We do all this because through our 15 years of service, we have deepened our understanding that housing is an important step to end homelessness, but just one part of the journey. Supporting our community to be safe, healthy, nourished, and connected is at the heart of ending homelessness.
Through these 15 years, you have propelled DISH forward as we have grown and adapted from our first two sites to the 570 homes we operate today. We are well-positioned to keep growing and are excited for what’s next. We would like to thank you for being part of the solution. Your support helps us turn housing into a home. Let’s keep doing this together for another 15 years!
With gratitude,
Lauren Hall
Co- Founder & Executive Director
Jane Levikow
Founding Board Member
At DISH, we believe that everyone deserves a safe, supportive home.
We serve individuals who have experienced long-term homelessness, severe trauma, and chronic health challenges. We eliminate barriers to our housing and embrace the commitment to serve our 570 residents with respect, kindness, and a relent-less drive to ensure that they do not return to homelessness.
We believe that homelessness is a result of the intersection of poverty, trauma, and institutional racism present in our nation. We believe that our role as a supportive housing provider is not just to welcome people home but also to strive for equity and inclusion.
The DISH team is on-site 24 hours, offering security, stability, and a welcoming home. Across our sites our partners provide individual clinical support and community based art, food and wellness activities. Our 8 housing sites are located in the Tenderloin, South of Market and Mission neighborhoods.
Deje Silas & Janet Avelar, DISH Managers • Promoted in 2021
Our Values
Excellence and Focus
Prioritize items under our direct control and deliver high-quality service.
Fairness and Consistency
Strive for equity and inclusion for our tenants and our staff.
Initiative and Innovation
Never stagnate, frequently review, refine, and enhance our services and procedures.
Respect and Openness
In our interactions, be honest, direct, and embrace differences.
2021 Highlights
Home Is Where the Heart (& Food) Is
In partnership with Centro Latino and La Cocina, we have provided about 70,000 free nutritious meals to all 570 residents, five days a week. Many residents are finally able to focus beyond how to get their next meal and prioritize other vital life expenses. With private funding for this program ending in April 2022, we are pushing for policy change to include nutrition programs in our base funding and look to our larger community for support.
A Brave Approach to Harm Reduction
We partnered with the DOPE Project to pilot the “Brave Button”, a peer-centered overdose detection device from the Brave Technology Cooperative, installed in each room at our Minna Lee site. With the push of a button, residents can receive assistance from desk clerks and peer responders carrying Narcan, preventing tragic loss in our community. We would like to thank our donors, particularly investors to the Margot Fund, for helping fund this program and honoring the legacy of Margot Antonetty.
Advancing Digital Equity
With half of DISH residents without at-home high-speed internet access, the pandemic deepened the digital inequity as many were forced to rely on the Internet to secure benefits, make appointments, seek employment opportunities, and connect with friends and family. DISH and Community Tech Network are hosting digital literacy classes at our Camelot and Star sites that include a free tablet upon completion of the course. Through community partnerships and donor support, DISH is steadily increasing Wi-Fi access at all our sites.
Community Building
We see the need to look beyond clinical services to address the holistic needs of residents. To address the anxiety and depression caused by isolation, we have brought on an in-house Community Development Manager position to promote creativity and connection at all eight of our sites. Led by Mattie Loyce, community programs, such as weekly walks and art classes, bring joy into the lives of residents, inspiring them to stay active, creative, and connected. Consistent funding is essential to continue these programs, including weekly walks, art classes, and group outings.
DISH Community
Johnny, DISH Resident
“I have been with DISH for over 15 years as a tenant. I came here after losing my apartment due to a major fire. I got the place at DISH which is a safe place, the management and staff are very supportive. I give DISH 5 stars because they helped me at a time when I couldn’t help myself.”
-Johnny
Johnny moved in in 1999, even before the site was added to DISH’s portfolio in 2006. Johnny is a humble and strong resident and brings lots of laughter and joy to our community. Johnny always lends a helping hand whether it’s cleaning the building or helping other residents when they are in a bind or not feeling well. Johnny actively volunteers his time, serving La Cocina meals to fellow residents and watering the community garden, and participates in DISH’s art and walking clubs. Johnny is a deeply rooted resident who helped shape the community of hissite and makes it such a special place to live in for everyone.
99.7%
Housing Retention
98%
Residents Housed
For 1 year or more
84
New Tenants
Signed leases in 2021
13
New Beginnings
Tenants who moved on to independent housing.
