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Committee forwards SOMA Pilipinas CHESS report to full Board after year‑long community process
Summary
The committee voted July 14 to send the SOMA Pilipinas Cultural History, Housing and Economic Sustainability Strategy (CHESS) report — a community‑co‑authored roadmap of 22 strategies addressing cultural preservation, tenant protections, economic development and language access — to the full Board with a positive recommendation.
The committee unanimously voted July 14 to forward the SOMA Pilipinas CHESS report to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation after a year‑long community process and a presentation co‑authored by the community and city staff.
Supervisor Matt Dorsey (participating remotely) and community leaders described the CHESS report as a living strategy that documents a decade‑plus of neighborhood advocacy and proposes 22 strategies across six areas: cultural preservation, tenant protection and anti‑displacement, arts and culture, economic and workforce development, land use/community stabilization and cultural competency/language access.
Julia Sabore (Planning/Community Engagement Manager) and Raquel Redondias (SOMA Pilipinas director) summarized the outreach — 12 focus groups, 20 expert interviews and targeted in‑language and paper surveys to reach elders and people without online access — and described recommended actions including small‑site acquisition assistance, tenant stabilization measures, an arts master plan, public‑realm improvements and a Barangay (community hub) to provide co‑located services and language access.
Supporters from SOMA community organizations, cultural districts across the city, small businesses, workforce programs and neighborhood advocates spoke during public comment and urged adoption. A range of departments (MOCD, OEWD, Planning, Arts Commission) participated in drafting and committed to continuing the interdepartmental coordination needed to implement strategies.
The committee moved to send the resolution to the full Board with a positive recommendation; the motion passed 3–0.
Next steps: the resolution will be placed on the full Board agenda for consideration; the CHESS process requires a three‑year revisit to track implementation and update strategies.
