Joaquin Torres to step down as San Francisco Housing Authority commission president after 12 years

President Joaquin Torres said May 29 that it was his last meeting as president of the San Francisco Housing Authority Commission, and commissioners, residents and partner organizations used the commission’s public-comment period and the meeting’s remarks to thank him for more than a decade of service.

Torres has served on the commission for 12 years and in recent remarks at the meeting described his work as a continuation of a family tradition of public service. "I still am your elected city leader who happens to have the title of assessor‑recorder," he said, adding later in his remarks that responsibility for the work of public housing "is in your hands." The announcement and the tributes followed a period of public comment dedicated largely to thanking him.

Why it matters: Commissioners and resident leaders said Torres presided over major structural changes at the authority — including the agency’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) conversion and large capital investments — and prioritized resident engagement during those transitions. Commissioner Leroy Lindo credited Torres with shepherding the authority through "one of the most consequential transitions in the agency's history," saying the RAD conversion moved more than 3,400 public housing units to nonprofit management and unlocked roughly $1,000,000,000 in federal capital investment, remarks made on the record during the meeting.

Speakers and tributes at the meeting emphasized Torres’s accessibility and attention to residents. Resident leaders and public-commenters — including Margaret McNulty, Greg Richardson and others — offered personal thanks. Kimberly Hill Brown, speaking for PHTA, told the commission the authority and residents ‘‘appreciate’’ Torres’s partnership and leadership. Several speakers said he moved commission meetings into City Hall to make them more accessible and visible to residents.

Torres reflected on the work and on why he took the post more than a decade ago, thanking staff, commissioners and resident leaders he said had shaped the authority’s direction. He read a short set of literary passages — including a story he attributed to Toni Morrison — to illustrate stewardship and responsibility. He also named his priorities: resident-centered engagement, accountability, and continuing the authority’s development projects.

Commissioners and staff noted short- and long-term work that will continue after his departure. Torres named Doug Shoemaker and CEO Tanya Latitude (who led the agency’s executive staff report during the meeting) as part of the ongoing leadership responsible for advancing current projects; Torres said he was stepping away from the commission but remains an elected city official and will continue public service in that capacity.

The meeting concluded with customary thanks and a motion to adjourn. No policy votes were taken at this item.