“I have more freedom to make my room part of my personality. I can decorate it how I want to, which is big for me. It was just another step toward getting my independence back. I got a lot of personal pictures hung up and some African-themed art. What makes a house a home to me would be privacy, freedom to decorate, prepare meals whenever I want to and be able to have company over.”
-Michael
Michael is a proud San Francisco native who grew up in the Fillmore. He has personally experienced the repercussions of the drastic rise in housing costs in his city, eventually landing him in the streets no longer able to cover rent. Michael moved into DISH in March of 2021 after living in one of the COVID Shelter-in-Place hotels for over a year. He was able to move into permanent housing at DISH, offering the dignity of his own home.
Michael, DISH Resident
DISH Team
Georgetta Lovett, Property Supervisor • DISHer Since October 2006
“I stayed at DISH for 15 years because I really like helping people. I felt like, with all the jobs I’ve had, I have a knack for this. With people coming from homelessness into housing and me getting them prepared to stay indoors, I feel like I have a passion for it. I think working for DISH has been one of my blessings. DISH is very compassionate. I see the loyalty that they have to tenants, and I appreciate what they bring. You know, what place do you know throws a tenant appreciation party? Or provides holiday gifts for all the tenants that live within the building? I feel like DISH gives back and the tenants give to us.”
-Georgetta Lovett
26%
DISHers
With over 10 years of service
5.5
Years
Average tenure of DISH staff
Since the beginning of DISH’s existence, Georgetta has played a huge role in shaping the organization with her dedication and relentlessness to welcome people home. Georgetta was working at the Pacific Bay Inn long before DISH showed up, educating us on how to bring high-quality services to our tenants. This past year, Georgetta has taken on higher leadership, rising from General Manager to Property Supervisor, enriching the team further with her knowledge and compassion for our community.
DISH Supporters
“I’ve had the opportunity to visit DISH buildings, volunteer at several events and attend the BASH each year! The people at DISH, from executives to residents, have endless passion, treat everyone as family and work together to create a community and a forever home for their residents. It’s this passion and their unique approach that has my heart. I’m honored to play a small role in this organization and the lives of the people we serve!”
– Courtney Bencze
DISH Supporter since 2016
DISH’s operating budget is mostly comprised of government grants and contracts, and rental income. One of our smallest sources of revenue, private contributions, is also a critical one. We continually need to raise funds to adequately serve our residents and help them keep their housing, recover from the trauma of homelessness and thrive in their community. Without our community of supporters, DISH could not sustain vital programs such as the Brave buttons that save people from losing their lives to overdose. You give us the resources to address concerns that many of us take for granted like access to Wi-Fi and healthy fresh food.
In 2022, DISH is expanding its Community Building program in collaboration with our Community Advisory Board, including a partnership with Healing Well to bring restorative health sessions to each of our housing sites.
We will also advance on our goal of Digital Equity in all our sites, with at least two more sites being equipped with free Wi-Fi for residents. We will expand our successful Harm Reduction pilot by installing the Brave buttons and Narcan dispensers supported by Peer Overdose Response Specialists in additional sites. We are hoping for our larger Community events to restart, pending COVID regulations. Our Community Advisory Board is getting more invested in local policy making around food security, overdose prevention, etc…
It can only be achieved with you.
Join us as a recurring donor. A recurring donation of $50 will cover the stipend of one member of the Community Advisory Board to support their work of advocacy and local policy making.
DISH Volunteers
“As part of last year’s holiday initiative, we were given the chance to come in and support the volunteer team at DISH. Not only was it absolutely awesome to play a (very small) part of the huge impact DISH has all year round, but the welcome we received was incredibly warm and gave us a chance to learn more about what DISH does for the community. That was a great reminder that although organizations like DISH can have a profound impact on its community, everybody can make a difference at any level. Thank you, DISH, for what you do!”
– Pierre-Francois Rio, Traction On Demand Volunteer
71
Volunteers
Our volunteers show up big, in-person and virtually, and we are incredibly grateful. Not only do volunteers help us meet our goals, but they also show our residents that the larger community is invested in their success. DISH welcomes groups and individuals to get involved in turning housing into a home for DISH residents. Check our volunteer page for more info on how to get involved!
DISH would like to thank our 2021 corporate volunteer partners:
Salesforce
Traction on Demand
Hands on Bay Area
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
DISH Finances
Pacific Bay Inn
2021 Total Revenue
$11,587,332
80% Public Support
12% Tenant Rent
8% Private Support
.4% Earned Revenue
2021 Total Expenses
$11,426,655
89% Operations
10% Administration
1% Fundraising
Figures above represent unaudited financials for January-December, 2021. DISH is a project of Tides and Tides will soon make available its 2021 audited financial statements.