OCII approves $249,940 amendment to continue search for residents displaced by redevelopment

The Commission on Community Investment and Infrastructure on Tuesday voted to authorize a second amendment to a personal services contract with Links Insights & Investigations Inc., adding $249,940 and extending the contract by 12 months to continue locating and contacting people displaced by former redevelopment‑agency projects. The resolution (Res. 18‑2024) passed by roll call, with Commissioners Aquino, Drew and Lim voting yes and Vice Chair Dr. Carolyn Ransom Scott voting aye; Chair Brackett was absent.

Staff and the Links team told commissioners the outreach is intended to reach original certificate‑of‑preference (COP) holders and their descendants from redevelopment project areas, including the Western Addition and Hunters Point. Pam Simms, a senior development specialist in OCII’s Housing Division, summarized the project’s history and phase‑2 results and said the proposed phase‑3 scope would employ 5–7 investigators to resume work next month and complete a comprehensive check‑in by February 2025, with final findings reported in July and to the commission in August.

The staff presentation cited the Keane report and internal audits: a total of roughly 5,893 San Francisco households—or “12,000 plus” individuals—from targeted project areas experienced redevelopment‑related displacement, and the LINCS team reported locating approximately 3,025 of those individuals. Staff said investigators contacted 5,456 individuals and confirmed contact information for many, identified 2,358 deceased people, and that 9,206 of the 12,000‑plus records remained unlocated. Pam Simms said the second amendment would add targeted investigator hours, pilot manual research on older handwritten records and expand marketing and outreach locally, regionally and nationally.

LINCS and partner New Community Leadership Foundation representatives described how phase 2 met efficiency goals (average investigator time near 1.5 hours per locatee) and how phase 3 would combine manual record review and a modest marketing campaign. Majid Crawford of NCLF explained the outreach approach and estimated a national/Greater Bay Area digital and radio push with roughly $21,000 allocated for marketing; community investigator Lynette Mackey said in‑person outreach to senior meetings, churches and community gatherings produced higher response rates than cold calls.

Several public commenters urged broader outreach to affected communities. Susie Kagami, representing Japantown, said the community remains affected by historic displacement and asked for targeted education and outreach: “We were severely displaced twice, World War II incarceration and then redevelopment.” Oscar James, a longtime Hunters Point resident, urged sustained funding so locating work can continue even after this contract period.

The commission’s approval authorizes an aggregate contract amount of $554,510 for the Links contract and extends the term for an additional 12 months to report on results from phase 2 and continue searches for and outreach to displaced persons.